ENERGY STAR Home
- Certified ENERGY STAR Home or Zero-Energy Ready Home
Design for the Climate
Landscaping for energy savings and comfort:
- Deciduous trees shade W, SW, E and SE sides of house
- Large shrubs or trellis with vines on W side
- Ground cover, mulch near house to reduce reflected heat
- Little unshaded pavement near house, none under windows
- Evergreen shrubs and trees grouped as windbreak on N side
Overall house design:
- Compact building layout to minimize total surface area
- Open planning, min. corridor area (space-efficient design)
- Kitchen, laundry rooms are not on W side
- Living areas, kitchen have N or S windows
- Porches, patios, etc. on N & S sides (unconditioned living space)
House design elements to minimize solar heat gain:
- More wall area faces within 20° of due S and N
- W facing glass < 2% of floor area
- E facing glass < 3% of floor area
- 2-ft. or larger overhangs
- All W, E and S glass shaded
- Garage/carport on W or E side (blocking sun)
- No skylights (except light tubes)
- Reflective roofing (min. 0.25 solar reflectance)
- Light color brick or siding
Design elements for passive solar winter benefits:
- S overhangs sized or louvered for summer shade and winter sun
- Thermal mass flooring along S glass
- S facing sunroom with mass floor, walls
House design elements for mild seasons:
- Operable windows placed for cross ventilation
- Porch open on three sides or in breezeway
Windows
- ENERGY STAR or NFRC labeled windows rated:
- < 0.25 SHGC (solar heat gain) in zones 1 & 2 (southern), or
- < 0.40 U-factor (heat conduction) in climate zones 1 & 2, or < 0.30 in zone 3
- > 0.50 VT preferred (visible light transmittance)
- All W and E glass has < 0.25 SHGC or shade screens
- If passive solar, high solar gain low-e S-facing glass
- For day lighting, 0.70 VT on N and S if shaded
Tight Construction (Air Sealing)
Continuous air barrier around conditioned space via:
- Exterior air barrier
- Airtight Drywall Approach interior air barrier
- Sealed, airtight floor system
- All hidden bypasses sealed from attic and crawl space
- Bottom plate of exterior walls sealed to foundation
- Band joists between floors sealed
- All penetrations in building envelope sealed
- Airtight electrical boxes (or sealed by hand)
- Low infiltration windows and doors
- Fireplace: sealed from attic, outside air duct, tight damper, glass doors
- Weather-stripped, insulated attic access (or in unconditioned area)
- No recessed lights, or only ICAT used
- Tight dampers, sealed housings on exhaust and inlet vents (exhaust not vented into attic)
Insulation Systems with Good "Whole Wall" R-Values (Continuous insulation surrounding all conditioned space, except slab floor.)
Recommended insulation material R-values:
- Attic: R 30-60 in climate zone 2; R 38-60 in climate zone 3
- Cathedral ceiling: R 30 in zone 2; R 38 in zone 3
- Unvented, conditioned attic (such as spray foam under roof or insulated roof): > R 21
- Wood frame walls: R 13-20 in climate zone 2; R 15-20 in zone 3
- Concrete or masonry walls: R 13-20
- Band joist between levels: R 13-20
- Floor over unconditioned space: R 13-19 in climate zone 2; R 19-25 in zone 3
- Steel frame: R 19-32 walls (must have exterior insulating sheathing); R-49 attic, R 19-25 floor
Elements of insulation system:
- Insulation installed without gaps, voids and compressions
- Radiant barrier under roof decking (if A/C ducts in attic and non-reflective roofing)
- Building system with continuous insulation coverage
- Insulation type with extra advantages (see more info in manual or online articles)
- Roof framing for full insulation above exterior walls
- Insulated window and door headers
- Insulated corners and T-wall intersections
- Insulated, air tight attic access door (R 30)
- All insulated doors (R 5-15)
- All glass low-e insulated; nonconductive framing
HVAC -- Efficient Cooling and Heating
Energy Star labeled cooling and heating equipment:
- Air conditioner: > SEER 15 matched system
- Gas furnace: > AFUE 90%
- Heat Pump (air source): > SEER 15 & HSPF 8.5
- Geothermal closed loop heat pump: > EER 17.1 + COP 3.6
- Equipment is performance tested
Alternatives with special advantages:
- Geothermal heat pump with water heating
- Variable speed air conditioner or heat pump
- Integrated gas space and water heating system
- Manual J sizing (not oversized) and Manual S equipment selection (to meet humidity load
- Sensible Heat Ratio < 0.70 SHR (min. 30% dehumidification)
- Zoned heating/cooling (zone control system or multiple units)
- Programmable thermostats
- Outdoor thermostat on heat pump
- Heat pump has gas back-up heat
- Compressor on N or E side of house
- Ducts and air handler (AH) within conditioned space (inside building insulation “envelope”):
- In sealed soffit or dropped ceiling, AH in closet
- Or, in insulated, sealed enclosure above ceiling
- Or, encased in spray foam above ceiling
- Or, in unvented, conditioned attic (code compliant insulation at roofline, not attic floor)
- Supply ducts, AH, all connections sealed with mastic
- Duct insulation (R-8 if not in conditioned space)
- Sealed return plenum or duct
- Manual D duct and return design
- Airflow measured and balanced with air flow hood
- Central supply trunk (not octopus layout)
- Duct runs and registers not extended to exterior walls
- Air returns, transfer grilles or transoms for all BR’s
- Tested duct leakage < 5% to outside (min. 8%)
Other efficient HVAC equipment (see Healthy/IAQ for Ventilation)
- ENERGY STAR dehumidifier (if needed)
- ENERGY STAR ceiling fans in often-used areas
- ENERGY STAR quiet exhaust fans (< 1.5 sones)
Appliances with Low Life-Cycle Cost
- ENERGY STAR refrigerator, clothes washer, dishwasher
- ENERGY STAR electronics
- Efficient dryer, oven, etc. (see EnergyGuide labels)
- If well or pool present, efficient variable speed pump
Efficient water heating system options:
- Integrated with geothermal heat pump
- Heat recovery unit on air conditioner compressor
- Solar water heater, certified
- Heat pump water heater, EF > 2.0
- Tankless gas water heater, EF > 0.90
- > 0.67 EF small gas water heater, 0.77 > 55 gal.
- Insulated hot water pipes and tank
- Central location of water heater
- Efficient piping layout, sizing for hot water
Lighting with Fewer Watts and Less Heat
- high color low wattage lighting throughout house
- fluorescent tubes, electronic ballast in attractive built-ins
- EnergyStar fixtures
- compact fluorescent lamps in standard fixtures
- LED lamps in standard fixtures
- high efficiency outdoor lighting
- photovoltaic solar lights
- outdoor fluorescents
- high pressure sodium or metal halide
- controlled, diffuse daylighting
- 0.8 VT N and shaded S glass
- If skylights, tubular type only
- light color scheme interiors
- motion or photo sensors