Energy Star Hits 1 Million Mark for Homes

  • Nov 13, 2009

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a milestone for the Energy Star program by passing the 1 millionth Energy Star-qualified home mark.

Since the program began labeling new homes in 1995, Americans have saved $1.2 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 22 billion pounds. This year alone, families living in Energy Star qualified homes will save more than $270 million on their utility bills, while avoiding GHG emissions equivalent to those from about 370,000 vehicles.

“This is an amazing achievement for the Energy Star program – but the real winners are the 1 million American families who have the chance to save money and keep harmful pollution out of the air. That’s great news for anyone who wants to cut costs and protect our planet,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “We’re going to keep the number of Energy Star homes growing, because every new Energy Star home is a step toward lower costs, cleaner air, and communities that are environmentally and economically sustainable.”

To earn the Energy Star label, a home must meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by EPA. Those guidelines can be met through established, reliable building techniques available to most middle-class American homeowners. Those include effective insulation systems, high-performance windows, tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and high-efficiency lighting and appliances. In addition, an independent home energy rater conducts onsite testing and inspections to verify that the home’s performance meets Energy Star requirements.

There are more than 6,500 builders across the nation building homes that earn the Energy Star label and qualified new homes can be found in every state in the country. The top 20 markets for Energy Star-qualified homes built to date include:

  • Houston, Texas;
  • Dallas, Texas;
  • Las Vegas, Nev.;
  • Phoenix, Ariz.;
  • Greater Los Angeles, Calif.;
  • New York, N.Y.;
  • Tucson, Ariz.;
  • San Antonio, Texas;
  • Sacramento, Calif.;
  • San Diego, Calif.;
  • Columbus, Ohio;
  • Des Moines, Iowa;
  • Indianapolis, Ind.;
  • Austin, Texas;
  • Philadelphia, Pa.;
  • San Francisco, Calif.;
  • Boston, Mass.;
  • Denver, Colo.;
  • Orlando, Fla.; and
  • Oklahoma City, Okla.

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