CHANGE FORTHE
BETTER WITH
ENERGY STAR
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
New Homes
with the
ENERGY STAR
Indoor
Package
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EPA 430-E-05-002 October 2005
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WHAT IS
ENERGY STAR?
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for
energy efficiency, helping businesses and individuals
protect the environment through superior energy
efficiency. It identifies new homes, buildings, and more
than 40 types of products that are energy efficient and
offer the features, quality, and performance today's
consumers expect. Products earning the ENERGY STAR
label include appliances, lighting, vent fans, home office
equipment, consumer electronics, and heating and
cooling equipment.
The ENERGY STAR label on a new home means that it is
independently verified to be at least 15% more efficient
than homes built to the 2003 International Energy
Conservation Code. By purchasing an ENERGY STAR
qualified home, you can have all the features you desire
in your new home, plus lower utility bills. And you will
help prevent greenhouse gas emissions. Ask your builder
for a brochure about the features built into every ENERGY
STAR qualified home.
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WHY DOES
INDOOR AIR QUALITY
MATTER?
People are increasingly concerned about mold, radon,
carbon monoxide, and toxic chemicals commonly found in
homes. In fact, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
studies show that levels of air pollution inside the home are
often two to five times higher than outdoor levels. And poor
indoor air quality is associated with a host of health
problems, including eye irritation, headaches, allergies,
and respiratory problems such as asthma.
HOW CAN BUILDING PRACTICES
HELP IMPROVE
INDOOR AIR QUALITY?
Builders can employ a variety of construction practices
and technologies to decrease the risk of poor indoor air
quality, including careful selection and installation of
moisture control systems, heating, cooling, and ventilation
(HVAC) equipment, combustion venting systems, and
building materials. But it's not easy for homebuyers to keep
track of all the preferred construction details that lead to
improved indoor air quality and energy efficiency. That's
why EPA created the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package.
Homes that earn the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package
label are designed to have lower utility costs, greater
comfort, better durability, and reduced risk of indoor air
problems.*
HOW DO HOMES EARN THE LABEL
FOR THE ENERGY STAR
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE?
START WITH ENERGY STAR
A home must first be designed and built to earn the
ENERGY STAR—the government-backed symbol for energy
efficiency. The result is a home that is significantly more
energy efficient than a code-built home.
ADD INDOOR AIR IMPROVEMENTS
More than 70 additional home design and construction
features are included in the Indoor Air Package to help
protect qualified homes from moisture and mold, pests,
combustion gases, and other airborne pollutants.
COMPLETE THE PACKAGE WITH INDEPENDENT
TESTING AND VERIFICATION
The home's energy performance and many key features of
the Indoor Air Package are inspected by an independent
third-party to ensure that the builder has properly followed
EPA's rigorous guidelines for energy efficiency and
specifications for indoor air quality.
ENERGYSTAR
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE
Homes with the ENERGY STAR
Indoor Air Package are at
least 15% more energy
efficient than homes built to
the 2003 International Energy
Conservation Code (IECC)
and are designed to have
improved indoor air quality
compared to code-built homes.
' The construction practices and technical specifications that
comprise the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package are designed
to contribute to improved indoor air quality in new homes
compared to code-built homes. However, these measures alone
will not guarantee that homebuyers will not experience air
quality problems in their homes. Rather, the Indoor Air Package
should be viewed as a way to reduce the likelihood of
experiencing such problems. For example, factors such as
unforeseen construction issues and homeowner behavior may
negatively impact the home's indoor air quality and the
performance of the measures specified in the ENERGY STAR
Indoor Air Package.
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WHAT FEATURES ARE INCLUDED IN
NEW HOMES WITH THE ENERGY STAR
INDOOR AIR PACKAGE?
MOISTURE CONTROL: Moisture problems can lead to
mold and other biological pollutants that can negatively impact
health. With the Indoor Air Package, builders use a variety
of moisture control features designed to minimize these risks,
including improved control of condensation and better roof,
wall, and foundation drainage.
HEATING, VENTILATION, AND COOLING (HVAC)
SYSTEM: Poorly designed and installed HVAC systems can
lead to comfort and air quality problems. Homes with the
Indoor Air Package include properly engineered system sizing,
improved duct and equipment installation, improved filtration,
and whole-house and spot ventilation to dilute and remove indoor
pollutants. Builders also inspect air-handling equipment and
ductwork to ensure they are clean and free of debris and provide
adequate air-flow.
PEST MANAGEMENT: Residue from pests, such as rodents,
dust mites, and cockroaches, is known to trigger allergy and
asthma episodes. In addition, wood-eating pests, such as
termites, can quickly destroy a homeowner's most valuable
investment. With the Indoor Air Package, builders provide a first-
line defense against these problems by fully sealing, caulking, or
screening possible pest entry points and using termite shields in
areas of the country subject to termite infestation.
COMBUSTION-VENTING SYSTEMS: In homes with the
Indoor Air Package, builders can help protect residents from
potential exposure to combustion pollutants by using fossil-fuel
heating equipment that cannot spill combustion gases inside the
home, installing carbon monoxide alarms in each sleeping area,
and taking steps to prevent pollutants in the garage from entering
the house.
BUILDING MATERIALS: The types of materials builders
choose and the way they manage them during construction can
affect a home's indoor air quality. Builders following the Indoor
Air Package specifications reduce sources of pollutants by
protecting materials stored on-site from weather damage, using
materials with reduced chemical content, and ventilating homes
prior to move-in to help improve indoor air quality.
RADON CONTROL: Exposure to radon, a naturally occurring
radioactive, invisible, and odorless gas, is the second leading
cause of lung cancer in the United States. In high-risk radon
areas, homes with the Indoor Air Package are built with
radon-resistant construction techniques. Homebuyers in these
areas are also provided with test kits to check radon levels after
they move in.
HOMEOWNER EDUCATION: After purchasing a home with
the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package, owners receive a manual
explaining their home's indoor air quality features and showing
how to operate their home to continue minimizing the risk of
indoor air quality problems.
For more information, visit www.energystar.gov/homes
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