LEARN MORE AT energystar.gov ENERGY STAR®, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program, helps us all save money and protect our environment through energy efficient products and practices. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov. Dear Partner, EPA has posted an updated Policy Record containing two policy resolutions regarding the ENERGY STAR guidelines. As a reminder, the Policy Record is used to communicate notable changes made in between the release of formal Revisions, EPA does not anticipate the release of the next formal Revision (Rev 06) until this summer. These two policy resolutions are expected to help partners more successfully transition to the Version 3 guidelines. Partners may begin using these changes immediately, but are not required to do so until they are incorporated into Revision 06. Partners can review the Current Policy Record posted on the Policy Changes and Clarifications page. For convenience, the changes are as follows: • Partners have more time to meet requirements for kitchen ventilation. Enforcement of Items 8.1 and 9.1 on the HVAC System Quality Installation Rater Checklist is deferred for kitchen exhaust fans while EPA determines whether over-the-range microwave products and standalone products that meet these requirements can be introduced to the market or if alternative ventilation strategies must be defined instead. • An alternate compliance option has been introduced for partners in Climate Zones 5-8 who are using the advanced framing option to meet the requirements for reduced thermal bridging in walls. In order to improve the frequency with which Item 4.4.5e reduces thermal bridging, EPA will remove the exemption from 24" on-center spacing and instead replace it with an alternate compliance path that requires at least R-20.0 wall insulation to be used regardless of any framing plan or alternative equivalent total UA calculation. Therefore, partners may use either 24" on-center spacing or R-20.0 wall insulation to meet this Item. Please contact us at enerqvstarhomes@enerQvstar.gov if you have any questions. Thank you for your work promoting ENERGY STAR. Best regards, The ENERGY STAR for New Homes Team Follow us: For more information, visit: www.energystar.gov This message was sent to you on behalf of the ENERGY STAR for New Homes Program. As a condition of partnership, each ENERGY STAR partner must have at least one person authorized to receive periodic e-mail updates from ENERGY STAR to ensure that the organization is aware of program changes, new resources, and other important program news. If you are not the appropriate person in your organization to receive these e-mails, please email eneravstarhomes@eneravstar.gov with "Unsubscribe" as the subject and your name and company name in the email. ------- |