U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Building Technologies Program – Builders Challenge

About Builders Challenge

U.S. homebuilders of all sizes, from all areas of the country, report growing buyer interest in energy efficient houses. Yet they also find that many homebuyers want help in making informed decisions. How can homebuyers tell exceptional energy performers from average energy performers or code homes? How do they figure out just what that difference will mean in their energy bills?

Spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the Builders Challenge is a voluntary effort to provide compelling answers. The DOE challenges America's homebuilders to build 220,000 high performance homes into the marketplace by 2012, while spurring strong consumer demand for these homes. Through the Builders Challenge, participating homebuilders will have an easy way to differentiate their best energy-performing homes from other products in the marketplace, and to make the benefits clear to buyers.

DOE's ultimate vision is that, by 2030, a consumer will have the opportunity to buy an affordable net zero energy home (NZEH) anywhere in the United States - a grid-connected home that, over the course of a year, produces as much energy as it uses. The Builders Challenge establishes a framework for continuous improvement that will help propel the market toward zero energy performance.

The Builders Challenge is based on lessons learned from the Building America Research Program - a private/public partnership that develops energy solutions for new and existing homes. Learn more about Building America and find out why builders aren't already building homes to this standard as basic practice.

Read what the media has been saying about the Builders Challenge.

The Five Elements of the Builders Challenge

1. Volunteering for the Builders Challenge: Inviting American homebuilders to join in the voluntary Builders Challenge and commit to constructing high performance homes.

2. EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale): A scale that participating homebuilders will use to provide buyers with an objective rating of a particular house's energy efficiency.

3. National Outreach Campaign: A public education effort to help drive homebuyer demand for high performance homes and to assist participating builders in their marketing.

4. Design Competition: Recognizing designers and increasing the supply of high-performance home plans that meet Builders Challenge requirements.

5. Awards: Recognizing and rewarding Builders Challenge participants that contribute to a critical mass of high performance home construction.

Download Builders Challenge brochure (PDF 355 KB) and view a printable list of Frequently Asked Questions (PDF 148 KB). Download Adobe Reader