Getting Started with ENERGY STAR Certified Manufactured Homes

ENERGY STAR’s requirements for manufactured homes affords the manufactured housing industry a unique opportunity to extend the advantages of controlled-environment factory production to include exemplary energy performance. A manufactured home earns the ENERGY STAR by meeting strict program requirements for energy efficiency set by the U.S. EPA. Currently, these requirements differ from the requirements for site-built homes. EPA is in the process of harmonizing the requirements for manufactured homes with those for site-built homes.

Manufactured homes are ENERGY STAR certified only after they are inspected and verified on site as having met all ENERGY STAR requirements and have received the blue ENERGY STAR Certified Home label. Homes cannot be marketed or promoted as "ENERGY STAR labeled" or "ENERGY STAR certified" until this site verification process has been completed by a qualified third-party verifier.

There are two ways a manufactured home can earn the ENERGY STAR certification and label:

1. Each home is rated by a third-party Home Energy Rater (or equivalent), similar to the verification process applied to site-built homes. The Home Energy Rater must coordinate with the plant and the installer to verify those ENERGY STAR-related features of the home that are installed both in the plant and on-site.
2. A manufactured home is produced within a plant that is under the oversight of a Quality Assurance Provider (QAP). This involves a plant certification process to certify that a plant has incorporated ENERGY STAR requirements into its in-plant inspection procedures and can consistently produce homes that can earn the ENERGY STAR, as well as an on-site inspection process where a third-party consultant visually checks that all ENERGY STAR requirements have been met. The plant certification process as well as oversight and enforcement of all quality assurance requirements related to designing, producing, and installing ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes is the responsibility of the QAP. The Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) has been approved by EPA as a national QAP for ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes. For SBRA’s compliance procedures go to www.research-alliance.org. The Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Housing Program (NEEM) serves as a QAP for ENERGY STAR manufactured homes produced by plants within the Pacific Northwest.

Guidelines for Retailers, Installers, HVAC Contractors

Retailers and installers (including HVAC contractors) of manufactured homes play a critical role in educating homebuyers about the benefits of ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes and assuring that these homes are properly installed. SBRA has developed a booklet titled ENERGY STAR Certified Manufactured Homes: Guide for Retailers (with instructions for installers and HVAC contractors) that explains how retailers can partner with ENERGY STAR and benefit from marketing these homes to homebuyers. It describes the roles and responsibilities of retailers, installers, and HVAC contractors and lists marketing and sales tools available to retailers.

Cooling Equipment Sizing Charts

Updated guidelines (3.83MB) for right-sizing cooling equipment for manufactured homes is now available. These guidelines were developed to eliminate the problem of choosing equipment that is oversized and that contributes to higher than necessary energy consumption. The guidelines consist of nine maps covering the continental U.S. plus a Sizing Table containing recommended cooling equipment sizes (in tons). The maps are divided into counties. Contiguous counties with the same sizing recommendations are combined into Sizing Groups.

Tax Credits for ENERGY STAR Certified Manufactured Homes

The federal tax credit for producers of ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes has been extended through December 31, 2016.

ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Market Leader Awards

Manufacturing plants that produce and label ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes are eligible for an ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Market Leader Award (formerly Leadership in Housing), which recognizes organizations that have made outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. There is no application necessary to be eligible for this award. Recipients are selected each year based on the number of ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes they have produced during the year, and are recognized at the National Congress & Expo for Manufactured and Modular Housing. For more information about the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Market Leader Award contact energystarhomes@energystar.gov.

ENERGY STAR Certified Manufactured Home Fact Sheet

A fact sheet (180KB) is available for manufacturing plants that produce and label ENERGY STAR certified manufactured homes to use in promoting their homes to consumers.