State Energy Offices can work with EPA and NASEO to leverage ENERGY STAR tools for state energy planning, appliance specifications, statewide benchmarking programs, and efforts to streamline access to building energy data.

ENERGY STAR Overview

  • ENERGY STAR
    ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including about 40% of the Fortune 500®—partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions that improve air quality and protect the climate.
  • Portfolio Manager
    You’ve heard it before: you can’t manage what you don’t measure. That’s why EPA created ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager®, a free online tool you can use to measure and track energy and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. Use it to benchmark the performance of one building or a whole portfolio of buildings, to keep track of your energy efficiency competitions or benchmarking and building performance standards program progress, all in a secure online environment.
  • ENERGY STAR Certification
    ENERGY STAR certification is given on an annual basis, so a building must maintain its high performance to be certified year to year. While ensuring an energy-efficient building, ENERGY STAR certification ensures that certified properties meet the ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air Quality, ASHRAE 55 – Thermal Environmental Conditions for Human Occupancy, and IESNA Lighting Handbook.
  • (New!) ENERGY STAR Data Explorer
    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Portfolio Manager Data Explorer, a new web-based tool that enables users to explore aggregate energy use data from more than 150,000 commercial and multi-family buildings based on the data reported through ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, the nation’s largest energy benchmarking platform for commercial and multifamily buildings. Through the Portfolio Manager Data Explorer, users can understand the energy use of buildings in Portfolio Manager by filtering based on the state that the buildings are located, the type of building, its size, and a variety of key metrics. 
  • ENERGY STAR for Policy Makers
    Through ENERGY STAR, EPA has helped dozens of state and local governments design and implement voluntary policies and programs focused on commercial and multifamily buildings to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stimulate local economic growth. 
  • Comparison of U.S. Building Audit, Tune-Ups, and Retrocommissioning Policies
    Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) compiles a matrix of building audit, tune-up, and retrocommissioning policies in cities and states across the United States, many of which offer exemptions to buildings that obtain an ENERGY STAR Certification.
  • Comparison of U.S. Commercial Building Energy Benchmarking and Transparency Policies
    IMT compiles a matrix of building energy benchmarking and reporting ordinances for commercial and multifamily buildings in cities and states across the United States, many of which require regular energy reporting using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
  • Comparison of U.S. Building Performance Standards
    IMT compiles a matrix of building performance standards for commercial and multifamily buildings in cities and states across the United States, many of which require the use of ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to report energy use savings.
  • Interactive Map to Identify Utilities That Provide Energy Data for Benchmarking
    EPA offers an interactive map of utilities that provide customers within their service territories easy access and automated data uploads to energy use data for building data reporting in jurisdictions with benchmarking and disclosure policies. 
  • NASEO Webpage on Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards
    Visit our webpage that contains information on benchmarking and building performance standards as policy approaches for managing energy use in individual buildings or across a portfolio of buildings to meet a jurisdiction's energy use reduction targets.
  • ENERGY STAR New Construction Program
    ENERGY STAR certified homes and apartments are at least ten percent more efficient than homes built to the building energy code in effect in a state. Homes and apartments are subject to third-party verification by an Energy Rating Company (i.e., home energy rater or rating provider) operating under the supervision of a Home Certification Organization. During the home construction process, the Energy Rating Company performs on-site inspections and helps builders or developers determine the necessary construction techniques and energy-saving equipment installation for the newly constructed home to meet the requirements of the ENERGY STAR New Construction Program. 
    • Single Family New Homes
      Newly constructed site-built or modular dwellings (e.g., single-family homes and duplexes) and townhouses are eligible to participate in the ENERGY STAR Single-Family New Homes program. The program offers national program requirements as well as regional program requirements in states and regions where there are differences in baseline residential energy codes. 
    • Multifamily Homes
      Multifamily housing new construction projects with three or more units are eligible to participate in the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction Program, which determines certification eligibility either through a prescriptive path based on an Energy Rating Index target, or through modeled energy cost savings compared to a baseline ASHRAE 90.1 commercial building energy code. Existing multifamily housing properties are eligible to earn the ENERGY STAR through the commercial buildings program, which assesses eligibility based on energy use from monthly utility bill data. 
