2193ss02rev2

This ICR is entitled "Information Collection Activities Associated with EPA's ENERGY STAR^® Program in the Residential Sector," ICR number 2193.02, OMB Control 2060-0586). This ICR is an ICR renewal and is a non-rule related ICR.

1(b) Short Characterization or Abstract

ENERGY STAR^® is a voluntary energy efficiency labeling program aimed at forming public-private partnerships that prevent air pollution rather than control it after its creation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced ENERGY STAR in 1992 to label energy efficient computers. Since then, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have expanded the ENERGY STAR Program to promote energy efficiency in over 60 product categories such as office equipment and consumer electronics, and in commercial and residential buildings. President Obama has made energy efficiency a key element of his effort to address energy independence and reliability and climate change. Increased energy efficiency through ENERGY STAR provides cost savings to businesses and consumers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and increases U.S. energy security and reliability.

This ICR renewal examines information collection activities under the ENERGY STAR Program within the new home and existing home sectors. ENERGY STAR is part of EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division (CPPD) within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR). EPA announced ENERGY STAR for New Homes in 1995 as part of its effort to promote energy efficient new home construction within the residential sector. EPA rolled out an existing homes initiative in 1999 to promote cost-effective energy efficiency retrofits. The first activity was a consumer Web site and a home energy benchmarking tool called the Home Energy Yardstick. Then in 2001, EPA launched Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. And in 2008 EPA launched an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program. These efforts promote home envelope improvements, (i.e. proper installation of adequate insulation, air sealing of holes and gaps into the home, and installation of energy efficient windows) proper installation of high efficiency heating and cooling equipment and duct sealing and repair. To date nearly 1,000,000 ENERGY STAR qualified homes have been built in the U.S. and over 50,000 have been retrofitted through Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs. This shift to more energy efficient homes is saving Americans more than $200 million in energy costs per year.

Please note that the ENERGY STAR Program is jointly managed by EPA and DOE. Each agency leads work on different product categories, with EPA managing the residential building category. This ICR covers only those information collection activities undertaken by EPA to promote the construction and sale of energy efficient new homes and to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. It does not cover activities that primarily support other federal, state, or local energy efficiency programs, public or private.

EPA believes collecting information from the public regarding ENERGY STAR in the residential sector is critical to the program’s sustained success in forming and nurturing voluntary agreements with the private sector to build and promote energy efficient homes. Partners view the ENERGY STAR label as a very effective marketing tool for highlighting the energy efficiency of their products, services, and homes to homebuyers and homeowners. In addition, ENERGY STAR provides partners with recognition as environmental leaders. Collecting information about partners and about ENERGY STAR’s performance in the residential marketplace is necessary to ensure continued success and delivery of valuable benefits to partners such as market differentiation, competitive advantage, and public recognition.

Throughout ENERGY STAR’s existence, EPA has attempted to streamline its information collection activities to focus on information needed to provide incentives and public recognition to organizations promoting ENERGY STAR (e.g., ENERGY STAR Awards Program). EPA has done this by both minimizing the amount of information collected from program participants and by utilizing technology (i.e., Web-enabled databases) to more efficiently collect information. For example, EPA has utilized the Web to make tools and other resources readily available to help both organizations and consumers overcome the barriers to characterizing residential energy performance and investing in cost effective residential energy efficiency improvements. EPA has continued to utilize technology to streamline its information collection activities since the initial ICR was approved in 2006. For example, since 2006 we have deployed an online partnership agreement for home builders and verification organizations as well as an online partnership review and approval tool called PARA. Within the past three years we have moved away from collecting paper partnership agreements and sending paper welcome aboard packages to partners. Both functions have moved online via an Online Partnership Agreement across all program offerings and an electronic welcome email that contains hyperlinks to programmatic materials.

Because ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program, all information collection activities undertaken are of a voluntary nature. Respondents are not required to participate. Any information received to date has been submitted voluntarily to EPA. Sections 1 through 5 of this document describe the collections (e.g., from the standpoint of need and use/utility of the information collected). These sections also describe respondent and Agency activities. In Section 6, EPA estimates the total annual hour and cost burden to respondents and the Agency under the collections.

ENERGY STAR IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR

The ENERGY STAR Program for the residential sector consists of the following participant groups:

Home Builders. This participant group includes production home builders, custom home builders, manufactured home manufacturing plants, modular home manufacturing plants, and developers. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to join the Program. Partners make a commitment to building and selling ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

Verification Organizations. This participant group includes companies involved in independently verifying that homes meet ENERGY STAR guidelines for residential energy efficiency. They act as third-party providers of home energy rating services who are independent from ENERGY STAR. There are two types of verification organizations that participate in ENERGY STAR as partners: certified home energy raters and accredited home energy rating providers. The manufactured and modular home industry utilizes third-party consultants called plant certifiers who certify a manufacturing plant’s ability to consistently produce and install ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes. Plant certifiers are not ENERGY STAR partners. Verification organizations are contractors hired by homebuilders to perform home energy ratings.

Lenders. This participant group commits to deliver energy efficient mortgages (EEMs) to buyers of energy efficient homes and homeowners financing energy efficiency improvements to existing homes. EEMs are based on the premise that owners of energy efficient homes are better borrowers because they spend less on utilities and therefore are able to keep more of their income making them more likely to stay current on debt payments. EEMs incorporate the present value of future utility bill savings into the mortgage itself, allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger mortgage or obtain more favorable loan terms than they could otherwise in the marketplace. This participant group also includes lenders participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program. This pilot program, launched in January 2009, represents a public-private partnership between EPA, DOE, the Energy Programs Consortium, state energy and housing agencies, and foundations. The pilot program is being administered by the Energy Programs Consortium who is overseeing all lender oversight activities. The pilot’s purpose is to promote ENERGY STAR-related energy efficiency improvements in homes at all income levels by offering borrowers a performance-based, real financial benefit as part of the loan in addition to the energy savings the borrower achieves.

Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors (REEPS). This participant group includes utilities; national, regional, state, or local government entities; or other organizations involved in coordinating and/or administering a publicly-funded, energy-efficiency program or environmental education campaign that promotes or intends to promote ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

Architects and Home Plan Designers. This participant group includes residential building architects and home plan designers who produce architectural plans. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to join the Program. Partners make a commitment to designing homes with ENERGY STAR features in an effort to earn the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR label.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners. This participant group consists of utilities, state or local government, or non-profit organizations that sponsor and promote a home energy retrofit program. The program emphasizes a bona fide whole house approach to energy efficiency, installation of recommended measures, diagnostic testing, and quality assurance.

Home Performance Contractors. This participant group consists of home energy auditors and trade or remodeling contractors that participate in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

HVAC Quality Installation Partners. This participant group consists of utilities, and state and local agencies that sponsor and promote a program that verifies that HVAC contractors install heating and air conditioning equipment to meet American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved quality installation standards. The program typically includes training for HVAC contractors.

HVAC Contractors. This participation group consists of contractors that install residential HVAC equipment and participate in the ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program.

While not ENERGY STAR partners, another participant group is homeowners. This participant group includes all homeowners and organizations that use the Home Energy Yardstick to benchmark and monitor residential energy performance. Homeowners benefit directly from this activity. Homeowners can obtain a user account to save their energy information in the online database. Homeowners that submit information about their home’s energy efficiency retrofit may be featured on the ENERGY STAR Web site. This group may participate in data collections to help EPA and others understand the quality of work performed by builders, raters, and contractors that participate in ENERGY STAR programs.

Also, on an informal basis and without becoming ENERGY STAR partners, other home industry professionals such as realtors and home builder associations can promote ENERGY STAR and educate the public about the environmental and economic benefits of energy efficient homes.

The following paragraphs describe the information collections applicable to these groups.

