It’s certainly not the most stringent standard for energy efficiency, but the Energy Star Homes specification is so widely recognized by consumers that many builders have embraced it as at least a first step toward green marketing.
In its current iteration, the Energy Star Homes standard has turned out to yield energy efficiency improvements that are notably lower than those originally touted by the program’s creator, the Environmental Protection Agency, which said Energy Star Homes would make residences 15% to 30% more energy efficient than comparable baseline homes. The next generation of the standard – Version 3, which is set to launch on January 1 – is stricter in many areas, although it has been criticized for skimping on insulation and air-sealing requirements that would otherwise significantly improve energy efficiency performance. (The EPA has given builders the option to qualify their projects for an interim set of guidelines, known as Version 2.5, until January 1.)
The brand endures
Still, Energy Star remains a useful marketing tool. Almost 400 builders nationwide – including major production builders such as Ashton Woods Homes, Beazer Homes, KB Home, Meritage Homes, M/I Homes, and NVR, Inc. – have committed to Energy Star Homes Version 3, according to the EPA.
The agency says that homes built to the Version 3 standard will be at least 15% more energy efficient than those that meet 2009 International Energy Conservation Code requirements, and will be as much as 30% more energy efficient than “typical new homes.”
The energy efficiency of all projects in line for an Energy Star Homes label must meet Home Energy Rating System Index targets, which are adjusted for the size of the home and its climate zone. The bigger the home is, the lower (and, therefore, more stringent) its HERS target will be. As we’ve noted, many builders have already struck agreements with the Residential Energy Services Network to have the energy performance of all of their homes rated by HERS testers.
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Energy Star Homes Version 3 is intended to drive improvements in five areas: controlling air flow, controlling heat flow, controlling moisture flow, equipment efficiency, and verification procedures.
