ENERGY STAR WebinarsTo register, click on the corresponding date and time below and complete the registration form.
Visit our events calendar to learn about other webinar opportunities at www.energystar.gov/newhomeswebinars. |
Highlights from Version 3, Revision 06
Revision 06 of the Version 3 guidelines has now been posted to the ENERGY STAR website
. Partners are permitted to use this Revision immediately, at their discretion, but must apply this Revision to all homes permitted on or after November 10, 2012.
As part of this Revision, all major program documents have been updated. A Revision 06 Version Tracking Document, containing all of the specific changes in this Revision, has also been created. EPA strongly encourages partners to review these documents. The most substantial updates are summarized below:
Overall Inspection Checklists
To clarify, only Raters who operate under a Sampling Provider are permitted to use the RESNET-approved sampling protocol for homes located outside California, and the CEC-approved sampling protocol for homes located in CA, to verify any item designated “Rater Verified”. No parties other than Raters are permitted to use sampling. All other checklist items shall be verified for each certified home.
Thermal Enclosure System Rater Checklist
In order to improve the frequency with which Item 4.4.5e reduces thermal bridging, EPA has removed the exemption from 24″ on-center spacing and instead replaced it with an alternate compliance path that requires the wall cavity insulation to achieve at least R-20.0. Partners will no longer be exempted from the 24″ on-center spacing requirement simply by providing a framing plan provided by the builder, architect, designer, or engineer.
To clarify, the exemption in Footnote 12, which allows up to 10% of the total exterior wall surface to be exempt from the reduced thermal bridging requirements, is applicable to individual multi-family units and not the entire exterior wall surface area of the multi-family building.
HVAC System Quality Installation Contractor Checklist
The requirement to collect the serial number of the furnace, condenser, and evaporator / fan coil in Items 3.2, 3.4, and 5.2 has been eliminated.
The requirement to document the air flow test methodology in Item 9.6 has been eliminated because the use of the Fan Curve methodology is always implied.
Raters are now permitted, as an alternative to the HVAC contractor, to measure the airflow out of each supply and return register; to document the values on the contractor-prepared balancing report; and to verify that the measured values are within the accepted tolerance relative to the design value.
Footnotes 5 & 6 have been modified to further clarify that only a credentialed HVAC contractor may complete Sections 6 through 12 while either the builder (or a firm or HERS Rater hired by the builder) or the credentialed HVAC contractor (or a firm or HERS Rater hired by the contractor) are permitted to complete Sections 1 through 5.
HVAC System Quality Installation Rater Checklist
The checkbox on the cover page of the Inspection Checklists, which required Raters to verify that the HVAC contractor held the credentials necessary to complete the HVAC System QI Contractor Checklist, has been moved to Item 1.5 to ensure Raters consistently verify these credentials. Additionally, the associated Footnote has been revised to clarify that the Rater must confirm that the contractor holds the necessary credentials if any item in Section 6 through 12 of the HVAC System QI Contractor is completed.
For balanced ventilation ducts that are not connected to space heating or cooling systems, a Rater is now permitted to visually verify, in lieu of duct leakage testing, that all seams & connections are sealed with mastic or metal tape & all duct boots are sealed to floor, wall, or ceiling using caulk, foam, or mastic tape.
To clarify, duct leakage testing must occur when the duct system is in its final state, which is to say after all components of the system have been installed including the air handler, the ductwork, the duct boots, and the register grilles atop the finished surface (e.g., drywall, carpeting, flooring). A leakage test at “rough-in” does not meet this intent, though may be helpful for identifying leaks that need sealing.
Water Management System Builder Checklist
A home with a crawlspace foundation in Group I soils is now exempted from installing a drain tile.