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Organizations interested in joining ENERGY STAR as a partner are asked to submit a Partnership Agreement that includes their basic address and contact information and describes their level of commitment to promoting ENERGY STAR qualified homes, Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, Energy Efficient Mortgages, ENERGY STAR Mortgages, or ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation. This partnership is activity-based, thus partners are asked or encouraged to undertake certain responsibilities and activities related to being an active ENERGY STAR partner and maintaining this active status, as described below. This information is entered into a database called iSTAR (www.energystar.gov/istar).

Home Builder Partners

In order to join ENERGY STAR as a partner, home builders are asked to complete, sign, and submit an online Partnership Agreement to EPA. These partners agree to build ENERGY STAR qualified homes and to promote ENERGY STAR and residential energy efficiency as options in preventing pollution, protecting the environment, and saving money on utility bills. The Agreement also gives home builders the option of committing to a higher level of participation. This includes an optional commitment to build all of their homes as ENERGY STAR qualified homes, committing to offering ENERGY STAR’s Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) to home buyers, and committing to offering ENERGY STAR’s Indoor Air Package (IAP) to home buyers. ENERGY STAR provides special recognition for these optional commitments on its Web site.

Home Builder partners agree to adhere to the terms of the Agreement. These include following ENERGY STAR’s identity guidelines for utilizing the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos, and ENERGY STAR’s Web linking guidelines for linking to partner’s Web sites. Home Builder partners also agree to build at least one ENERGY STAR qualified home within 12 months of joining as a partner or risk forfeiting access to Partner-only benefits such as the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos and being listed on the ENERGY STAR Web site. Home builder partners who build 5 or fewer homes per year as submitted to EPA on their initial application are permitted two years to build their first ENERGY STAR Qualified home before having their Partnership status de-activated. There is a cost associated with verifying the energy efficiency of a site-built home for the ENERGY STAR label, whereby an independent home energy rater or rating provider is contracted by the builder to perform diagnostic tests on the home to verify whether its energy efficiency is high enough to meet ENERGY STAR’s efficiency guidelines. If it is, the rater places the ENERGY STAR label on the home and the rating provider notifies ENERGY STAR of this activity each calendar quarter. The cost of verification is typically incurred by the home builder.

In lieu of an on-site verification of each home by a home energy rater, plants that produce ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes undertake a manufacturing plant certification process whereby the plant develops and implements quality control procedures, both for the in-plant production process and for the on-site installation crews who set-up the home on-site, to ensure that it is properly set-up to consistently produce and install manufactured and modular homes that can qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. This certification process takes on average three days. The certification process involves the use of a third-party consultant who has been accredited by an EPA-approved quality assurance provider. The Systems Building Research Alliance (SBRA) is a quality assurance provider as is the Northwest Energy Efficient Manufactured Home (NEEM) program. This consultant examines the plant’s manufacturing process for areas where production and installation techniques need to be changed to improve the energy efficiency of the manufactured or modular home. To complete certification, the plant needs to produce three homes that meet ENERGY STAR guidelines. The end result of this process is the completion of a plant certification form by the third-party consultant that states that the plant has been fully certified. This form is not provided to EPA but rather to an EPA-approved quality assurance provider. The cost of plant certification is incurred by the manufacturing plant. The plant is also asked to keep a record of their plant certification on file, as well as a copy of quality control-related documents for each ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular home produced, such as the completed site installation checklist. Plants report the number of ENERGY STAR manufactured and modular homes produced to their quality assurance providers who then electronically submit quarterly reports to EPA.

Architects/Home Plan Designers

In order to join ENERGY STAR as a partner, architects/home plan designers are asked to complete, sign, and submit an online Partnership Agreement to EPA. These partners agree to include details in their home plans with the intention of those plans earning the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR qualified homes mark and to promote ENERGY STAR and residential energy efficiency as options in preventing pollution, protecting the environment, and saving money on utility bills.

Architects/Home Plan Designer partners agree to adhere to the terms of the Agreement. These include following ENERGY STAR’s identity guidelines for utilizing the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos, and ENERGY STAR’s Web linking guidelines for linking to partner’s Web sites.

Architect/Home Plan Designer partners also agree to produce at least one Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR labeled home plan within 12 months of joining as a partner or risk forfeiting access to Partner-only benefits such as the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos and being listed on the ENERGY STAR Web site. There is a cost associated with verifying the home plans, whereby an independent home energy rater or rating provider is contracted by the architect/home plan designer to perform diagnostic tests on the home plan to verify whether its energy efficiency is high enough to meet ENERGY STAR’s efficiency guidelines. If it is, the rater places the Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR label on the home plan and the rating provider notifies ENERGY STAR of this activity each calendar quarter. The cost of verification is typically incurred by the architect/home plan designer.

Verification Organization Partners

In order to join ENERGY STAR as a partner, verification organizations are asked to complete, sign, and submit a Partnership Agreement to EPA. There are two types of verification organizations. One is the certified rater, who is trained and certified by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), the governing body for home energy verification organizations, to characterize the energy efficiency of homes and to assign a HERS (Home Energy Rating System) rating to the home based on its estimated energy efficiency. Second is the accredited rating provider. The rating provider is accredited by RESNET and is responsible for overseeing the raters and for implementing quality control procedures among its associated raters.

These partners agree to adhere to the terms of the Partnership Agreement, which include ENERGY STAR’s identity guidelines for utilizing the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos, and ENERGY STAR’s Web linking guidelines for linking to partner’s Web sites. Verification Organization partners also agree to label at least one ENERGY STAR qualified home within 12 months of joining as a partner or risk forfeiting access to partner-only benefits such as the ENERGY STAR brand name and logos and being listed on the ENERGY STAR Web site. Accredited Home Energy Rating Providers agree to submit to EPA each calendar quarter an online report via EPA’s online reporting tool called HOST, indicating the number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes that were labeled. Also, by becoming a partner, Rating Providers agree to provide EPA with copies of rating reports upon request.

Raters and rating providers act as third-party contractors and are paid by homebuilders. These partners agree to perform in-the-field diagnostic tests on a site-built home to verify whether its energy efficiency is high enough to meet ENERGY STAR’s efficiency guidelines. If it is, the rater places the ENERGY STAR label on the home and the rating provider notifies ENERGY STAR of this activity each calendar quarter.

Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors (REEPS)

REEPS interested in joining ENERGY STAR are asked to complete and submit a Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form. This Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form are utilized by other areas within the ENERGY STAR Program since REEPS can promote energy efficiency in multiple sectors. In the Agreement they agree to use the Partnership and the ENERGY STAR Label in accordance with current ENERGY STAR logo use and Web linking guidelines to promote energy performance as an easy and desirable option for organizations and consumers to prevent pollution, protect the global environment, and save on energy bills. A REEP may promote ENERGY STAR any number of ways, for example by offering to reimburse home builders for the cost of getting a home verified for the ENERGY STAR label. On the separate Commitment Form they identify the ENERGY STAR program area(s) they agree to promote and fulfill, such as consumer products, new homes, or commercial buildings.

Lenders

Lenders interested in joining ENERGY STAR are asked to complete and submit a Partnership Agreement. In the Agreement they agree to use the ENERGY STAR brand in promoting energy efficient mortgages, ENERGY STAR Mortgages, or other loan products to promote energy performance as an easy and desirable option for consumers to prevent pollution, protect the global environment, and save on energy bills. The Partnership Agreement asks lenders to provide basic address and contact information, to specify the type of Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM) they will offer, and to describe the methods they will utilize to promote EEMs and ENERGY STAR. In addition, lenders make commitments as part of their partnership including adhering to ENERGY STAR’s Identity Guidelines and Web Linking Guidelines, writing at least one EEM to activate their access to partners-only resources such as ENERGY STAR’s logos, writing at least three EEMs every 12 months to remain an active partner, informing ENERGY STAR once a year of the number of EEMs written each calendar year, and having staff who can process EEMs and can answer consumer questions about EEMs.

