Florida ENERGY STAR Version 3 and 3.1 Program Requirements

Should I use the Version 3 or 3.1 Program Requirements?

• Homes permitted between January 1, 2012 and June 30, 2012 must be certified under Version 3 of the Program Requirements for Florida.
• Homes permitted after July 1, 2012 must be certified under Version 3.1 of the Program Requirements for Florida.

For more information about the transition from Version 2 to Version 3.1, including the transitional Version 2.5 and Version 3 Program Requirements, see the Transition Timeline for Florida.

How to Certify a Home

Select the core energy efficiency measures

Working with a Home Energy Rater, builders configure the preferred set of energy measures for their home and verify that the resulting HERS Index meets or exceeds a HERS Index of 77 for homes earning the ENERGY STAR under Version 3 and meets or meets or exceeds the ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target for homes earning the ENERGY STAR under Version 3.1. The Program Requirements for Florida contain more information about how the target is defined and the typical measures used to meet this target.

• Version 3 Program Requirements for Florida (242KB) (Revision 05) — This document defines the core energy efficiency specifications for both the Prescriptive and Performance Paths under Version 3 of the program.
• Version 3.1 Program Requirements for Florida (147KB) — This document defines the core energy efficiency specifications under Version 3.1 of the program.

Complete Mandatory Measures

Certification of a home also requires the completion of the following:

• Rater Design Review Checklist and Rater Field Checklist (632KB)
• HVAC Design Report (249KB)
• HVAC Commissioning Checklist (184KB)
• Water Management System Builder Requirements (120KB)

Policy Changes and Clarifications

EPA periodically makes policy changes and clarifications, typically in response to a unique situation within a particular climate zone, and shares frequently–asked questions. See Recent Policy Changes and Clarifications.

Training Requirements and Resources

Version 3 includes new and more rigorous requirements for builders, Raters, and HVAC contractors. EPA requires that they each complete training on Version 3 to promote successful adoption and has created a number of resources to assist them in understanding the Program Requirements. Learn More

Florida Version 3 Development Archives

• Florida – ENERGY STAR Version 3.1 HERS Index Target (161KB) Procedure This documents provides detailed instructions for determining the ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target for homes in Florida, the highest HERS Index value that a home can achieve and still earn the ENERGY STAR.
• Summary of Public Comment Period for Draft Version 3 Florida Program Requirements (34KB) This document contains a summary of comments received during the Florida comment period, along with EPA's response to each point raised and the resulting policy change, if any.