By John Voket, RISMedia Columnist
RISMEDIA, September 1, 2010—In a previous segment, I talked about how the greenest Energy Star qualifying homes do not have to be built new. And in this segment, we’ll expand on the subject by hearing from the Energy Star program’s national administrator.
Sam Rashkin, national director of the Energy Star for Homes program, spoke at a seminar for builders, contractors and architects hosted recently by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF).
Rashkin said the national initiative is well on its way to becoming the “new normal” in home construction energy-efficiency standards for an increasingly energy-conscious nation.
He discussed the latest version of the program, scheduled to be phased in over the next two years. This newest set of guidelines was formulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and has been further refined based on comments on the proposed changes received by the EPA.
The goal of the Energy Star for Homes program is to enable home buyers to easily identify homes designed to be significantly more energy efficient than those built using standard construction methods and materials. And incentives available from a growing number of utility companies are designed to assist home builders in achieving Energy Star certification.
As mandated code requirements have become more rigorous and building techniques more geared to conserving energy, the EPA has periodically upgraded its guidelines for ENERGY STAR certification of homes to correspond with these advancements.
An Energy Star rating usually signifies 30% or greater energy efficiency than the national Model Energy Code. And in those states whose codes approximate or exceed that percentage, ENERGY STAR requires at least 15% greater energy efficiency than the prevailing state energy code.
The rating also requires third party verification, most often provided by raters from the Home Energy Rating System or those overseen by a national organization called RESNET.
During Rashkin’s tenure, Energy Star for Homes has grown to comprise more than 6,500 participating builder partners and over 940,000 labeled homes. To stay up-to-date as the new Energy Star initiatives are rolling out, and to find out about incentives or rebates offered in your area, visit www.energystar.gov.
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