Lenders interested in joining ENERGY STAR as partners participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program Mortgage pilot must also commit to adhering to all requirements of the program including undergoing an initial lender review, review after the first quarter of joining the program, and an annual review thereafter. These efforts are conducted by the Energy Programs Consortium (EPC), a nonprofit organization representing state weatherization and community service programs, state energy offices, state public service commissioners, and state directors of low income home energy assistance programs. EPA and EPC are collaborating on this pilot program to determine whether offering borrowers ENERGY STAR-branded, performance-based energy efficiency financing leads to more residential energy efficiency improvements.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners-Sponsors

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR partners are organizations that sponsor energy efficiency retrofit program for existing homes. These partners are typically a utility company, state or local government or a non-profit organization that promotes energy efficiency. Organizations interested in joining ENERGY STAR as Home Performance with ENERGY STAR partners are asked to complete a Partnership Agreement and program implementation plan. In the Agreement partners commit to sponsor a program that emphasizes a bona fide whole house approach, the installation of recommended measures, diagnostic testing, and quality assurance. The Partnership form asks for basic address and contact information. In addition, the Partnership form asks partners to submit a plan to EPA for implementing the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. The plan must explain how quality will be managed and how the ENERGY STAR message and logos will be used in marketing. Partners are asked to submit to EPA market indicators for each quarter. These market indicators include the number of participating contractors, the number of Home Performance jobs completed and the number of quality assurance inspections completed. This information will allow EPA to track the progress of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and its Partners in promoting energy efficiency in existing homes.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners-Contractors

EPA will test a contractor partnership program in Northern Virginia in 2010. In order to join ENERGY STAR as a partner, home performance contractors are asked to complete, sign, and submit a Partnership Agreement to EPA. Only contractors accredited by a third party quality assurance organization are eligible to participate. These partners agree to provide homeowners with a Home Performance Assessment (HPA) summary report that meets Home Performance with ENERGY STAR guidelines. The summary report includes findings from the HPA and fuel-neutral recommended improvements (i.e. scope of work) that will save at least 20 percent on total energy use. (A Home Energy Rating or audit procedures approved for use by DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program can be used to estimate 20 percent reduction in total energy use.) All home improvements must meet applicable state or local building codes and consensus-based building science standards.

Home Performance Contractors agree to report information about all home improvement projects completed to EPA through a designated third-party quality assurance organization, follow the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Marketing Graphic Guidelines (available at www.energystar.gov/marks), and complete at least 20 HPAs and test-out inspections (requires that energy efficiency improvements were completed to homes) annually to access Partner-only benefits such as the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR brand name and logos and being listed on the ENERGY STAR Web site. EPA plans to pilot test this partnership in 2010 in Northern Virginia, but anticipates expansion to all states before this ICR expires.

HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners

HVAC Quality Installation partners are organizations that promote a program that verifies HVAC contractors to install heating and air conditioning equipment to meet ANSI approved quality installation standards. Organizations interested in joining ENERGY STAR as HVAC Quality Installation program partners are asked to complete a Partnership Agreement and program implementation plan. In the Agreement they commit to sponsoring a program that verifies that residential HVAC equipment is installed to meet ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation guidelines. The Partnership form asks for basic address and contact information. In addition, the Partnership form asks partners to submit a plan to EPA that explains how they will implement the program. Partners are also asked to submit to EPA on a quarterly basis, information about market indicators. These market indicators include the number of participating contractors, the number of installations completed, the number of installations inspected, the number of installations that failed verification the reasons and resolution, and the number of certificates issued. This information will allow EPA to track and learn about the success of the program.

HVAC Contractors

HVAC Contractors participate in ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation programs. They are not ENERGY STAR partners and do not complete a partnership agreement. HVAC Contractors that choose to participate in an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program will submit a test-out form to an HVAC Quality Installation Program Partner for each HVAC installation verified.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

EPA utilizes information collected from Partners and others in the home construction and improvement sectors to better understand the performance of ENERGY STAR on the building, selling, and promotion of energy efficient new homes and the improvement of existing homes. This is to ensure that ENERGY STAR maximizes its ability to transform the market for energy efficient homes, and maintains its unique value in the marketplace as the symbol for energy efficient homes and products. The only way to do this is to understand how ENERGY STAR is being utilized and perceived within the residential sector by collecting feedback from those within the industry. There are four main areas of feedback in which EPA is interested:

Program - feedback about the ENERGY STAR program and its outreach efforts will be collected and utilized by EPA to improve the ENERGY STAR program;s efforts in stimulating and transforming the market for energy efficient homes. One EPA activity includes gathering feedback from Partners about ENERGY STAR’s outreach materials such as its Sales and Marketing Toolkit used by home builders, home performance contractors and program sponsors to generate co-branded marketing materials to promote ENERGY STAR qualified homes or Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to homebuyers and homeowners. EPA will use this feedback to make improvements to marketing and outreach materials to meet Partners’ marketing and outreach needs.

Another activity includes obtaining feedback from homeowners that have either purchased an ENERGY STAR qualified home, completed home improvements through a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program or ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program. Collections can be used to capture valuable information about the quality of services delivered by ENERGY STAR partners. Collections can be completed online or in paper form.

Another activity includes using data collected by raters performing infra-red camera scans of constructed ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The infra-red camera data will assist in determining compliance by builder partners in constructing ENERGY STAR qualified homes and will help guide program design and enhancement.

Partners - information about Partners’ level of interest in ENERGY STAR will be collected and utilized by EPA to learn about Partners’ level of knowledge of and participation in promoting ENERGY STAR qualified new homes and the improvement of existing homes. One EPA activity includes contacting home lender and utility partners to determine their current incentive programs and level of knowledge about ENERGY STAR qualified homes and energy efficient home improvements. This information is used to update EPA’s records of the Partner’s current ENERGY STAR-related incentive programs or other outreach programs being used to promote ENERGY STAR. This information is also provided to the public via the Internet to provide public access to incentives being offered for the purchase of ENERGY STAR qualified homes and improving the energy efficiency of existing homes. Another activity includes collecting information about why partners are joining the program. Potential partners are given a list of nine options to select from as to how they heard about ENERGY STAR when entering their partnership agreement. This information is used to assist EPA in determining how to support different market sectors that market the program.

Markets - information about ENERGY STAR in the marketplace will be collected and utilized by EPA to better understand ENERGY STAR’s performance in the market for energy efficient new and existing homes. EPA will contact home builders for their observations about ENERGY STAR’s performance with respect to the supply and demand for ENERGY STAR qualified homes compared to non-ENERGY STAR qualified homes. This information will be used to better understand the supply and demand for energy efficient homes and trends in the residential sector with respect to energy demand and energy efficiency.

Energy and Cost Savings - information that approximates how much energy is being saved as a result of ENERGY STAR’s residential programs is an important indicator of success. EPA will request permission from a number of homeowners (less than 500 in any one market) to obtain energy use and cost information from utilities and energy suppliers. This information will be reviewed to better understand and determine trends in the residential sector with respect to energy demand and energy efficiency. Data provided by homeowners via online energy performance benchmarking tools may be reviewed and featured in case studies on the ENERGY STAR Web site when homeowners provide information about how they improved their home’s energy efficiency. Another EPA activity includes working with Home Energy Rater partners to determine real-world energy and cost savings based on utility bills and energy consumption. Utility bill data will be provided by participating volunteer utilities and home energy ratings furnished by volunteer Rating Providers interested in determining the savings of ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

QUARTERLY REPORTING

In order for EPA to track Partners’ level of activity and give them credit for the ENERGY STAR qualified homes they build, label, and/or sponsor, EPA collects basic information each calendar quarter about the number of qualified homes that Partners have built, labeled, and/or sponsored. The Homes Online Submittal Tool (HOST) (www.energystar.gov/host) is a password protected, online reporting form designed to allow Rating Provider Partners and Partners involved in tracking ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes to electronically submit readily-available and basic information about their ENERGY STAR qualified new homes at their convenience and from their own computers. Information collected includes: the name of the home builder (or manufacturer), city and state of the home, name of the certified rater responsible for qualifying the home, name of the accredited rating provider, name of the retailer (only for manufactured and modular homes), the names of any REPS or other sponsoring organizations, the name of the developer partner if applicable, the rating method used to qualify the home, and the number of qualified homes produced. The information submitted by Partners is reviewed by EPA and then accepted into ENERGY STAR’s Partner database, the Integrated Strategic Tracking and Reporting (iSTAR) database. This information is then displayed on the ENERGY STAR Web site to publicly recognize organizations and their level of activity in building, qualifying, and sponsoring ENERGY STAR qualified homes. Data fields to be added to HOST include a designation for home with the Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) and homes containing the Indoor Air Package (IAP). Until these data fields are added to HOST, EPA expects Partners to submit this information manually outside of HOST.

The final part of the reporting process is the option for Partners to order ENERGY STAR label stock from EPA. These labels are placed in all homes that have been qualified for the ENERGY STAR label. By combining the reporting and label ordering process into a single electronic, paperless, online system (HOST), EPA has minimized the reporting burden on Partners, while at the same time minimized its data entry error and maximized its data collection efficiency.

Partners that sponsor a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR or ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program also submit quarterly reports. For Home Performance with ENERGY STAR the number of projects completed by each participating contractor and the number of quality assurance inspections completed by the program sponsor are reported using a simple spreadsheet. For ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program the number of installations by participating contractor, the number of verification inspections passed and failed, and the number of certificates issued is reported. Quarterly reporting is also an opportunity to update partner contact information and participating contractor contact information.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

Organizations interested in receiving recognition for their efforts in building, qualifying, and/or sponsoring ENERGY STAR qualified homes may submit an application for an ENERGY STAR Award. These awards are handed out annually by EPA during the annual ENERGY STAR awards ceremony. The award application consists of a narrative description of the Partner’s activities in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector, its success stories, and a description of their application of the ENERGY STAR brand in their business. The application may include photos or multimedia elements to illustrate to EPA the Partner’s activities in promoting ENERGY STAR. EPA is currently issuing the following homes-related awards for 2009 under the ENERGY STAR Program:

Excellence in ENERGY STAR Promotion - eligible organizations include ENERGY STAR partners.
Excellence in Affordable Housing - eligible organizations include governments, non-profits, and non-governmental organizations and others who promote ENERGY STAR in affordable housing.
Partner of the Year Program Delivery
- New Homes –eligible organizations include Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors
- Home Performance with ENERGY STAR—eligible organizations include HPwES Partners
- HVAC Quality Installation– eligible organizations include HVAC Quality Installation Partners

Partners that sponsor a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program will submit a final annual report that summarizes contractor recruitment/training activities, quality assurance activities, marketing activities, and future program plans. This report should be less than three pages and can be used as part of a Partner’s application for an ENERGY STAR Award.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

Partners have the option of participating in an outreach partnership, whereby Partners contribute resources to the development and distribution of a public outreach and education campaign about ENERGY STAR qualified homes. A one page commitment form is completed by the Partners and submitted to EPA. This form requests Partner contact information as well as the amount of resources to be provided and details about the type of media to be used for the outreach campaign. It also asks Partners to submit a corporate logo for inclusion in the outreach materials. EPA prepares a print campaign that partners use to co-brand with ENERGY STAR.

The Outreach Program involves coordination and implementation by local Partners to develop and distribute the outreach materials as well as recruit showrooms. EPA works closely with Partners in interested markets to help facilitate a successful campaign.

2. NEED FOR AND USE OF THE COLLECTION

2(a) Need and Authority for the Collection

Section 103(a) of the Clean Air Act authorizes EPA to establish “a national research and development program for the prevention and control of air pollution.” As part of such a program, EPA is to “conduct and promote the coordination and acceleration of research, investigations, experiments, demonstrations, surveys, and studies relating to the causes, effects (including health and welfare effects), extent, prevention and control of air pollution.” Section 103(a)(1).

In addition, as a component of the program, section 103(g) directs the Administrator to “conduct a basic engineering research and technology program to develop, evaluate, and demonstrate nonregulatory strategies and technologies for air pollution prevention.” The section calls on the Administrator to provide opportunities for industry, public interest groups, scientists, and other interested persons to participate in strategy development. Section 103(g) further directs EPA to include as elements in the program “improvements in nonregulatory strategies and technologies for preventing or reducing multiple air pollutants including sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, heavy metals, PM-10 (particulate matter), carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide...” The strategies and technologies are to improve various air pollutant reduction and nonregulatory control strategies, including energy conservation.

The ENERGY STAR® Program is one component of the Administrator’s response to reduce green house gas emissions that contribute to climate change. ENERGY STAR Partners help promote efficient homes by building and labeling qualifying homes with the ENERGY STAR label and by improving the efficiency of existing homes. The label provides an easy way for consumers to identify energy-efficient homes and products that save money on utility bills and reduce air pollution. By using less energy, these homes and products help reduce the demand to create power, which is typically generated by power plants that burn fossil fuels. As such, these homes help reduce air pollutants such as sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide that are generated by these stationary sources. ENERGY STAR demonstrates how providing consumer information and public recognition can be used as a nonregulatory strategy to prevent and control air pollution.

The information collection activities described in this ICR are necessary in order for EPA to track the market for energy efficient homes, which allows EPA to design its ENERGY STAR outreach programs and public education materials to fit the needs of its Partners, as well as to provide public recognition and market differentiation to participating organizations. Because some of the collection activities involve small businesses, EPA will limit collection activities where a minimum amount of information is sufficient for EPA to complete its work. This ICR will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small businesses. The following section explains the need for each major information collection activity included in this ICR.

2(b) Practical Utility and Users of the Data

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

EPA’s primary source of information about its ENERGY STAR partners comes from the Partnership Agreement form that Partners complete in order to join the ENERGY STAR Program. Depending on the respondent, there are certain information collection activities and additional forms related to becoming a Partner. The purpose of these activities, the users of this information, and any additional forms associated with these activities are described below.

Partnership Agreement

EPA uses information submitted in its ENERGY STAR Partnership Agreement to officially establish an organization’s participation in ENERGY STAR and to provide organizations with public recognition of their ENERGY STAR Partnership. Address and contact information from the Agreement are entered into the iSTAR (Integrated Strategic Tracking and Reporting) database to serve as a source of general information and as a contact list for updating Partners on information relevant to their ENERGY STAR Partnership. EPA uses the Partnership Agreement to enforce its trademark of the ENERGY STAR name and logos, to commit Partners to verifying the energy efficiency of every home that receives an ENERGY STAR label, as well as committing Partners to providing EPA with verification information upon request.

The Agreement also gives Builder Partners the option of making a commitment to building 100 percent of their homes to ENERGY STAR guidelines, offering ENERGY STAR’s Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) in their homes, and/or offering ENERGY STAR’s Indoor Air Package (IAP). These additional commitments can be made by the Partner simply by initializing the applicable section of the Agreement.

Information provided on the Partnership Agreement is entered into iSTAR and used to provide Builder Partners additional recognition on the ENERGY STAR Web site’s Partner Locator Tool (www.energystar.gov/homes), which is accessed by those in the home building industry as well as by home buyers searching for ENERGY STAR partners in their state. Information from the Agreement is also used by EPA to generate usernames and passwords used by Partners to access “Partner Only” resources on the ENERGY STAR Web site, such as downloading Partner-only logos and accessing the online reporting tool, HOST.

