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
