The US EPA’s released its annual report on the results from its various voluntary programs.
Highlights include:
Close to 12,000 homes have been improved through Home Performance with Energy Star, which continues to grow with the addition of U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored pilot programs in a number of cities.
More than 2,500 builders have constructed over 360,000 Energy Star qualified new homes, locking in financial savings for homeowners that exceed $200 million annually.
More than 1.5 billion Energy Star qualified products have been purchased.
Through EPA’s Green Power Partnership, more than 500 partners have committed to purchasing more than 2 billion kWh of green power.
EPA’s climate protection programs exceeded their goals for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in 2004 and are on target to provide significant greenhouse gas reductions required to meet the president’s 18 percent greenhouse gas intensity improvement goal by 2012.
Partnership programs achieved significant reductions of non-carbon dioxide gases. Through the combined efforts of the methane programs, U.S. methane emissions are expected to be kept below 1990 levels through 2012.
Download the 2004 annual report, Investing in Our Future: Energy Star and Other Voluntary Programs: http://www.epa.gov/cppd.
The EPA also announced more stringent requirements for new home builders to receive the Energy Star label.
To qualify under the revised Energy Star specifications, new homes must have higher levels of insulation inspected for proper installation; complete framing and air barrier assemblies that enable insulation to perform at its full rated value; windows that meet or exceed Energy Star requirements; high-efficiency and properly sized heating and cooling equipment appropriate to the climate; and more energy-efficient water heating, lighting and appliances. The revised specifications are being released in the fall of 2005, and will initially take effect July 1, 2006.
Energy Star is a voluntary program, managed by the EPA with assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Energy Star label can be found on new homes, appliances, electronics, office equipment, lighting, heating and cooling systems, and buildings. Currently there are more than 2,500 home builders who have constructed more than 400,000 Energy Star qualified homes, including close to 10 percent of the new housing starts in 2004.
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