EPA Announces Energy Star Homes Reach Nearly 17 Percent
Market Share for 2008
Quarter Billion Dollars in Annual Utility Savings for Energy Efficient
Homes
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced
today that nearly 17 percent of all single-family homes built nationally
in 2008 earned EPA’s Energy Star label, up from 12 percent in 2007. Both
home builders and home buyers are continuing to invest in high performing
homes that save consumers money on their utility bills and help protect
the environment.
“Every year more Americans decide to cut their
energy bills and help keep the air clean in their communities by buying a
new home that has earned EPA's Energy Star. Features like properly
installed insulation, high-performance windows and high efficiency heating
and cooling can reduce home energy needs by 20 to 30 percent, saving
American families thousands of dollars on their utility bills," said EPA
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Even in a difficult market, the interest
in Energy Star qualified homes keeps rising. We’re helping builders and
homebuyers to protect the environment, safeguard our health, and move the
country into a low-carbon energy future.”
In addition, market share for Energy Star qualified homes was 20 percent
or greater in 15 states in 2008, including Ariz., Colo., Conn., Hawaii,
Iowa, Ky., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.Y., Ohio, Okla., Texas, Utah, and Vt.
Nearly 940,000 Energy Star qualified homes have been built to date, with
more than 100,000 of these constructed in 2008. In 2008 alone, American
families living in Energy Star qualified homes locked in annual utility
bill savings of more than $250 million -- saving over 1.5 billion kWh of
electricity and 155 million therms of natural gas while reducing the
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of nearly 350,000 cars
annually.
To earn the Energy Star label, homes must meet strict guidelines for
energy efficiency set by EPA. Typically they include energy-saving
features such as:
• Effective Insulation Systems
• High-Performance Windows
• Tight Construction and Ducts
• Efficient Heating and Cooling Equipment
• ENERGY STAR Qualified Lighting and Appliances
More information about Energy Star qualified homes:
http://www.energystar.gov/HomesMarketIndex