The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reached a milestone
for its Energy Star program by passing the 1 millionth Energy Star-qualified
home mark. The program has more than 15,000 partners in sectors all across the
economy, EPA reports, and has been successful at saving consumers money by
reducing the energy usage of products used in the home and office.
Since the program began labeling new homes in 1995,
according to the EPA, Americans have saved $1.2 billion on energy bills, and
reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 22 billion pounds. “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,” stated EPA Administrator
Lisa P.
Jackson in the announcement.
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, including
- effective insulation systems
- high-performance windows
- tight construction and
ducts
- efficient heating and cooling equipment
- 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.
Top Energy Star Cities
More than 6,500 builders build homes that earn the Energy
Star label. 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.
For more
information about the features and benefits of Energy Star-qualified homes and
participating builders visit
www.energystar.gov/onemillionhomes.
Source:
U.S. EPA