    • Manufactured Homes
      Manufactured homes, defined as homes built in a factory that is subject to the federal Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards (commonly referred to as the HUD Code), are eligible to participate in the ENERGY STAR Manufactured Home New Construction Program. Modular homes are not eligible for this program, and would need to pursue either the Single Family New Homes Program or Multifamily Homes Program. Under this program, manufactured homes need to be produced in a plant that is certified by an EPA-recognized Quality Assurance Provider, whom are responsible for overseeing that certified plants follow ongoing guidelines for the production, installation, and certification of homes. 
    • Benefits of Building ENERGY STAR Certified Homes for Builders and Developers
      Builders and developers must sign a partnership agreement to build ENERGY STAR Certified Homes. Building to the ENERGY STAR standard can reduce construction costs and improve construction processes; standardize the performance of completed projects; and may even offer sales price premiums based on average sales price outcomes. Builders and developers may also leverage co-branding opportunities with EPA and receive awards through annual partner recognition programs. 
  • ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments
    ENERGY STAR NextGen is a certification launched in 2023 that recognizes new homes and apartments that go above and beyond the core ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program requirements. Homes that earn the certification must meet the most advanced versions of the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction programs in addition to electrified heating and cooling with a multi-speed ENERGY STAR certified connected heat pump and an ENERGY STAR certified connected heat pump water heater, in addition to electric vehicle charging capability and optional electric cooktops and ovens. There are dual-fuel allowances where gas may be used as a backup heat source or for other lifestyle features within certified homes. 
  • ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade
    This educational tool through ENERGY STAR offers six high-impact energy efficiency and electrification improvement strategies for homeowners to consider that will deliver significant energy and cost savings and leverage incentives that lower the cost of high efficiency appliance upgrades and electric panel upgrades to accommodate increased electricity loads from electrification modifications like EV chargers and electric heat pump and water heaters.  
  • Federal Income Tax Credits and Incentives for Energy Efficiency
    The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 establishes and expands existing federal tax credits and deductions that make it more cost effective for Americans to make homes and buildings more energy efficient and incentivizes the purchase of ENERGY STAR labeled products. This includes tax credits for homeowners through the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit (25C) and Residential Clean Energy Tax credit (30C), tax credits for builders and developers through the Energy Efficient Home Credit (45L), and tax credits for commercial building owners through the Commercial Buildings Energy Efficiency Tax Deduction (179D).
  • ENERGY STAR Product Finder
    This database contains brands and models of ENERGY STAR certified products. This database is organized by appliance type, including but not limited to heating and cooling equipment like heat pumps and smart thermostats, commercial food service equipment, and light fixtures.
  • Cash Flow Opportunity Calculator
    The Cash Flow Opportunity (CFO) Calculator helps inform strategic decisions about financing energy efficiency projects. Using the tool, you will be able to estimate cost of delaying energy efficiency measures, how much new equipment you can finance using anticipated savings, as well whether you should finance now or wait for a lower interest rate.
  • Did Your Energy Efficiency Project Get Lost in Translation? Financial Speak for Facility Managers
    Understanding your organization’s decision-making process, being able to effectively speak to the benefit of improved cash flow, and improving your financial literacy can greatly increase your probability of receiving approval for a project. This 7-page paper highlights alternative financing solutions specific to energy efficiency that may offer a solution for getting to “yes” for your project.
  • Easy Access to Energy Improvement Funds in the Public Sector
    This primer provides an overview of two of the most popular mechanisms for financing energy efficiency projects in the public sector: performance contracts and tax-exempt lease-purchase agreements.
  • ENERGY STAR Performance Contracting Best Practices
    Use this 14-page PDF to learn how to integrate publicly available, no-cost ENERGY STAR tools into the energy performance contracting process in order to make performance contracting projects more actionable and understandable for building owners, tenants, policy makers, and the public.