Indoor Air Package (IAP) Commitment

EPA will use information provided on the Partnership Agreement to provide public recognition to partners that are offering the IAP in their new homes. EPA will also use this information to track the activities of builders building homes containing the IAP to make sure they are correctly implementing the IAP.

Manufactured and Modular Housing Plant Certification

Information collected and maintained as part of a manufactured housing and modular housing partner’s plant certification process is used by EPA and the manufacturing plants themselves to ensure that a manufacturing plant is ready and able to consistently produce homes that are ready for ENERGY STAR qualification and that these homes are installed properly and according to ENERGY STAR guidelines. This in turn protects the brand recognition and value associated with the ENERGY STAR name and logo in the residential sector. This information is also used by the plants to correct any problems that arise during the production and installation process. A plant certification form is completed as written confirmation of the plant’s certification. The certification form is not an EPA form and is not submitted to EPA. The form belongs to an EPA-approved third-party quality assurance provider. A copy of the form is maintained by the plant itself.

Verification of Home’s Energy Efficiency for the ENERGY STAR Label

Information collected and maintained as part of a verification organization’s process for verifying the energy efficiency of an ENERGY STAR qualified home on behalf of a homebuilder is used by the verification organization, the home builder, and EPA to ensure that a home receiving an ENERGY STAR label meets EPA’s guidelines for residential energy efficiency. This serves to protect the integrity of the ENERGY STAR brand by providing independent, third-party verification of all ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The information is not submitted to EPA but rather is maintained by the verification organization and the homebuilder in the form of a home energy rating report, which is generated by the verification organization. EPA may request a copy of the final rating report if there is a need to become involved in resolving questions concerning the ENERGY STAR status of a home.

Home Energy Rating Reports

Home energy rating reports generated by verification organizations are provided to EPA only upon request, when EPA needs to assist in resolving disputes regarding the ENERGY STAR status of a home. The information contained in the rating report is a necessary part of a dispute resolution process that the verification organizations and EPA utilize to handle complaints made by homeowners about their ENERGY STAR qualified homes. The rating reports provide an independent source of energy efficiency information about a home that can be used to address energy performance issues related to the home’s designation as an ENERGY STAR qualified home.

The Number of Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and ENERGY STAR Mortgages Written

EPA uses information collected from lender Partners on the annual number of EEMs, or other energy efficiency loans such as ENERGY STAR mortgages, written to track and monitor the market for these loans and to better understand the market for ENERGY STAR qualified homes and energy efficient improvements to existing homes.

Commitment Form for Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors (REEPS)

Information contained on the commitment form completed by REEPS as part of their partnership agreement will be used by EPA to determine what ENERGY STAR program areas the partner can sponsor and promote. REEPS can only use the ENERGY STAR name and logos to promote program areas for which they are committed to via the commitment form.

Implementation Plan for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners

EPA will use the program implementation plan that is prepared and submitted by Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners to ensure that these Partners have a realistic plan to manage and consistently deliver a program for making whole-house energy efficiency improvements. EPA will also verify that key program components are included in the plan. EPA will refer to this plan when verifying a Partner’s commitment to ENERGY STAR. EPA provides an Implementation Plan template that partners may use to create their plan.

Implementation Plan for ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Partners

EPA will use the program implementation plan that is prepared and submitted by ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners to ensure that these Partners have a realistic plan to manage and consistently verify and issue certificates that residential HVAC systems have been installed according to ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation guidelines. EPA will also verify that key program components are included in the plan. EPA will refer to this plan to confirm a Partner’s commitment to ENERGY STAR.

Web Sites and Printed Materials

Partners agree to submit Web sites and printed material that uses the ENERGY STAR logo to EPA for review. EPA uses this information to monitor and protect the use of the ENERGY STAR logos and brand name.

Contractor Test-out Report

Contractors participating in a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program or an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program will complete a test-out report to document important verification information for completed jobs. The reports for each program are different. The Test-out Report is collected by the program sponsor or designated quality assurance organization for review and confirmation. EPA does not collect this information from program sponsors, but may ask to review their records to verify that the program sponsor or quality assurance organization is actively reviewing reports.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

EPA will use information collected from Partners and others in the new home construction and home improvement sectors to better understand ENERGY STAR’s participation in the building, selling, and promotion of energy efficient new homes and the improvement of existing homes. EPA will also use this information to improve its ability to serve the needs of those in the home construction and home improvement industries who wish to build and promote energy efficient homes. This collection activity will ensure that ENERGY STAR maintains its brand value in the marketplace as the symbol for energy efficient homes and products, and that its education and outreach efforts are well designed and targeted and properly executed given current market conditions.

This information may also be used by EPA or shared with other organizations as part of public outreach or education campaigns promoting the environmental and economic benefits of energy-efficient new and existing homes.

EPA will, when granted permission by a homeowner, collect energy use and cost information from servicing utilities and energy suppliers for 13 months after initial occupancy for new homes and 13 months before and after energy efficiency home improvements are completed. This information will be reviewed to describe ENERGY STAR’s participation in the energy savings of these homes.

EPA will review the information collected to learn about the quality of service delivered by ENERGY STAR partners and participating contractors.

QUARTERLY REPORTING

EPA will use the information obtained via the quarterly reporting process to: generate estimates of the amount of energy and air pollution saved from ENERGY STAR qualified homes, Home Performance improvements, and HVAC Quality Installations to generate short and long-term goals for energy and air pollution reduction that will feed into the budget formulation process for ENERGY STAR, and to determine Partners who are deserving of special recognition via EPA’s ENERGY STAR Awards, Achievement Awards, and other special recognition programs. This information is also used by EPA to inform the public as to the progress being made in reducing residential energy use and in reducing air pollution.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

Information collected from Partners via the ENERGY STAR Awards application process will be used by EPA to learn about the level of activity and brand support provided by Partners and to determine which Partners will earn an ENERGY STAR award in the various award categories being offered. This information will also be used by EPA as part of its efforts to promote ENERGY STAR and the successes achieved by organizations that have committed themselves to promoting energy efficient homes. The awards themselves will be used by Partners to promote their success as a Partner.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

The information collected on the commitment form used by Partners to participate in the Outreach Partnership campaign is used by EPA as an agreement between EPA and Partners as to the terms of the outreach campaign to be co-developed. This includes the type of media to be used and the resources to be contributed by all Partners towards the campaign.

3. NONDUPLICATION, CONSULTATIONS, AND OTHER COLLECTION CRITERIA

3(a) Nonduplication

The information collected under this ICR has not been collected by EPA or any other federal agency. In addition, the requested information is based on a particular point in time; therefore, information that is not up-to-date is not sufficient. CPPD will ensure that information collected will not duplicate any ongoing recordkeeping or reporting functions required for participation in any of CPPD’s programs.

3(b) Public Notice Required Prior to ICR Submission to OMB

To comply with the Paperwork Reduction Act requirement that any agency developing a

non-rule-related ICR solicit public comments for a 60-day period, EPA published a Federal

3(c) Consultations

In preparing this ICR, EPA conducted industry consultations as well as the expertise of EPA staff. Because EPA works closely with ENERGY STAR participants, the Agency already has a good idea of the time needed to carry out its information collections. Therefore, EPA relied on the expertise of Agency staff in developing the ICR’s hour and cost assumptions. In addition, the Agency accessed its current databases (e.g., iSTAR) and documentation to estimate the number of respondents and activities. The Agency’s data sources are kept up-to-date based on participant submittals (e.g., submittals of Partnership Agreements, quarterly reports). To supplement the expertise of EPA staff, EPA spoke with representatives from the lending community as well as the manufactured and modular housing industry to develop the hour and cost assumptions related to data collected from lender partners and from manufacturing plants producing ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes.

3(d) Effects of Less Frequent Collection

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Partnership Agreement

The Partnership Agreement is submitted to EPA on a one-time basis; less frequent collection is not possible.

Manufactured and Modular Housing Plant Certification Forms

The manufactured housing and modular housing plant certification forms are owned by an EPA-approved quality assurance provider who oversees all quality processes involved in producing and installing ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes. This form is submitted to the EPA-approved third-party quality assurance provider on a one-time basis, once the manufacturing plant has completed its ENERGY STAR plant certification process; less frequent collection is not possible.

Verify Home’s Energy Efficiency for the ENERGY STAR Label

Verification of a home’s energy efficiency occurs when site-built home builders or plants producing manufactured and modular homes want to apply the ENERGY STAR label on homes. This process is necessary to ensure the quality of the home with respect to ENERGY STAR’s guidelines for energy efficiency. A site-built home’s energy efficiency is verified two ways. One way is to test each home individually. The other is to use a protocol approved by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) that allows one home in a group of seven similar homes to be tested. If the one home meets ENERGY STAR guidelines the other, similar homes do as well if certain requirements are met. In addition, a manufactured and modular home’s energy efficiency features are inspected on-site before the ENERGY STAR label is applied. Less frequent collection for site-built, manufactured, and modular homes would hinder EPA’s ability to verify the energy efficiency of each home and would have a negative influence on ENERGY STAR’s brand value as the symbol for energy efficiency.

Home Energy Rating Report

Home energy rating reports are owned by verification organizations and are not submitted to EPA unless requested by EPA from the verification organization in response to a homeowner complaint. In this case, the home energy rating report is submitted to EPA upon EPA’s request. Less frequent collection would hinder EPA’s ability to confirm the energy efficiency of ENERGY STAR qualified homes when necessary and to respond to homeowner complaints about the energy performance of ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

Updates on Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and ENERGY STAR Mortgages

Lender Partners offering EEMs submit to EPA the number of EEMs written once per year. Less frequent collection would not allow EPA to understand the supply and demand for these loans in a timely manner, thus reducing EPA’s ability to meet the needs of borrowers looking to finance energy efficiency measures as well as the needs of its lender Partners looking to make more energy efficiency mortgages. Lender Partners participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program submit to EPA the number of ENERGY STAR mortgages written after the first three months of participation as well as once every 12 months. Less frequent collection would not give EPA the ability to adequately monitor lenders’ participation in the pilot program as well understand the level of market penetration of these loans in order to determine whether to continue with the program as a pilot or as a full program offering.

Commitment Form for Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsors (REEPS)

The commitment form submitted to EPA by REEPS upon joining ENERGY STAR is done on a one-time basis; less frequent collection is not possible.

Implementation Plan for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

A plan for implementing Home Performance with ENERGY STAR is submitted by Partners on a one-time basis; less frequent collection is not possible. A plan is necessary to confirm that the program sponsor will implement a program that meets Home Performance with ENERGY STAR guidelines.

Implementation Plan for ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Partners

A plan for implementing an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program is submitted by Partners on a one-time basis; less frequent collection is not possible. A plan is necessary to confirm that the program sponsor will implement a program that meets the ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program guidelines.

Web Designs and Materials

ENERGY STAR Partners agree to submit Web sites and printed material that use the ENERGY STAR logo to EPA for review on an as-needed basis. Less frequent collection would not allow EPA to monitor and protect the use of the ENERGY STAR logos and brand name.

Contractor Test-out Report

Contractors participating in a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program or an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program will complete a test-out report to document important verification information for completed jobs. The reports for each program are different. The Test-out Report is collected by the program sponsor or designated quality assurance provider for review and confirmation. Less frequent collection is not feasible because every job is unique and verification is essential to maintain the integrity of the program.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

EPA will ask selected Partners to provide feedback on their participation in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector, on ENERGY STAR’s participation in the market for energy efficient homes and home improvement solutions, and on ENERGY STAR’s policies and outreach initiatives. EPA expects to collect information on these issues an average of once a year from selected Partners. Collection of information any less frequently than this would greatly reduce the robustness and timeliness of the information, thus minimizing EPA’s ability to serve the needs of its Partners and to maximize the energy savings and pollution reductions that are possible via voluntary partnerships with organizations within the residential construction and home improvement sectors. It would also hinder EPA’s ability to understand the economic and environmental costs and benefits associated with building ENERGY STAR qualified homes and improving the energy efficiency of existing homes. This information is used by EPA to determine its progress in reducing energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions via ENERGY STAR Partnerships.

EPA will, when granted permission by a homeowner, collect utility bill data from servicing utilities for 13 months after initial occupancy for new homes and 13 months before and after energy efficiency home improvements are completed. This activity will be completed once in no more than three locations per year. Less frequent reporting is not possible to empirically verify the actual energy savings of the program.

QUARTERLY REPORTING

Quarterly reports are submitted each calendar quarter. Less frequent collection would cause delays in tracking the number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes built, which would prevent EPA from having a robust database of up-to-date information on the number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes built, the amount of energy reduced, and the amount of greenhouse gases removed from the air. This in turn would cause the ENERGY STAR Web site, which displays information contained in the database, to be outdated. It would also prevent EPA from protecting the ENERGY STAR brand because it would not have access to current data used to determine active Partners who are actively promoting ENERGY STAR versus inactive Partners who are not promoting ENERGY STAR.

Quarterly reports are submitted by each Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and HVAC Quality Installation Partner. This information is necessary for EPA to understand the success and performance of each Partner and to update the Web site to reflect program changes. Less frequent collection would prevent EPA from protecting the ENERGY STAR brand because it would not have access to current data used to determine active Partners who are actively promoting ENERGY STAR versus inactive Partners who are not promoting ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

The ENERGY STAR award applications are submitted to EPA on an annual basis. Less frequent collection would prevent EPA from obtaining current year information on Partners and would prevent EPA from providing annual public recognition to outstanding Partners.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

The Outreach Partnership commitment form is submitted to EPA on an annual basis in conjunction with each year’s ENERGY STAR for Homes outreach campaign. Less frequent collection would prevent Partners from participating in the partnership each year and from gaining annual public recognition from this participation.

3(e) General Guidelines

Information collections performed under this clearance will follow all of OMB's General Guidelines regarding federal data collection.

This ICR is requesting clearance for a number of EPA forms. They are used by respondents on a regular basis and made publicly available in different locations (e.g., various web pages) in both electronic and hardcopy format. Because of these factors, it is difficult for EPA to update the expiration date of OMB approval on all of them on a continual basis. EPA is therefore requesting that it be relieved of the requirement to include an expiration date on the forms in this ICR.

3(f) Confidentiality

Participation in the ENERGY STAR Program is voluntary and may be terminated by participants or EPA at any time. If a claim of confidential business information (CBI) is asserted, EPA will manage that information in accordance with EPA’s provisions on confidentiality. 40 CFR Part 2, Subpart B establishes EPA’s general policy on the public disclosure of information and procedures for handling CBI claims.

3(g) Sensitive Questions

The information collections do not ask sensitive questions, such as those pertaining to sexual attitudes or behavior or religious beliefs. No questions of a sensitive nature are asked of participants with ENERGY STAR.

4. THE RESPONDENTS AND THE INFORMATION REQUESTED

4(a) Respondents and SIC Codes

Respondents for this information collection request include Partners in ENERGY STAR. Partners include homebuilders, verification organizations, lenders, utilities, and regional energy efficiency program sponsors, The following is a list of Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes and corresponding North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes for industry segments which may be affected by information collections covered under this ICR for the ENERGY STAR Program.

SIC NAICS Industries

1521 233320 General Contractors-Single-Family Houses

1522 233220 General Contractors-Residential Buildings, Other Than Single-Family Industry

1531 233210, Operative Builders

233310

1541 233310 General Contractors-Industrial Buildings and Warehouses

1542 233320 General Contractors-Nonresidential Buildings, Other than Industrial Buildings and Warehouses

1711 235110 Plumbing, Heating And Air-conditioning

1721 235210 Painting and Paper Hanging Industry Group

1731 235310 Electrical Work

1741 235410 Masonry, Stone Setting, and Other Stone Work

1742 235420 Plastering, Drywall, Acoustical, and Insulation Work

1743 235430 Terrazzo, Tile, Marble, and Mosaic Work Industry Group

1751 235510 Carpentry Work

1752 235520 Floor Laying and Other Floor Work, Not Elsewhere Classified

1761 235610 Roofing, Siding, and Sheet Metal Work Industry Group

1771 235710 Concrete Work Industry Group

1781 235810 Water Well Drilling

1791 235910 Structural Steel Erection

1793 235920 Glass and Glazing Work

1794 235930 Excavation Work

1795 235940 Wrecking and Demolition Work

1796 235950 Installation or Erection of Building Equipment, Not Elsewhere

1799 235990 Special Trade Contractors, Not Elsewhere Classified

4911 221122, Electric Services

221121

4922 486210 Natural Gas Transmission

4923 221210 Natural Gas Transmission and Distribution

4924 221210 Natural Gas Distribution

4925 221210 Mixed, Manufactured, or Liquefied Petroleum Gas Production and/or

4931 221112, Electric and Other Services Combined

221111,

221113,

221119

4932 221210 Gas and Other Services Combined

4939 221112, Combination Utilities, Not Elsewhere Classified

221122

4961 221330 Steam And Air-conditioning Supply

6021 522110 National Commercial Banks

6022 522190 State Commercial Banks

6029 522110 Commercial Banks, Not Elsewhere Classified

6035 522120 Savings Institutions, Federally Chartered

6036 522120 Savings Institutions, Not Federally Chartered

6061 522130 Credit Unions, Federally Chartered

6062 522130 Credit Unions, Not Federally Chartered

6111 522294 Federal and Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies

6162 522390 Mortgage Bankers and Loan Correspondents

522292

6163 522310 Loan Brokers

6531 531320 Real Estate Agents and Managers

7389 541350 Business Services Not Elsewhere Classified

7623 811412 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Service and Repair Shops

8712 541310 Architectural Services

9531 925110 Administration of Housing Programs

9532 925120 Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development

4(b) Information Requested

The information collected by EPA differs depending on the specific collection activity as well as the respondent type. Therefore, this section describes the data items used and the associated respondent activities based on the respondent type within each major collection activity.

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Organizations interested in joining ENERGY STAR as Partners are asked to submit a Partnership Agreement describing their commitment to promoting ENERGY STAR qualified homes and residential energy efficiency. They also may be asked or encouraged to undertake related activities, as described below.

Home Builders

This Partner group includes production home builders, custom home builders, manufactured home builders, modular home builders, and developers. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to join the Program. Partners make a commitment to building and selling ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:
Organization’s name, address, phone number, fax number, and Web site;
Major metro areas served;
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail of the Marketing/Sales contact;
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail of the Purchasing/Construction contact;
Name, title, e-mail, and signature of the authorized company representative, and date of signature;
Type of home builder (site-built, developer, or manufactured home builder;
Average number of homes built per year;
Initials of the signatory indicating the selection of the 100 percent commitment (optional);
Initials of the signatory indicating the selection of the Advanced Lighting Package (ALP) (optional); and
Initials of the signatory indicating the selection of the Indoor Air Package (IAP) (optional)
Source of referral to ENERGY STAR program

Manufactured and modular home builder Partners undergo a plant certification process as part of their ENERGY STAR partnership that culminates in the completion of a supplemental manufacturing plant certification form that includes the following:

Name, address, phone number, e-mail, fax number of the plant certifier;
Signature of plant certifier;
Date of signature;
Name and address of the manufacturing plant;
Method used for achieving certification;
Indication that ENERGY STAR qualified homes were tested in the plant and in the field
Indication that a site installation checklist was completed for each ENERGY STAR home
Indication that the plant has incorporated necessary quality control measures to consistently produce ENERGY STAR qualified homes

As part of their partnership agreement, manufactured and modular home partners agree to field inspect the energy efficiency features of their homes. This involves collecting and maintaining information about their ENERGY STAR qualified homes including:
Information about the ENERGY STAR design features of the home;
Model number, serial number, owner, retailer, and location of each qualified home;
Date home was installed;
Site installation checklists and homes completion reports for all qualified homes home that identify items in the ENERGY STAR design package and that were installed and verified at the time of home installation in the field;
Reports of nonconformance with ENERGY STAR design and installation standards and corrective actions taken;
Results of random field inspections conducted by third-party consultant

Site-built homebuilders contract with verification organizations to collect energy efficiency data on each ENERGY STAR qualified home they build, including:

Level of air leakage for the whole house
Level of air leakage through the duct system
Window to floor area ratio
Description of insulation levels, windows, HVAC equipment
Predicted level of energy use for heating, cooling, and water heating

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:
Review all instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;

Enter data into the Online Partnership Agreement via the ENERGY STAR Web site;

Complete, electronically sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and

Submit the completed Partnership Agreement to EPA via internet

As a related activity, manufactured and modular home plant partners:

Download a plant certification form from the Web;
Complete the plant certification form; and
Submit the supplemental plant certification form to an EPA-approved third-party quality assurance provider via fax, e-mail, or regular mail.
As a related activity, manufactured and modular home builder partners collect and maintain information on each home that receives the ENERGY STAR label, including site installation information and results from random field checks.
As a related activity, builders of site-built homes contract with verification organizations to collect energy efficiency data on each ENERGY STAR qualified home. This entails:
inputting information about the home’s energy efficiency characteristics into a computer
generating a summary report
completion of the thermal bypass checklist

Architects/Home Plan Designers

This Partner group includes production architects and home plan designers who prepare architectural plans for residential construction projects. Organizations of all sizes are encouraged to join the Program. Partners make a commitment to including energy efficient details on home plans in an effort to earn the Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR mark.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:
Organization’s name, address, phone number, fax number, and Web site;
Major metro areas served;
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail of the Marketing/Sales contact;
Name, title, e-mail, and signature of the authorized company representative, and date of signature;
Average number of plans completes per year;
Source of referral to ENERGY STAR program

Architects/Home Plan Designers contract with verification organizations to verify energy efficiency criteria on each home plan for which they are seeking the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR label. Data items collected as part of this process include:

Projected HERS rating or ENERGY STAR BOP checklist
Level of air leakage through the duct system
ENERGY STAR Thermal Bypass Checklist with all N/A items checked
Note stating that field verification by an EPA-approved verifier is required for the home to earn the ENERGY STAR
Note stating that space cooling system sizing calculations must be provided and verified for the home to earn the ENERGY STAR
Wall sections delineating complete thermal boundary of home
Tight construction details and performance specifications
Thermal Bypass Checklist air barrier installation details and/or specifications
Proper insulation installation details and performance specifications
R-values of insulation assemblies
Window and door specifications
Water heater specifications
Heating and cooling equipment specifications
Tight duct details and performance specifications and/or layout for ductwork and air handlers in conditioned space
Required ENERGY STAR qualified products
Critical plans and trade details in languages appropriate to the prevailing trade labor pool is recommended, but not required

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Enter data into the Online Partnership Agreement via the ENERGY STAR Web site;
Review all instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, electronically sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Submit the completed Partnership Agreement to EPA via internet

Verification Organization Partners

This Partner group includes organizations involved in independently verifying that homes meet ENERGY STAR guidelines for residential energy efficiency. They act as third-party, independent providers of home energy rating services. There are two main types of verification organization Partners that participate in ENERGY STAR: certified home energy raters and accredited home energy rating providers. Another type is a quality assurance provider, which acts as a third-party, independent quality assurance provider for manufacturing plants that produce ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:

