Even if you have been building Energy Star® homes for 10-years you may not qualify after July 1, 2006.

On that date, several changes to the Energy Star® Homes Program were implemented. These changes affect the way homes are scored. Builders who qualified under the old program may no longer qualify under the new system.

In an effort to update the Energy Star® home program to reflect changes in energy codes and improve performance the EPA has literally turned the program upside down. The changes are bound to catch some builders off guard even though information about those changes has been trickling down from the EPA for more than a year.

Upgrading the reference house to the IECC 2004 will allow the program to maintain its performance superiority over most local codes. In states like Michigan that have weak energy codes the savings for the consumer will far exceed the 15% projected by the EPA.

Energy Star® Mandatory Requirements

• Completed Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist
  • The checklist requires visual inspection of framing areas where air barriers are commonly missed and inspection of insulation to ensure proper alignment with air barriers, thus serving as an extra check that the air and thermal barriers are continuous and complete.

• Envelope Leakage Testing Required (Blower Door Test)
  • A RESNET-certifed rater using RESNET-approved testing protocol must determine envelope leakage.

• Duct leakage to outdoors < 6 cfm / 100 sq. ft of conditioned space
  • If total duct leakage is less than 6 cfm/100 sq ft of floor area, then leakage to the outdoors is not required. Duct leakage testing can be waived if all ducts and air handling equipment are located within the thermal envelope AND leakage is less than 3 ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 Pascals) ORÂ less than 0.25 CFM per 50 sq ft of building envelope. If the building qualifies to have the duct leakage testing waived mechanical ventilation will be required.
  • Ducts located outside the thermal envelope must be insulated to a minimum R-4.

• At least one Energy Star qualified product category:
  • Heating or Cooling
    • All heat pumps and cooling equipment must be right-sized. In Climate Zones 1 –4 within 15% of Manual J, in Climate Zones 5 – 8 heat pumps must be within 25% of Manual J.
  • Windows
    • Must be Energy Star® qualified or meet Energy Star® requirements.
  • Five or more Energy Star qualified lighting fixtures, appliances, ceiling fans equipped with lighting fixtures, and /or ventilation fans
  • Pantry, storage room, shed, garage or closet lights do not qualify.
    • Eligible appliances include Energy Star® dishwashers, refrigerators and washing machines.

• Heat pumps with programmable thermostats must have “Adaptive Recovery” technology to prevent the excessive use of electric resistance backup heating.

Energy Star® Scoring Exceptions

• On-site power generation may NOT be used to decrease the HERS index to qualify for Angry Star
• A maximum of 20% of all screw-in light bulb sockets in the home may use compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) to decrease the HERS Index for Energy Star® compliance as long as the CFLs used for this purpose are Energy Star® qualified.

New HERS Minimum Scores for Energy Star®

Climate Zones 1 - HERS Index 85

Climate Zones 6 - HERS Index 80

The Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist will be one of the most significant changes for builders. It may involve scheduling changes (rater will be required to do a pre-drywall inspection) and/or building practice changes (see checklist below). You will also need to update your sub contractors about the role they play in complying with the Thermal Bypass Inspection Checklist.

Energy Star® Scoring Changes

Under the old program a qualified Energy Star® house would need to score 86-points on a Hers scale ranging from 0 to 100, the higher the score the more efficient the house. Under the new program a qualified Energy Star® house would need to score 85-points (in lower Michigan, 80 in Northern Michigan) on a HERS scale ranging from 500 to 0, the lower the score the better. A new HERS score of 100 is equal to IECC 2004. Every point under 100 equals a 1% improvement in performance. A score of 80 is 20% better than IECC 2004, 65 would be 35% better, and so on.

Builders wondering where their homes stand on the new scoring system should have plan reviews completed. The new software will also let you know if the house qualifies for the 2005 Energy Tax Credit. For further information contact us at info@alliancees.org