What Is An ENERGY STAR Home?

Leah Campbell • April 7, 2024

What exactly makes a home an ENERGY STAR home? What does ENERGY STAR mean in the first place? You’ve likely seen the blue logo denoting a home or neighborhood as ENERGY STAR certified.

At Senergy Builders, we’re proud to build net zero and ENERGY STAR certified homes in Western Colorado. In today’s blog, we answer the above questions and explain what it means to create an ENERGY STAR home, as well as the benefits these homes deliver to homeowners.

What does ENERGY STAR mean?

ENERGY STAR is a public-private partnership administered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Thousands of organizations (nearly half of which are Fortune 500 companies) partner with ENERGY STAR.

Together with the EPA, these companies deliver cost saving energy solutions via ENERGY STAR’s strict standards. The mission? To protect the environment, improve air quality, and protect public health.

The blue ENERGY STAR logo denotes energy efficiency. How efficient? Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped US families and companies:

reduce 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases
save on 5 trillion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity

What Makes A Home ENERGY STAR Certified?

As stated on energystar.gov’s website, “ENERGY STAR certified homes and apartments are designed and built better from the ground up. They deliver better durability, better comfort, and reduced utility and maintenance costs.”

So, whenever you see homes or apartments with the ENERGY STAR logo, you can rest assured these building(s) are exceptionally high quality.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, homes must meet very strict program requirements, developed by ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR homes must:

be at least 10% more efficient than homes built to code
achieve a 20% improvement on average

To achieve these high standards, every ENERGY STAR home has the following home features, which we explore below.

A Complete Thermal Enclosure System

Did you know that the average home has a half-mile of gaps and cracks around windows and doors? This lack of air sealing leads to reduced energy efficiency, and reduced comfort for residents.

ENERGY STAR homes address this issue with comprehensive air sealing—no more wasted energy, and markedly improved indoor climate for homeowners. A complete thermal enclosure system consists of:

Proper air sealing: reduces moisture, drafts, dust, pollen, etc. A tightly sealed home can make a huge difference in overall comfort within a home.
Properly installed insulation: quality and strategic placement over quantity of insulation. All too often, standard homes are packed with too much insulation, whereas it’s the quality and placement of insulation that makes a true difference.
High-performance windows: windows greatly affect energy efficiency and comfort.

High-performance windows that have protective coatings and improved frames keep out

heat and cold, and block UV rays.

A Complete Heating and Cooling System

High efficiency heating and cooling systems are highly engineered and strategically installed to

provide improved comfort, indoor air quality, and moisture control.

Efficient heating and cooling equipment: premium performance entails using less energy,

with less noise.

Proper design and quality installation practices: all aspects of heating and cooling

equipment (duct, sealing, size, refrigerant, etc.). used in ENERGY STAR homes are fully

engineered and tested.

Whole-house mechanical ventilation: indoor air quality impacts the comfort and health of

your living environment. To ensure a home has a constant source of clean air, ventilation

in ENERGY STAR homes filters to remove indoor pollutants.

A Complete Water Management System

Water damage does more than aesthetic damage—it can result in mold and mildew growth and

compromised structural integrity. To prevent water damage from occurring, the highest quality

materials are combined with best building practices to protect walls, roofs, and foundations.

Water-managed construction details: practices such as moisture barriers and flashing are

used to effectively drain water away from walls, roofs, and foundations.

Building materials: high-quality materials are carefully selected and stored.

Energy Efficient Lighting and Appliances

ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, such as lighting and fans, reduce energy consumption,

resulting in lower utility bills.

Advanced lighting: ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures are available in many

shapes and sizes, providing homeowners with a wider selection to choose from.

ENERGY STAR lighting provide cost-savings and longer lifetimes.

ENERGY STAR qualified applications: Did you know that household appliances account

for about 20% of energy use in a home? ENERGY STAR qualified applications deliver

reduced energy costs with improved performance and durability.

