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Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR

Home plans that are qualified as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR include requirements for the energy-efficient features and construction details typically found in ENERGY STAR qualified homes—tight construction and duct systems, properly installed insulation, high performance windows, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and appliances.

When built, Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR home plans will result in a home that is at least 15 percent more energy efficient than a home built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30 percent more efficient than standard homes.

How are home plans qualified as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR?

Architects and designers who want to label a home plan as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR must submit it to a Home Energy Rater for review.
These raters are experienced in evaluating home plans to help you choose the most appropriate and cost-effective approaches for meeting ENERGY STAR guidelines.

Find a Home Energy Rater near you.

Each home plan can be evaluated in one of two ways:

  • Using the performance path, the home plan is modeled with specialized computer software to estimate the as-built home’s energy use based on the specifications of the home plan. The results of this analysis help you identify the most effective upgrades needed to meet ENERGY STAR requirements
  • Using the prescriptive path, the home plan is reviewed for consistency with an EPA-developed climate-specific construction specification called a Builder Option Package (BOP). Based on extensive analyses, BOP specifications have been determined to result in homes that consistently meet ENERGY STAR guidelines.

The rater will also verify that your home plan contains all other elements required for it to be labeled as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR. This review will be performed using a specially designed checklist. The completed checklist, as well as the HERS rating or BOP checklist, should be attached to the final home plan. Once all of these requirements are met, the rater will issue the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR logo for the designated home plan.

ENERGY STAR Label

Does qualifying a home plan as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR mean that the home will be ENERGY STAR qualified?

A home built according to a Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR home plan does not automatically earn the ENERGY STAR qualified home label (image right). Field verification, including onsite inspections and testing by a Home Energy Rater and completion of a Thermal Bypass Checklist, is required to ensure that energy-saving measures specified in the home plan are incorporated into the as-built house. This field verification may or may not be performed by the same rater who reviews the home plan.

Required elements for a home plan to qualify as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR

Attached Documents:

  • Projected HERS rating or ENERGY STAR BOP checklist
  • ENERGY STAR Thermal Bypass Checklist with all N/A items checked
  • Any required specifications not already included on the plan

Information on Plan (Floor Plan, Specifications, or Details):

  • Note stating that field verification by a Home Energy Rater is required to earn the ENERGY STAR qualified home label
  • Wall sections delineating complete thermal boundary of home
  • Tight construction details and/or specifications
  • Proper insulation installation details and/or specifications
  • Thermal Bypass Checklist air barrier installation details and/or specifications
  • Tight duct details and written specifications, or layout for ductwork in conditioned space
  • Window and door specifications
  • Water heater specifications
  • Heating and cooling equipment specifications
  • Location of ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures, fans, or appliances
  • Information in Spanish is recommended, but not required, where appropriate

Additional Information on Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR: