Program Goals
What are next steps in achieving 50% energy savings in U.S. residential buildings? Read the new report Challenges and Opportunities to Achieve 50% Energy Savings in Homes: National Laboratory White Papers to learn more.
The goal of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Building America program is to conduct research to develop market-ready energy solutions that improve efficiency of new and existing homes in each U.S. climate zone, while increasing comfort, safety, and durability.
Overall goals aim to reduce home energy use by 30%-50% (compared to 2009 energy codes for new homes and pre-retrofit energy use for existing homes). Along with energy savings, the program also focuses on solutions that lead to:
- Improved occupant health through effective indoor air quality
- Higher comfort levels in all rooms throughout the home
- Durable and moisture-resistant building designs
- Increased builder profitability through reduced construction time
- Opportunities for new product designs that save energy, material, and installation costs.
Through targeted research, industry partnerships, and collaboration with related DOE residential initiatives, Building America works to make cost-effective energy efficient homes a reality for all Americans.
Research Approach
This systems integration research program targets performance-based solutions for American homes. Research is conducted by research teams and national laboratories, and includes building energy simulations, individual efficiency technologies, field testing in actual homes, and verification of quality implementation on a community scale.
In addition, Building America works with residential stakeholders such as builders, remodelers, manufacturers, homeowners, financial institutions, utilities, and trades people to determine the most commercially viable energy efficiency packages possible in today's market.
Our research goals push industry to develop and accept new technologies, designs and cost saving installation techniques. When many energy savings measures are combined into one home, high savings levels can be achieved for both new and existing homes.
The energy performance goals of the Building America Program are divided up into seven climate regions. For reporting purposes, these climate regions are divided into three key groups:
- Mixed-Dry, Hot-Dry and Marine
- Mixed-Humid and Hot-Humid
- Cold and Very Cold.
Goals for Existing Homes
The energy saving goals for an existing home are determined by the difference in the annual source energy consumed by the home before and after an energy retrofit. The source energy includes both the energy used within the home and the energy lost in the transmission of energy to the home. Retrofitting a home may include measures like upgrading appliances, adding insulation or changing lights to compact fluorescent bulbs. The percentages shown in the table below refer to the energy saved over the course of a year after a package of measures is installed.
| Source Energy Savings | Mixed/Hot-Dry and Marine | Mixed-Humid and Hot-Humid | Cold (Includes Cold, Very Cold, and Subarctic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current "best in class" (15% or above) | 2011 | 2011 | 2011 |
| 30% | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |
| 50% | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
Goals for New Homes
For new homes, the savings level is determined by a comparison to the "Building America Benchmark" house. This house is fixed and represents an average 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) built house with updated appliances, lighting, and miscellaneous electric loads. Learn more about the Benchmark and the assumptions for retrofit home calculations in the House Simulation Protocols document.
| Source Energy Savings | Mixed/Hot-Dry and Marine | Mixed-Humid and Hot-Humid | Cold( Includes Cold, Very Cold, and Subarctic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Current "best in class" (20% or above) | 2010 | 2011 | 2011 |
| 30% | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 |
| 50% | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 |
Resources
Building America offers a comprehensive library of information about improving efficiency of new and existing homes. To access this information, visit the publications library or climate-specific Best Practice guides and case studies.