1. 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.

2. 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

3. 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
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 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

4. 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
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 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

5. 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 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 to learn more. 4

6. 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
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 It takes an average of 10 minutes to complete the Partnership Agreement. 5

7. Take the Orientation Training
Complete the short online orientation at
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

8. 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

9. Market and Sell the Certified Homes
Marketing materials are available at:
Obtain training for your staff:
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 EPA also offers a number of educational resources to help your sales staff understand how to sell the benefits of energy efficiency. Visit to learn more. 8

10. Thank you!
To get started, find a home energy rater at
Have your HVAC contractor become credentialed or find a credentialed contractor at
If you’ve already spoken with a rater, sign a Partnership Agreement at
Take the Orientation Training at
Questions? us at
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 If you’ve already spoken with a rater, please sign your Partnership Agreement at If you have any questions, please mail us at Thank you! 9