Version 3 Comment Period Documents

Second Comment Period

EPA received comments (789KB) from partners and other stakeholders regarding the proposed Version 3 specifications (126KB) and checklists (162KB). The comments are listed alphabetically by organization name.

EPA's Responses from Second Comment Period

• EPA's Response to Stakeholder and Partner Comments from Second Comment Period (425KB). This document contains a summary of comments received during the second comment period, along with EPA's response to each point raised and the resulting policy change, if any.

Resources Available during Second Comment Period

• Executive Summary (55KB). This summary explains the major changes made from the previous version.
• ENERGY STAR Version 3 HERS Index Target Procedure (115KB). 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.
• Cost and Savings (354KB). This document includes estimates of representative incremental costs and savings for the updated ENERGY STAR guidelines.

First Comment Period

EPA received comments (1.65MB) from partners and other stakeholders regarding the proposed Version 3 specifications (582KB) and checklists (162KB). The comments are listed alphabetically by organization name.

EPA's Responses from First Comment Period

• EPA's Response to Stakeholder and Partner Comments from First Comment Period (479KB)*. This document contains a summary of comments received during the first comment period, along with EPA's response to each point raised and the resulting policy change, if any.

  *Recommendations to use a "full-fuel-cycle" methodology for the proposed guidelines were expressed by both the National Propane Gas Association and the American Gas Association. In EPA's response to comments, these concerns were inadvertently attributed to only the National Propane Gas Association.

• EPA's Response to RESNET Comments (75KB). In the summer of 2009, RESNET submitted feedback to EPA regarding the proposed changes. EPA reviewed this document and has prepared a detailed response to the concerns in this document.

Resources Available during First Comment Period

• ENERGY STAR Version 3 FAQ (39KB) — Frequently asked questions about ENERGY STAR Version 3.
• ENERGY STAR Version 3 Fact Sheet (138KB) — Summary of ENERGY STAR Version 3 and rationale behind the proposed changes to the ENERGY STAR certified homes specifications.
• ENERGY STAR Homes: The Road Ahead — Presentation on the evolution of ENERGY STAR for Homes and the value of the new guidelines. At this time, the streaming modules are unavailable. You can view the presentation in five PDF files:
  • Outline & Introduction (178KB)
  • Compliance Options (243KB)
  • Mandatory Requirements (450KB)
  • Checklists (1.9MB)
  • The Road Ahead (368KB)
• Technical background (242KB) — Additional details about the rationale behind, benefits of, and estimated savings for ENERGY STAR Version 3.
• ENERGY STAR Version 3 Reference Design Definition (288KB) — Compares the parameters of the HERS Reference Home, HERS rated homes, and the ENERGY STAR Reference Design Home.
• Economic impacts (340KB) — Estimates of representative incremental costs and savings for ENERGY STAR Version 3 and a comparison to incremental costs for the current guidelines.
• Notes from the EPA Q&A sessions (280KB) — Notes from the Q&A sessions held to answer questions about the proposed ENERGY STAR Version 3 guidelines.