Energy Star Qualified Homes National Builder Option Package


ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes
National Builder Option Package
The requirements for the ENERGY STAR Builder Option Package (BOP) are specified in the table below.
To qualify as ENERGY STAR using this BOP, a home must meet the requirements specified and be verified and field-tested in
accordance with the HERS Standards by a RESNET-accredited Provider. Note that compliance with these guidelines is not intended to
imply compliance with all local code requirements that may be applicable to the home to be built.1

Hot Climates 2
(2004 IRC Climate Zones 1,2,3)
Mixed and Cold Climates 2
(2004 IRC Climate Zones 4,5,6,7,8)
Cooling
Equipment
(Where Provided)
Right-Sized 3:
•	ENERGY STAR qualified A/C
(14.5 SEER/12 EER): OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified heat pump4
(14.5 SEER /12 EER / 8.2 HSPF)
Right-Sized 3:
•	13 SEER A/C; OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified heat pump4
(14.5 SEER /12 EER / 8.5 HSPF)
Heating
Equipment
•	80 AFUE gas furnace; OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified heat pump34
(14.5 SEER /12 EER / 8.2 HSPF)] OR
•	80 AFUE boiler; OR
•	80 AFUE oil furnace
» ENERGY STAR qualified gas furnace
(90 AFUE): OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified heat pump m
(See Note 3 for specifications)', OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified boiler
(85 AFUE): OR
•	ENERGY STAR qualified oil furnace
(85 AFUE)
Thermostat4
ENERGY STAR qualified thermostat (except for zones with radiant heat)
Ductwork
Leakaae s: < 4 cfm to outdoors /100 sq. ft.; AND
R-6 min. insulation on ducts in unconditioned spaces 6
Envelope
•	Infiltration 78 (ACH50): 7 in CZ's 1-2 | 6 in CZ's 3-4 | 5 in CZ's 5-7 { 4 in CZ 8; AND
•	Insulation levels that meet or exceed the 2004 IRC9: AND
•	Completed Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist l0
Windows
Windows that meet or exceed version 4.0 of the ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Residential
Windows, Doors, and Skylights (additional requirements for CZ 2 & 4)11,12 13
Water Heater1415
Gas(EF): 40 Gal = 0.61 | 60 Gal = 0.57 | 80 Gal = 0.53
Electric (EF): 40 Gal = 0.93 j 50 Gal = 0.92 j 80 Gal = 0.89
Oil or Gas ,e: Integrated with space heating boiler
Lighting and
Appliances 718
Five or more ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, light fixtures,
ceiling fans equipped with lighting fixtures, water heaters, and/or ventilation fans
Note: Due to the unique nature of some state codes and/or climates, EPA has agreed to allow regionally-developed definitions of ENERGY STAR in
California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Northwest to continue to define program requirements. The States of Montana and Idaho may use either the
requirements of the national program or the regionally-developed program in the Pacific Northwest.
Climate Zones 4-8
(Including Alaska)
Climate Zones 1-3
(Excluding Hawaii)
Map is for illustrative purposes only and is based on figure N1101.2 from the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC).
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ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes
National Builder Option Package Notes
1. Where requirements of the local codes, manufacturers' installation instructions, engineering documents, or regional ENERGY
STAR programs overlap with the requirements of these guidelines, EPA offers the following guidance:
a. In cases where the overlapping requirements exceed the ENERGY STAR guidelines, these overlapping requirements
shall be met;
b. In cases where overlapping requirements conflict with a requirement of these ENERGY STAR guidelines (e.g., slab
insulation is prohibited to allow visual access for termite inspections), then the conflicting requirement within these
guidelines shall not be met. Furthermore, qualification shall still be allowed if the rater has determined that no
equivalent option is available that could meet the intent of the conflicting requirement of these ENERGY STAR
guidelines (e.g., switching from exterior to interior slab edge insulation).
2. The appropriate climate zone shall be determined by the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), Figure N1101.2.
3. Cooling equipment shall be sized according to the latest editions of ACCA Manuals J and S, ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of
Fundamentals, or an equivalent procedure. Maximum oversizing limit for air conditioners and heat pumps is 15% (with the
exception of heat pumps in Climate Zones 5-8, where the maximum oversizing limit is 25%). The following operating conditions
shall be used in the sizing calculations and verified where reviewed by the rater:
Outdoor temperatures shall be the 99.0% and 1.0% design temperatures as published in the ASHRAE Handbook of Fundamentals
for the home's location or most representative city for which design temperature data are available; Indoor temperatures shall be
75 F for cooling and 70 F for heating; Infiltration rate shall be selected as "tight", or the equivalent term.
In specifying equipment, the next available size may be used. In addition, indoor and outdoor coils shall be matched in accordance
with ARI standards.
The stated efficiency requirements are aligned with the increased requirements for ENERGY STAR labeled central air conditioners
and air-source heat pumps that went into effect as of January 1, 2009. Equipment manufactured before January 1 is still eligible to
earn the ENERGY STAR based on the old performance level. Therefore, there will be a transition period when labeled equipment
is commercially available at both the old and new performance levels. Builders must transition to equipment meeting these new
ENERGY STAR requirements as stocks of equipment qualified at the old performance levels are exhausted.
4. Homes with heat pumps in Climate Zones 4 and 5 must have an HSPF > 8.5, which exceeds the ENERGY STAR minimum of 8.2
HSPF. Homes with heat pumps in Climate Zones 6, 7, and 8 cannot be qualified using this BOP, but can earn the label using the
ENERGY STAR Performance Path requirements. In homes in all Climate Zones with heat pumps that have programmable
thermostats, the thermostat must have "Adaptive Recovery" technology to prevent the excessive use of electric back-up heating.