Benefits of ENERGY STAR Homes

Why choose an ENERGY STAR home? These homes provide several key benefits:

Environmental Protection

ENERGY STAR homes are far more energy efficient than standard homes. Therefore, ENERGY

STAR homes help prevent air pollution, and have less impact on the environment. For example,

ENERGY STAR homes generate 35% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Quality and Durability

The testing, verifying, and selection of high-quality materials and appliances adds greater quality

and durability within the home.

Comfort

ENERGY STAR homes deliver markedly higher climate control than average homes, as a result

of air sealing and premium heating and cooling equipment.

Health

No matter your health, everyone benefits from cleaner indoor air and improved climate control.

For those who suffer from respiratory conditions, such as allergies, ENERGY STAR homes

provide an environment that’s healthier to live in.

Cost Savings

Homeowners can save as much as 35% on energy consumption.

Value

With their improved comfort, enduring quality, healthier living environment, and energy

efficiency, ENERGY STAR homes have higher value over average homes.

How Does New Home Construction Earn the ENERGY STAR?

New apartments and homes must undergo a rigorous process of third-party inspections and

testing. These inspections verify whether all applicable program requirements, as detailed above,

are met.

Are There Commercial ENERGY STAR buildings?

Yes, there are commercial ENERGY STAR certified buildings. These buildings must earn a 1-

100 ENERGY STAR score of 75 or greater. This indicates that a commercial building operates

more efficiently than 75% of comparable buildings in the US.

Interested in ENERGY STAR Homes? Choose Senergy Builders

If you are interested in an ENERGY STAR home, Senergy Builders can make your dream of

healthier and sustainable living come true: we have over a decade of building ENERGY STAR

and sustainability-related homes.

Our staff has over 200 years combined construction experience,

and we are always looking to the future for the latest and greatest innovations in construction. To

learn more, contact us at 970.248.8500.

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What It Actually Costs to Run a House in the Grand Valley

By Anna Naim • September 8, 2026

Most people shopping for a home in Grand Junction compare two numbers: the price of this house against the price of that one. It is the number on the listing, the number the lender cares about, and the number everybody talks about at the kitchen table. Then they move in, and a second number shows up every month for the next thirty years. Nobody put that one on the flyer. That second number is not small, and in the Grand Valley it is not evenly distributed. Two houses of the same size, on the same street, at the same price can cost meaningfully different amounts to live in, and the gap does not show up until the first July bill lands. This is a look at where that gap comes from, how to measure it before you sign, and what the local climate does to the math.

