ENERGY STAR® Certified Home Features
ENERGYSTAR
Energy efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
INDEPENDENT INSPECTIONS AND TESTING
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When you're choosing a new home, you want to know it will be
as comfortable, durable, and energy efficient as possible. With
an ENERGY STAR certified home, you'll know that you've made
a good decision for you and your family. Homes that earn
the ENERGY STAR stand above other homes because they
must meet stringent energy efficiency requirements set by
EPA. The better performance and better quality built into every
ENERGY STAR certified home is independently inspected and
tested by a Home Energy Rater. Home Energy Raters work with
ENERGY STAR builder partners throughout the construction
process to ensure that—
•	Your new home has the appropriate energy-efficient
features that fit your climate region.
•	Critical construction details are verified at different
building stages.
•	The key systems in your new home are working properly
to deliver better efficiency, durability, and comfort.
When builders work with Home Energy Raters to meet rigorous ENERGY STAR requirements, you get an energy-efficient
home built better from the ground up—a better approach to building a better home.
SELECTING APPROPRIATE ENERGY-EFFICIENT FEATURES
Before construction begins, ENERGY STAR builder partners
submit their home plans to a Home Energy Rater for review
and analysis to determine the precise energy-efficient
features to include in the home. Raters are specially trained
and qualified in advanced, energy-efficient construction
techniques to advise builders on how to select and install
the most appropriate features for their ENERGY STAR
certified homes. This means you get a home that is specially
designed to operate efficiently in your region of the country.
CONDUCTING ONSITE INSPECTIONS AND TESTING
Raters conduct important onsite inspections and tests of
homes built to earn the ENERGY STAR to ensure they meet
rigorous program requirements. This inspection process
follows a set of comprehensive ENERGY STAR checklists
designed to deliver better efficiency, comfort, quality, and
durability. A Rater will inspect an ENERGY STAR certified
home at different stages of the construction process to verify
critical details before they are "hidden" behind the walls.
Thermal Enclosure Inspections - ENERGY STAR certified
homes are designed and built with a complete thermal
enclosure that acts as a barrier to effectively keep the cold
out during winter and the heat out during summer so your
home is comfortable all year long. Raters conduct a series of
inspections to verify the thermal enclosure is constructed to
reduce unwanted leaks and drafts (as well as pollen, pests,
dirt, and noise) by making sure that gaps, cracks, and other
openings in the house are fully sealed. In addition, the Rater
performs a blower door test to ensure that your home meets
the comprehensive air sealing requirements of the ENERGY

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ENERGY STAR Certified Home Features
•	A Complete Thermal (Enclosure System
•	A Complete Water Management System
•	A Complete Heating, Ventilating, and Cooling System
•	Efficient Lighting and Appliances
•	Independent Inspections and Testing
Ask your builder for more information.
STAR program. The Rater also documents that insulation
used throughout the home is at the appropriate level and
that it has been installed properly. This translates to better
comfort, durability, and lower utility bills for you.
HVAC Quality Installation Inspections - ENERGY STAR
builder partners work with credentialed contractors who
make sure your home's heating, ventilating, and cooling
(HVAC) system is designed and installed for optimal
performance that improves the indoor air quality and
comfort throughout your home and helps you save on
utility bills. Raters perform additional quality inspections to
check system installations and test the home's ductwork to
confirm that there is minimal leakage and proper airflow.
Water Management Inspections - Each ENERGY STAR
certified home is built with a comprehensive water and
moisture management system to protectthe roof, walls, and
foundation of your house. Builders use a detailed inspection
checklist to confirm that necessary steps are taken to
better protect your home from water- and mold-related
problems. They also take special care to protect building
materials onsite to make sure they don't become water-
damaged during the construction process.
THE TRUSTED SYMBOL OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY
The blue ENERGY STAR label on your home will give you
peace-of-mind knowing your home has been independently
verified to meet the stringent requirements set by EPA. A
Rater will issue an ENERGY STAR label for your home only
after the final inspection is completed and the Rater has
determined that all program requirements are satisfied.
This label is typically placed on the circuit breaker box and
documents that your home is ENERGY STAR certified.
BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE
An ENERGY STAR certified new home delivers better energy
efficiency and so much more. An ENERGY STAR certified
home is built better and built to last because the best, tried-
and-true, integrated construction practices are used from the
ground up. The result is better quality and durability, better
comfort, better systems, a better value for today, and a better
investment for tomorrow—plus a label backed by EPA. In
short, better is better.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency in 1992 as a market-based partnership
to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy
efficiency. ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers
energy-efficient solutions to decrease energy consumption,
save money, and help protectthe environment for future
generations. Nearly 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR
partners, committed to improving energy efficiency in homes,
products, and businesses.
Homes that earn the ENERGY STAR prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy efficiency
guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.energystar.gov
ENERGYSTAR

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