5. Ducts must be sealed and tested to be < 4 cfm to outdoors /100 sq. ft. of conditioned floor area, as determined and documented
by a RESNET-certified rater using a RESNET-approved or equivalent ASTM-approved testing protocol. Duct leakage testing can
be waived if all ducts and air handling equipment are located in conditioned space (i.e., within the home's air and thermal barriers)
AND the envelope leakage has been tested to be < 3 ACH50 OR < 0.25 CFM 50 per sq. ft. of the building envelope.
6. EPA recommends, but does not require, locating ducts within the home's conditioned space (i.e., inside the air and thermal
barriers), and using a minimum of R-4 insulation for ducts inside the conditioned space to prevent condensation.
7. Envelope leakage must be determined by a RESNET-certified rater using a RESNET-approved testing protocol.
8. To ensure consistent exchange of indoor air, whole-house mechanical ventilation is recommended, but not required.
9. Insulation levels of a home must meet or exceed Sections N1102.1 and N1102.2 of the 2004 IRC. These sections allow for
compliance to be determined by meeting prescriptive insulation requirements, by using U-factor alternatives, or by using a total UA
alternative. These sections also provide guidance and exceptions that may be used. However, note that the U-factor for steel-
frame envelope assemblies addressed in Section N1102.2.4 shall be calculated using the ASHRAE zone method, or a method
providing equivalent results, and not a series-parallel path calculation method as is stated in the code. Additionally, Section
N1102.2.2, which allows for the reduction of ceiling insulation in space constrained roof/ceiling assemblies, shall be limited to 500
sq. ft. or 20% of ceiling area, whichever is less. In all cases, insulation shall be inspected to Grade I installation as defined in the
RESNET Standards by a RESNET-certified rater.
Note that the fenestration requirements of the 2004 IRC do not apply to the fenestration requirements of the National Builder
Option Package. Therefore, if UA calculations are performed, they must use the IRC requirements (with the exception of
fenestration) plus the fenestration requirements contained in the national BOP. For more information, refer to the "Codes and
Standards Information" document.
10. The Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist must be completed for homes to earn the ENERGY STAR label.
11. Window performance levels must meet or exceed ENERGY STAR Program Requirements for Residential Windows, Doors, and
Skylights—version 4.0, with additional requirements for climate zones 2 and 4. Refer to the county-level BOPs on EPA's Web site
for the specific window performance levels required in each county of the country. Additional information about version 5.0 of the
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ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes
National Builder Option Package Notes
program requirements for windows, which is more stringent and offers additional savings, can be found at
www.eneravstar.gov/windows.
12. All decorative glass and skylight window area counts toward the total window area to above-grade conditioned floor area (WFA)
ratio. For homes with a WFA ratio >18%, the following additional requirements apply:
a. In IRC Climate Zones 1, 2, and 3, an improved window SHGC is required, and is determined by:
Required SHGC = [0.18 / WFA] x [ENERGY STAR SHGC]
Where the ENERGY STAR SHGC is the minimum required SHGC of the climate-appropriate window specified in this BOP.
b. In IRC Climate Zones 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, an improved window U-Value is required, and is determined by:
Required U-Value = [0.18 / WFA] x [ENERGY STAR U-Value]
Where the ENERGY STAR U-Value is the minimum required U-Value of the climate-appropriate window specified in this BOP.
13. Up to 0.75% WFA may be used for decorative glass that does not meet ENERGY STAR requirements. For example, a home with
total above-grade conditioned floor area of 2,000 sq. ft. may have up to 15 sq. ft. (0.75% of 2,000) of decorative glass.
14. More efficient water heating equipment represents a significant opportunity for energy savings and a meaningful way to
differentiate ENERGY STAR qualified homes from those with standard equipment. An ENERGY STAR qualified water heater not
only satisfies the Water Heater efficiency requirements, but also counts toward the requirement for five or more ENERGY STAR
qualified lighting products or appliances as detailed in the Lighting and Appliances guideline.
15. To determine domestic hot water (DHW) EF requirements for additional tank sizes, use the following equations:
Gas DHW EF > 0.69 - (0.002 x Tank Gallon Capacity); Electric DHW EF > 0.97 - (0.001 x Tank Gallon Capacity).
16. In homes with gas or oil hydronic space heating, water heating systems must have an efficiency > 0.78 EF. This may be met
through the use of an instantaneous water heating system or an indirect storage system with a boiler that has a system efficiency >
85 AFUE. Homes with tankless coil hot water heating systems cannot be qualified using this BOP, but can earn the label using the
ENERGY STAR Performance Path requirements.
17. Any combination of ENERGY STAR qualified products listed may be installed to meet this requirement. ENERGY STAR qualified
ventilation fans include range hood, bathroom, and inline fans. ENERGY STAR qualified lighting fixtures installed in the following
locations shall not be counted: storage rooms (e.g., closets, pantries, sheds), or garages. Eligible appliances include ENERGY
STAR qualified refrigerators, dish washers, and washing machines.
18. Efficient lighting fixtures represent a significant opportunity for persistent energy savings and a meaningful way to differentiate
ENERGY STAR qualified homes from those meeting minimum code requirements. To learn more about the benefits of increasing
the use of efficient fixtures through the installation of the ENERGY STAR Advanced Lighting Package (ALP), refer to
www.eneravstar.gov/alp.
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