RunBrook’s Role

RunBrook can provide strategic guidance and help you determine whether seeking an Energy Star certificate is appropriate for your project.  In addition, as a home energy rater, we can help configure the preferred set of energy measures for each home and verify that the resulting HERS Index meets or exceeds the ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target. Our specialists are also available to help you with completion of checklists and reports, as well as meeting other requirements necessary to obtain an ENERGY STAR certification.

About energy star

The goal of the ENERGY STAR for New Homes program is to help home buyers easily identify homes that are significantly more energy efficient than standard construction in the marketplace. Over time, as mandated code requirements have become more rigorous and builder standard practices have become more efficient, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has periodically modified the ENERGY STAR guidelines for new homes to ensure that homes that earn the label continue to represent a meaningful improvement over non-labeled homes.

All ENERGY STAR certified homes must meet the program requirements, except that homes in California, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, Texas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Vermont, or Washington must be certified using regional specifications. 

To obtain an ENERGY STAR certification, a builder works with a Home Energy Rater to configure the preferred set of energy measures for the home and verify that the resulting HERS Index meets or exceeds the ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target. Certification of a home also requires completion of certain checklists, an HVAC design report, an HVAC commissioning checklist, and water management system builder requirements. Once a home is certified, the EPA will require that the ENERGY STAR certified home be labeled and that the homeowners are given an ENERGY STAR certificate for their home.

Below is a video from the EPA highlighting key requirements of the Energy Star Certified Homes program requirements: