ENERGY STAR
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
ENERGY STAR®
Qualified
New Homes
EPA 430-F-09-053 March 200;
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"I would recommend ENERGY STAR to anyone looking to
buy a new home. If this house weren't ENERGY STAR
rated, I wouldn't have bought it."
David Vidal, Homeowner
Las Vegas, NV
"Buyers know that if they see the ENERGY STAR, then
it's all in there. They can rest assured that they are
buying the most energy efficient home on the market,
and they can focus on other priorities such as finding
the right floor plan and school district."
Margaret Greenwood, Marketing Manager, Ryland Homes
ENERGY STAR Builder Partner
Houston, TX
"Our ENERGY STAR home met so many needs. We
wanted lots of light, a tight house, and low cooling bills.
We got exactly that—ENERGY STAR really does work!"
Sam and Churice Westbrook, Homeowners
Avondale, AZ
"My biggest selling point for buying an ENERGY STAR
home was resale value. I would highly recommend
ENERGY STAR to anyone because it will definitely save
them money in the long run."
Barry Ellison, Homeowner/Architect
Las Vegas, NV
"As consumers become more educated and familiar with
all of these benefits that energy efficiency has to offer,
in 5 years non-ENERGY STAR rated homes will become
functionally obsolete."
Karl Sayles, Darty Appraisal Service
Melrose, FL
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ENERGYSTAR
WHAT IS
ENERGY STAR*?
ENERGY STAR is the government-backed symbol for energy
efficiency. The mark identifies new homes, buildings, and
more than 60 types of products that are energy efficient and
offer the features, quality, and performance that today's
consumers expect.
A home that earns the ENERGY STAR is significantly more
efficient than a standard home. By purchasing an ENERGY
STAR qualified home, you can have all the features you
desire in your new home, plus better performance and
lower utility bills—all while helping prevent greenhouse
gas emissions.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992 as a voluntary partnership
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased
energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers consumers
and businesses energy-efficient solutions to save energy,
save money, and help protect the environment for future
generations.
More than 15,000 organizations, including over 6,500 of the
nation's home builders, are ENERGY STAR partners—
committed to improving energy efficiency at home and at
work. In 2008, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR
saved $19 billion on their utility bills and reduced
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from
29 million vehicles.
WHAT MAKES A HOME
ENERGY STAR?
Homes that earn the ENERGY STAR are significantly more energy
efficient than standard homes.1 ENERGY STAR builders achieve
this high efficiency for you by selecting from a variety of features:
TIGHT CONSTRUCTION AND DUCTS
Advanced techniques for sealing holes and cracks in the
home's "envelope" and in heating and cooling ducts help
reduce drafts, moisture, dust, pollen, pests, and noise. A tightly
sealed home improves comfort and indoor air quality while
lowering utility and maintenance costs.
EFFECTIVE INSULATION SYSTEMS
Properly installed and inspected insulation in floors, walls, and
attics ensures even temperatures throughout the house, while
using less energy. The result is lower utility costs and a quieter,
more comfortable home.
EFFICIENT HEATING AND COOLING EQUIPMENT
An energy-efficient, properly installed heating and cooling
system uses less energy to operate, which reduces your utility
bills. This system can also be quieter, reduce indoor humidity,
and improve the overall comfort of your home.
HIGH PERFORMANCE WINDOWS
Energy-efficient windows employ advanced technologies, such
as protective coatings and improved frame assemblies, to help
keep heat in during the winter and out during the summer.
These windows also block damaging ultraviolet sunlight that
can discolor carpets and furnishings.
EFFICIENT PRODUCTS
Your home may also be equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified
products—lighting fixtures, compact fluorescent bulbs, ventilation
fans, and appliances—that offer additional energy savings.
INDEPENDENT TESTING
While it's easy to claim that homes are energy efficient,
ENERGY STAR builder partners back that up with verification by
an independent Home Energy Rater. The Rater conducts onsite
inspections and testing to verify the performance of the energy
efficiency features in your home.
1 ENERGY STAR qualified homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than
homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC) and include
additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20-30% more
efficient than standard homes.
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ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED HOMES
HOME OWNER BENEFITS
ADDED CONFIDENCE
Home buying is complex enough without having to know all the
details of energy-efficient construction. Instead, look for the
government-backed ENERGY STAR to easily identify homes that
are truly energy efficient. Find the house of your dreams and
enjoy peace of mind knowing that it also meets rigorous energy
efficiency guidelines set by EPA and verified by an independent
Home Energy Rater.
LOWER OWNERSHIP COST
Compared with standard construction, ENERGY STAR qualified
homes use substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and
water heating—delivering $200 to $400 in annual savings.
Although these energy savings may seem small relative to the
cost of monthly mortgage payments, no one likes to waste money.
And over the 7 or 8 years that a typical buyer lives in a home, it
can add up to thousands of dollars saved. Additional savings on
maintenance can also be significant.
BETTER PERFORMANCE
Properly installed energy-efficient improvements deliver better
protection against cold, heat, drafts, moisture, pests, pollution,
and noise. An ENERGY STAR qualified home helps ensure
consistent temperatures between rooms, improved indoor air
quality, and greater durability.
SMARTER INVESTMENT
To date, more than 6,500 home builders have partnered with
EPA to construct nearly 940,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes.
By 2010, more than 1 million homes are expected to earn the
ENERGY STAR. The trend is clear. By choosing a home with the
ENERGY STAR, you can be confident that it will have an
increasingly valued feature when the time comes to sell.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of
fossil fuels at power plants. Because ENERGY STAR qualified
homes use less energy, they help prevent greenhouse gas
emissions—an added benefit for today's environmentally-
conscious consumers looking for "green" choices.
Greater energy efficiency helps us all make the most of our
energy resources, mitigates the impact of high energy prices,
decreases the need for new power plants, lowers our reliance
on energy imports, and reduces the emissions of greenhouse
gases and air pollutants at the source.
Homes that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent
greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict
energy efficiency guidelines set by the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
For more information, visit www.energystar.gov
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UNITED STATES
ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY
6202J
WASHINGTON DC 20460
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with vegetable oil based inks on
recycled paper (Minimum 50% post-consumer content)
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