Partner Resources
Home > Partner Resources > New Home Industry > New Guidelines for ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes
New Guidelines for ENERGY STAR Qualified New Homes
New Version 3 Guidelines (formally known as ENERGY STAR 2011)
- Executive Summary
(51KB). This summary explains the major changes made from the previous version. - National Program Requirements (570KB). This updated document defines both the performance and prescriptive paths to ENERGY STAR qualification for new homes. See also the county-level ENERGY STAR Reference Design documents, which translate the national program requirements into county-specific requirements.
- Inspection Checklists (218KB). One requirement of the prescriptive and performance path is compliance with the four checklists contained within this updated document: Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist; HVAC System Quality Installation Rater Checklist, HVAC System Quality Installation Contractor Checklist, and the Water Management System Builder Checklist.
- ENERGY STAR Version 3 HERS Index Target Procedure (557KB). This document provides detailed instructions for determining the ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target, the highest HERS Index value that a home can achieve and still qualify under the performance path of the program.
Implementation schedule
- The new ENERGY STAR Version 3 guidelines will go into effect on January 1, 2011. For details, refer to the Executive Summary (51KB).
ENERGY STAR New Homes Version 3 Implementation Schedule
This graphic illustrates the implementation timeline for the ENERGY STAR New Homes Version 3.0 guidelines, which generally occurs beginning 1/1/2012.
The implementation date is determined using the house type (single-family versus multi-family), permit date, and qualification date of a home.
Single-family homes with permit date prior to 1/1/2011 and completion date before 7/1/2011 may qualify under Version 2.0 of the guidelines.
Single-family homes with permit date prior to 1/1/2011 and completion date between 7/1/2011 and 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 2.5 of the guidelines.
Single-family homes with permit date after 1/1/2012 and completion date beyond 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 3.0 of the guidelines.
Multi-family buildings with permit date prior to 1/1/2011 and completion date before 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 2.0 of the guidelines.
Multi-family buildings with permit date after 1/1/2012 and completion date beyond 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 3.0 of the guidelines.
All homes with permit date on or after 1/1/2011 and completion date prior to 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 2.5 of the guidelines.
All homes with permit date after 1/1/2012 and completion date beyond 1/1/2012 may qualify under Version 3.0 of the guidelines.
- Single-family homes include detached homes, townhomes, rowhomes, duplexes, and triplexes.
- Only condos and apartments in multi-family buildings may use this extended implementation schedule. Further, all multi-family homes financed through low-income housing agencies and permitted prior to January 1, 2011 many earn the ENERGY STAR under the last iteration of the guidelines, Version 2.0, until January 1, 2013.
Comment Period Documents
Visit the Comment Period Documents page to see documents related to the First and Second Comment Periods.
Webinars
Sam Rashkin, R.A., National Director of ENERGY STAR for Homes, explained the evolution of ENERGY STAR for Homes and the value of the new guidelines. Watch a recorded video of the webinar from November 18, 2009.
Sam Rashkin discusses the new ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Program requirements. This training consists of three modules that discuss the key systems that make up the Version 3 specifications.
- Module 1: Getting the Thermal Enclosure System Right
(97MB) - Module 2: Getting the HVAC system Right (Coming soon!)
- Module 3: Getting the Water Management System Right (50MB)
Questions
Please contact us with any questions about the proposed ENERGY STAR Version 3 guidelines.
