General FAQs
Most DOE Efficient New Home builders initially build and certify homes under the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program. Because ENERGY STAR certification is a prerequisite for DOE Efficient New Homes certification, this is a good place to start.
Next, builders should review the DOE Efficient New Homes program requirements, which include the mandatory requirements of ENERGY STAR and Indoor AirPlus from the EPA along with other requirements established by DOE. Once you understand these components, you can become a program partner by registering. Next, find a rater to work with you throughout your design and construction process. DOE has a public list of program partners, including raters (called verifiers on the listing). Your rater will walk you through the process of building and certifying a DOE Efficient New Home!
Finally, builders new to DOE Efficient New Homes can review program training resources on the program website.
If you're brand new to the DOE Efficient New Homes program, it's great to first work towards an ENERGY STAR certification! EPA provides lots of resources for builders who want to get started with either a single family or a multifamily project. Take a look at the Introduction to the ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes Program and the Introduction to the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction Program to get started!
After you have designed a home according to the DOE Efficient New Homes program requirements, work with your rater to ensure that the home will qualify for DOE Efficient New Homes certification based on your design. After the home’s construction, the rater will come on site to perform site testing and inspections, ensuring that the as-built home matches the modeled design and meets all mandatory requirements. If the rater determines that the home fulfills these requirements, they will send their report to their rating company’s oversight organization (an HCO or MRO for DOE). The oversight organization approves the rater’s documentation and will send the rated home information to DOE to be recorded. After the oversight organization approves the rater’s documentation, the rater may give the builder or homeowner their DOE Efficient New Homes certificate.
DOE does not charge fees to become a DOE Efficient New Homes program partner or to certify projects under the program. Builders and/or developers will work with Raters throughout the DOE Efficient New Homes design and certification process, and raters can charge varying amounts for their services related to certification. Raters perform a third-party verification, which is an essential part of quality assurance for DOE Efficient New Homes certifications. While it is an added cost, this quality assurance allows builders to confidently market certified homes to buyers.
Multifamily Buildings
There are two program versions that multifamily projects with any number of stories may use to earn DOE Efficient New Homes certification:
- Projects permitted before 1/1/2025 are eligible to earn DOE Efficient New Homse certification under Version 1, Revision 9 or Multifamily Version 2.
- Projects permitted on or after 1/1/2025 are eligible to earn certification under DOE Efficient New Homes Multifamily Version 2.
No, the 3-story limit was for the old 45L tax credit ($2,000) which expired in 2022. The 45L tax credits active today are based on EPA’s ENERGY STAR and DOE’s Efficient New Homes certification programs, with higher incentives - up to $2,500 for ENERGY STAR certification and up to $5,000 for DOE Efficient New Homes certification. Multifamily building eligibility for these programs is not limited to 3 stories. While Version 1, Revision 8 (which is limited to 5 stories) is in effect for projects permitted in 2023, projects certifying under Version 1, Revision 9 or Multifamily Version 2 (both of which have no story limit) are deemed to meet Version 1, Revision 8 where that revision is required. Version 1, Revision 9 is required for multifamily projects permitted in 2024, and Multifamily Version 2 is required for projects permitted after December 31, 2024.
For Version 1, Revision 9 and Multifamily Version 2, the permit date can be defined as either the date on which the permit authorizing construction of the building was issued or the date of the Rater’s first site visit. For DOE Efficient New Homes Multifamily Version 2 only, the application date of the permit may also be used to establish the permit date. When considering the program's implementation timeline, this means that to certify under Version 1, Revision 9, a project must have an issued building permit dated 12/31/2024 or earlier. All building permits issued on or after 1/1/2025 must use Multifamily Version 2 (pending the implementation of future program versions).
Version 1 Revision 9 was created as a temporary extension of Version 1 to provide a longer transition period to the implementation of the Multifamily Version 2 program version. Version 1 has a lower energy efficiency threshold as compared to Multifamily Version 2. To provide more transition time to DOE Efficient New Homes Multifamily Version 2 but not prolong the use of Version 1 Revision 9, DOE determined that a project’s permit application date could not serve to establish the permit date. This provides some flexibility for multifamily projects while still ensuring the transition to the higher efficiency levels in Multifamily Version 2 program requirements occurs in a timely manner.
Manufactured Homes
DOE does not charge a certification fee for DOE Efficient New Homes certification. As with the ENERGY STAR for Manufactured New Homes program, the certification processes were designed to fit seamlessly with HUD Code inspection processes. Additional certification inspections required for ENERGY STAR and DOE Efficient New Homes certification are conducted by EPA/DOE recognized Quality Assurance Providers (QAPs). Fees for these services are negotiated between the manufacturer and their QAP.
DOE Efficient New Homes requirements for Manufactured Homes (DOE Efficient New Homes Manufactured Version 1) are based on the ENERGY STAR Manufactured New Homes Version 3 program requirements and certification process. Both programs were launched in December 2022. DOE Efficient New Homes requirements were developed to be about 8% more stringent than ENERGY STAR Manufactured Homes Version 3.
The additional cost to build certified DOE Efficient New Homes will depend on a variety of factors that can only be determined by the manufacturer. DOE estimates the cost premium will be well below the $5,000 tax credit per home, once a manufacturer commits a factory to building to this new high-performance level and implements the required changes. The incremental hard costs – additional material and high-efficiency equipment cost premiums - can be below $5,000 and may be partially off-set by volume purchasing and process efficiency improvements. While the short-term costs associated with changing designs and production, QA process modifications, and training factory workers can add up, most of these “learning” costs are temporary and result in superior homes. With the $5,000 federal tax incentive, there’s never been a better time for manufacturers to improve their product lines.
Yes. DOE launched the DOE Efficient New Homes Manufactured Homes National Program Requirements Version 1 as a pilot program in December 2022. See detailed requirements on the DOE Efficient New Homes website.