How to Become an ENERGY STAR Builder Partner Thank you for listening to this quick video on how to become an ENERGY STAR builder partner. In less than five minutes, you will learn the next steps you need to take to partner with the ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Program and a gain an understanding of the program’s major requirements.

Market Differentiation and Recognition Enhanced Customer Satisfaction The ENERGY STAR Builder Advantage Market Differentiation and Recognition Enhanced Customer Satisfaction Increased Revenue Program Flexibility Before explaining how to become an ENERGY STAR builder partner, it is worth emphasizing the value ENERGY STAR can bring to you as a builder. Partnering with ENERGY STAR sets your business apart from the competition and distinguishes you as a leader in energy-efficient construction. The energy efficiency features in ENERGY STAR certified homes also increase customer comfort and satisfaction. Additionally, the energy-saving features built in to ENERGY STAR certified homes can increase revenue and projected energy savings may allow your buyer to afford additional upgrades. Finally, builders have many options to earn the ENERGY STAR and can respond to customer preference in designing the home. 2

Understand Program Requirements Each ENERGY STAR certified home is independently verified to be at least 15% more energy efficient than a home built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and includes additional measures that deliver a total energy efficiency improvement of up to 30% compared to a typical new home. A full list of program requirements is listed at www.energystar.gov/newhomesguidelines. Now, we encourage you to review the program requirements to ensure you understand the process for homes to earn the ENERGY STAR. The guidelines are listed at www.energystar.gov/newhomesguidelines. This page explains how to certify a home, including selecting your energy efficiency upgrades and completing the mandatory checklists to ensure your homes are not only energy efficient but built to high quality standards. 3

Work with a Rater Builders must work with a Home Energy Rater to gain the ENERGY STAR certification. A list of raters is available at www.energystar.gov/partnerlocator. Raters provide: Third party verification Quality assurance Raters are trained to: Evaluate construction techniques Take key measurements Perform inspections If this sounds like a program you would like to participate in, we encourage you to contact a Home Energy Rater that services your market. A list of raters who are trained and certified to rate ENERGY STAR certified homes is available at www.energystar.gov/partnerlocator. Raters are crucial because of their role in providing third party verification. Raters are involved during the construction process and also after a home is built to provide quality assurance. 4

Work with a Credentialed HVAC Contractor Builders must work with a credentialed HVAC contractor to gain the ENERGY STAR certification. A builder’s current HVAC contractor can go through the credentialing process, or the builder can search for credentialed contractors in their area. Visit www.energystar.gov/newhomeshvac for more information. In addition to Raters, HVAC contractors play an important role in building a certified home. A credentialed HVAC contractor is a member of an oversight organization, which provides quality assurance for builders and homeowners. The contractors are then required to properly design and install HVAC systems that are more efficient than standard practices. Visit www.energystar.gov/newhomeshvac to learn more. 4

Complete a Partnership Agreement ENERGY STAR Certified Homes Builder Partnership Agreement terms: Affix an ENERGY STAR label and provide a certificate for all certified homes. Adhere to ENERGY STAR Identity Guidelines for proper use of the ENERGY STAR name and logo. Build at least one certified home per year to maintain an active partnership. Acknowledge that inactive partners may not use the ENERGY STAR logo and must promptly remove the logo from all marketing and point-of-sale materials. To view the full terms and disclaimers of your ENERGY STAR Partnership Agreement, visit www.energystar.gov/HomesPA. After you speak with a rater, we encourage you to sign a partnership agreement with ENERGY STAR. All ENERGY STAR partners must sign an online Partnership Agreement and abide by its terms which are intended to maintain the integrity of the ENERGY STAR program. The Partnership Agreement also lays out the builder’s responsibilities as a partner in the program. To sign the agreement and view the full terms and conditions, visit www.energystar.gov/HomesPA. It takes an average of 10 minutes to complete the Partnership Agreement. 5

Take the Orientation Training Complete the short online orientation at www.energystar.gov/mesa. Only one person from each builder organization must complete the orientation. Once your partnership agreement is approved by EPA, usually within 48 business hours, you must complete one more step before becoming an official partner. The orientation training, which takes less than an hour to complete, will provide you with a short introduction to ENERGY STAR, including your roles and responsibilities, tools to help you build and sell certified homes, and an overview of the guidelines. Although only one person needs to complete the orientation, they can send a link to the training to others. Many builders have found this training to be a short, helpful introduction for their staff. 6

Build Your First ENERGY STAR Certified Home Design and planning Verify eligibility Check Benchmark Home size Select energy efficiency measures Review Inspection Checklists Construction Build and verify the home Sales and Marketing Consumer Brochure Fact Sheets Sales and Marketing Webinar Training The ENERGY STAR Building Process Design and Planning Construction Building an ENERGY STAR certified home can be broken down into three major phases: design and planning, construction, and sales and marketing. As illustrated in the figure on the right, building an ENERGY STAR home is a circular process in which each of the major phases drives the next. There are a number of steps in the design and planning phase. Builders can select either the Prescriptive or the Performance Path to earn the ENERGY STAR. The Prescriptive Path provides predefined, climate specific packages of improvements. The Performance Path on the other hand allows the builder to select measures based on cost-effectiveness and other criteria as long as they meet an ENERGY STAR HERS Index Target. Builders, working with their raters, need to review the inspection checklists before construction in order to guarantee that the work done meets the ENERGY STAR guidelines. After the home has been built, the builder must ensure that the checklists are completed and given to the rater promptly. Sales and Marketing 7

Market and Sell the Certified Homes Marketing materials are available at: www.energystar.gov/newhomesmarketing Obtain training for your staff: www.energystar.gov/newhomeseducation You should market and sell your ENERGY STAR certified homes during the design and planning phase, the construction phase, and after the house has been built. EPA offers a number of resources to help you sell and market your ENERGY STAR certified homes including being able to feature yourself as an ENERGY STAR builder partner and display the ENERGY STAR logo in your advertising and marketing initiatives. To see the list of marketing resources available to you as a builder partner, visit www.energystar.gov/newhomesmarketing. EPA also offers a number of educational resources to help your sales staff understand how to sell the benefits of energy efficiency. Visit www.energystar.gov/newhomeseducation to learn more. 8

Thank you! To get started, find a home energy rater at www.energystar.gov/partnerlocator. Have your HVAC contractor become credentialed or find a credentialed contractor at www.energystar.gov/newhomehvac. If you’ve already spoken with a rater, sign a Partnership Agreement at www.energystar.gov/HomesPA. Take the Orientation Training at www.energystar.gov/MESA. Questions? Email us at energystarhomes@energystar.gov. That completes the How to Join ENERGY STAR presentation. We look forward to your partnership with us! To get started today, find a home energy rater at www.energystar.gov/partnerlocator. If you’ve already spoken with a rater, please sign your Partnership Agreement at www.energystar.gov/HomesPA If you have any questions, please mail us at energystarhomes@energystar.gov. Thank you! 9