Home > Partner Resources > For New Home Construction Professionals > ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise Program (New Construction) > Program Requirements
For units in multifamily mid and high rise buildings to earn the ENERGY STAR, a new or substantially rehabilitated mid or high rise multifamily building must be designed to be at least 15% more energy efficient than a building built to code.
EPA has launched the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction program to serve all multifamily buildings. Visit the Program Requirements page to learn more and get started.
EPA has transitioned to a market-based verification process for multifamily high rise projects to earn the ENERGY STAR label. Project teams work with an EPA-recognized MRO for the review and approval of their submissions. Visit the MFHR Review Organization page to learn more.
The developer of a project participating in the program must provide an EPA-recognized MFHR Review Organization (MRO) with program specific submittals. These submittals, which must be validated by a Licensed Professional, are used to demonstrate that the program’s requirements have been met, that all prerequisites are included, and that each energy conservation measure is installed to specification. Please visit the Certification Process page for more information on how to earn the ENERGY STAR.
Building performance is as much a function of proper building management as the energy conservation measures incorporated into the structure. Therefore, after units in a building earn the ENERGY STAR, the developer/owner must commit to benchmarking the building in Portfolio Manager for a period of two years. For more information please see the Benchmarking page.
There are two paths available to meet ENERGY STAR’s MFHR requirements:
Please note that although the Performance Path allows for some trade-offs when selecting energy conservation measures for meeting the Performance Target, the program has set some minimum prerequisites for specific energy efficiency components. Although the prerequisite measures can be used to help the project meet the Performance Target, failure to meet the prerequisite requirements will result in the project not earning the ENERGY STAR. The prerequisites are found within the ENERGY STAR MFHR Performance Path document.
Both the Prescriptive Path and Performance Path require that partners comply with mandatory Testing & Verification Protocols available on the Guidance Documents page. All program documentation for both paths is available for download in a .zip file for convenience.
To ensure that ENERGY STAR remains a mark of distinction and provides meaningful energy savings above code, MFHR projects pursuing ENERGY STAR certification in states that have adopted 2012 IECC, 2015 IECC, ASHRAE 90.1-2010 or ASHRAE 90.1-2013, will be required to meet a modified Performance Target, rather than the current national requirement of 15% over ASHRAE 90.1- 2007.
To provide a period of transition, all ENERGY STAR MFHR Project Applications submitted to EPA on or before December 31, 2014, will be allowed to meet a Performance Target of 15% savings over ASHRAE 90.1-2007, regardless of the current or future code for their state.
All Project Applications submitted on or after January 1, 2015 must pursue a Performance Target of 15% better than the energy code under which the building is permitted (unless otherwise noted below). Since EPA has not yet developed a Prescriptive Path based on these codes, only the ENERGY STAR MFHR Performance Path certification option will be available for projects in these states.
State Code | 90.1-2007 | 90.1-2010 | 90.1-2013 |
---|---|---|---|
2009 IECC | 15%* | NA | NA |
2012 IECC | 20%†† | 15%* | NA |
2015 IECC | 25%†† | 20%†† | 15%*† |
*Appendix G from the referenced code or ASHRAE 90.1-2016 or may be used.
† Appendix G from ASHRAE 90.1-2010 may be used for projects with Project Applications submitted prior to February 1, 2018.
†† These Performance Target options may not be used for projects using Appendix G from ASHRAE 90.1-2016.
To further demonstrate this policy, some examples are provided below. Please contact mfhr@energystar.gov if you have any questions about the Performance Target for your project.
EPA periodically revises the MFHR Program Requirements in response to partner questions and evolving standards (e.g., ENERGY STAR product specifications, NAECA standards, model energy codes). The purpose of this revision process is to be responsive to partner questions, to disseminate policy changes in a consistent manner, and to adapt the program as needed for success. Revisions will be made on an as needed basis; however, it is expected that the guidelines will not be updated more frequently than every six months.
Please reference the MFHR FAQ page for answers to the questions most frequently asked by MFHR program participants. While these answers may also appear in our Policy Record, the most common questions and answers have been placed in the FAQ system for your convenience and are organized by categories (ie. Appliances, Lighting, T&V).