Decarbonizing Industry: How We Can Actually Do It

By Anna Naim • April 30, 2025

When we talk about fighting climate change, most people think about things like switching to electric cars, installing solar panels , or flying less. Those are all important, and correct, but there’s a huge piece of the emissions puzzle that often gets overlooked: industry. We’re talking about the stuff that literally builds the world around us– steel, cement, chemicals, glass, and more. These are the foundations of everything from roads to smartphones. But here’s the kicker: industrial processes are responsible for about a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. That’s massive. And unlike switching your car or your light bulbs, decarbonizing industry is complicated. It’s messy. The technologies exist, but they’re often expensive or inconvenient– especially for the people and companies with the most power to implement them. Still, transforming industry is absolutely essential– and I’m here to unpack why it’s hard, what’s changing, and how we can push for solutions that actually make a difference. Why Is Industry So Tough to Decarbonize? Let’s start with the honest truth: cutting emissions from industry is way harder than cleaning up something like the electricity sector. Here's why: Some emissions are baked into the process For example, when you make cement, you heat up limestone, and that chemical reaction releases carbon dioxide. It’s not just about the fuel used, it’s the reaction itself. So even if you're using clean energy, you still get CO2 emissions. You need crazy-high heat Things like steel and glass need temperatures that soar above 1,500°C. That’s not easy to achieve with electricity (at least not yet), so most places still burn coal or gas. Factories aren’t easy to change overnight Industrial plants are huge investments. They’re built to last decades, and they don’t get upgraded often. That means any big changes are risky, expensive, and need serious planning. But here’s the good news: change is finally starting to happen. What Can We Do About It? Even though the challenges are big, there are already a bunch of exciting solutions out there. Some are being tested in real factories today. Here are some of the most promising approaches: Use Less Energy (and Waste Less) Before we reinvent the wheel, let’s make the current systems more efficient. Think better insulation, heat recovery systems, or smarter control systems that waste less energy. These are low-hanging fruit, and they often pay for themselves. Switch to Electric Where Possible Electrifying industrial equipment means you can tap into renewable electricity. For some things, like low-temperature drying or electric arc furnaces for recycling steel, it’s already doable. High-heat processes are tougher, but technology is improving fast. Bring in Green Hydrogen Hydrogen can burn hot like fossil fuels, but when it’s made with clean electricity (we call it "green hydrogen"), it doesn’t release CO2. This is a game-changer for heavy industry. For example, instead of using coal to make steel, some companies are testing hydrogen as a clean alternative. Capture the Carbon We Can’t Avoid Carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) sounds like science fiction, but it’s very real. These systems trap CO2 from factories and either store it underground or turn it into something useful. It’s not cheap, but it’s one of the only ways to deal with unavoidable emissions, like those from cement. Rethink the Materials We can also lower emissions by reimagining what we use and how we use it. Some startups are making low-carbon or even carbon-negative cement. Others are finding ways to recycle chemicals and plastics more effectively. Innovation in materials science is moving fast.

Building a Better Tomorrow With Senergy

By Anna Naim • April 22, 2025

Let’s be honest, the construction industry has historically had a pretty heavy footprint. Between energy use, material waste, and carbon emissions, traditional building practices have contributed significantly to environmental degradation. We started Senergy Builders because we knew there was a better way to do this work. One that respects natural resources, prioritizes energy efficiency, and takes long-term environmental impact seriously. Sustainability isn’t just a box we check. It's part of every conversation we have, every design we draft, and every material we choose. At Senergy Builders, every day is a chance to build something meaningful. When we say this, we’re not just talking about structures, but a future that’s more sustainable, more thoughtful, and more in balance with the planet we all share. But on Earth Day, we take a moment to pause, reflect, and talk about why our work goes beyond construction. It’s about responsibility, resilience, and protecting the Earth for the generations to come. How We’re Reducing Impact Through Smarter Building Sustainable building comes with consistency, resilience, and dedication. All for the betterment of the planet, starting with our home of Grand Junction. For us, it means using practical, proven strategies that reduce a home or building’s environmental impact, during construction and long after the keys are handed over. Here’s a look at what that actually means on the ground: Energy Efficient Design From passive solar layouts to high-performance insulation and energy modeling, we design buildings that require significantly less energy to heat, cool, and power. Renewable Energy Integration We regularly install solar systems and prepare homes for future clean energy upgrades. Sustainable Materials Whenever possible, we source responsibly harvested wood, reclaimed materials, and non-toxic finishes that are better for the environment and for the people living or working in the space. Waste Reduction on Site Construction can be messy, but we work hard to minimize waste and recycle materials during and after the build. Durability and Longevity A truly sustainable building isn’t just efficient, it’s built to last. The longer a structure holds up, the less often it needs to be replaced or renovated. Earth Day And Every Day Earth Day is a reminder, but this is year-round work. This day is important as it shines a spotlight on the planet and the choices we make. But for us, environmental responsibility isn’t a one-day event. It’s baked into our everyday practices, our partnerships, and our long-term goals. We’re constantly asking ourselves how we can improve: What materials are emerging that have a lower environmental cost? How can we make high-efficiency homes more accessible to more people? What kind of legacy are we leaving behind with each build? We don’t have all the answers, but we’re committed to the process, and that starts with asking the right questions.