Organization’s name, address, phone number, fax number, and Web site;
Major metro areas served;
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail of the marketing/sales contact;
Name, title, phone number, and e-mail of the purchasing/construction contact;
Name, title, e-mail, and signature of the authorized company representative, and date of signature;
Whether they are a home energy rater or rating provider. If a rater, they are asked to provide the name of their associated rating provider
Source of referral to ENERGY STAR program

A home energy rating report or relevant Builder Option Package (BOP) for any qualified home upon EPA’s request that includes, at a minimum, the following:

Name of the home builder;
Address of the home;
Name of the home energy rater;
Date of home energy rating; and
Numerical home energy rating assigned to the home

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Enter data into the Online Partnership Agreement via the ENERGY STAR Web site;
Review all instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, electronically sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Submit the completed Partnership Agreement to EPA via internet
As a related activity, the Partner verifies the energy efficiency of homes by collecting data on the home and summarizing findings in a rating report
As a related activity, the Partner makes a copy of a home energy rating report or relevant Builder Option Package (BOP) for any qualified home and fax, mail, or e-mail it to EPA upon request by EPA. This report contains information about a home’s energy efficiency for heating, cooling, and water heating.
As a related activity, quality assurance providers for manufactured and modular homes verify the energy efficiency of these homes and collect and maintain information collected during the plant certification process and during random periodic inspections of plants.

Lenders

This Partner group commits to deliver energy efficient mortgages (EEMs) to buyers of energy efficient homes such as ENERGY STAR qualified homes, and ENERGY STAR mortgages to homeowners wishing to either buy an ENERGY STAR qualified home or finance energy efficiency improvements to an existing home. EEMs use the present value of future utility bill savings to provide loan applicants more favorable loan terms, allowing them to qualify for a larger loan and to finance a more energy efficient home. An ENERGY STAR Mortgage provides borrowers with a performance-based financial incentive (i.e. reduced interest rate, closing cost discount) for reducing their home’s energy use by a specified amount..

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:

Organization’s name, phone number, and Web site;
States served;
Types of Energy Efficient Mortgages or ENERGY STAR mortgages offered;
Description of methods to be used to promote EEMs and/or ENERGY STAR Mortgages;
Name, title, address, phone number, fax number, e-mail, and signature of the authorized company representative; and
Date of signature

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Download the Partnership Agreement from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review the instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Return the Partnership Agreement to EPA via email
A related activity is providing a copy of one home energy rating report or other documentation used by the lender to verify energy savings for underwriting write an EEM
A related activity is providing every 12 months a copy of at least three home energy rating reports or other documentation used by the lender to verify energy savings for underwriting at least three EEMs or ENERGY STAR Mortgages
A related activity is providing an annual update on the number of EEMs and/or ENERGY STAR mortgages written
A related activity for lenders participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program is providing copies of loan files and proof of origination, funding, and escrow capabilities to EPC for review and approval as part of lender approval process
A related activity for lenders participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program is providing to EPC copies of loan files and list of originated loans as part of undergoing a lender review after the first three months of participation
A related activity for lenders participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Pilot Program is to collect information from borrowers needed to originate and underwrite ENERGY STAR Mortgages including copies of energy efficiency audit reports.

Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (REEPS) Partners

This Partner group includes utilities; national, regional, State, or local government entities; or other organizations involved in coordinating and/or administering an energy-efficiency program or environmental education campaign that promotes or intends to promote ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:

Signatory’s name, title, address, country, phone number, fax number, e-mail, and Web site;
Signature of the authorized company representative; and
Date of signature

A Commitment Form that includes the following information:

Partner’s name;
Date of commitment;
Up to four (at least one is needed) contact names, titles, addresses, phone numbers, fax numbers, and e-mails; and
The designated ENERGY STAR program areas to be promoted (i.e. New Homes)

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Download the Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review the instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form;
Complete the Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form; and
Return the Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form to EPA via email or fax.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners - Sponsors

This participant group consists of utilities, state agencies, and local associations who sponsor and promote a program of whole house, building science-based improvements to existing homes. The program should emphasize a bona fide whole house approach, facilitation of the installation of recommended measures, diagnostic testing, and quality assurance.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:

Program name, organization’s name, program contact name, address, phone number, fax number, email address, and Web site URL, and major metro areas served;
Name, title, and signature of the authorized partner representative

A related item is a written plan for implementing a program meeting the criteria for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR that includes the following:

description of how contractors will perform the whole house energy study and link improvements to capable contractors;
description of a quality assurance plan; and
description of how Partner will utilize the ENERGY STAR brand and logos to promote its Program

A related item is Web content and other marketing materials featuring ENERGY STAR

A related item is quarterly updates on the following market indicators:

contact information for each participating contractor;
number of jobs completed by each contractor;
number of jobs inspected for each contractor;

A related item is updated contact information for participating contractors

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Download the partnership agreement from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review the instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Return the Partnership Agreement to EPA via email or fax

A related activity is developing and submitting to EPA electronically or on paper, a written plan to implement a program that meets the criteria for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
A related activity is submitting Web designs and marketing materials that use ENERGY STAR logos or messaging for EPA review
A related activity is providing electronically, on a quarterly basis, market data that quantifies the success and performance of the program including the quantity of energy efficient home improvement projects completed and inspections for quality assurance

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners - Contractors

This participant group consists of home energy auditors and trade or remodeling contractors that participate in the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement (only for contractors in the Contractor Partnership pilot) that includes the following information:

Organization’s name, contact name, address, phone number, fax number, Email address, Web site URL and major metro area served;
Name, title, Email address, phone and signature of the authorized partner representative

A related item is Web content and other marketing materials featuring ENERGY STAR

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Download the partnership agreement from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review the instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Return the Partnership Agreement to EPA via email or fax

HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners

This participant group consists of utilities, and state and local agencies that sponsor and promote a program that verifies that HVAC contractors install heating and air conditioning equipment to meet ANSI approved quality installation standards. The program typically includes training for HVAC contractors.

(i) Data Items

A Partnership Agreement that includes the following information:

Organization’s name, program contact name, address, phone number, fax number, email address and Web site URL;
Name, title, and signature of the authorized partner representative

A related item is a written plan for implementing an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program
A related item is Web content and other marketing materials featuring ENERGY STAR
A related item is quarterly updates on the following market indicators:

the number of participating contractors,
the number of installations completed,
the number of installations inspected,
the number of installations that failed verification
the reasons and resolution of installations that failed verification
the number of certificates issued.

A related item is contact information for participating contractors

(ii) Respondent Activities

To join ENERGY STAR, organizations are asked to:

Download the partnership agreement from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review the instructions and commitments of the Partnership Agreement;
Complete, sign, and date the Partnership Agreement; and
Return the Partnership Agreement to EPA via email or fax

A related activity is developing and submitting to EPA electronically or on paper, a written plan to implement a program that meets the criteria for an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Program
A related activity is submitting Web designs and marketing materials that use ENERGY STAR logos or messaging for EPA review
A related activity is providing electronically, on a quarterly basis, market data that quantifies the success and performance of the program,
A related activity is providing EPA updates to contractor contact information when changes occur

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

EPA utilizes information collected from Partners and others in the home construction and improvement sectors to better understand ENERGY STAR’s participation in the building, selling, and promotion of energy efficient new homes and the improvement of existing homes. This is to ensure that ENERGY STAR maximizes its ability to transform the market for energy efficient homes, and maintains its unique value in the marketplace as the symbol for energy efficient homes and products. The only way to do this is to understand how ENERGY STAR is being utilized and perceived within the residential sector by collecting feedback from those within the industry.

Partners

EPA may contact Partners and other participants periodically to request their feedback about their use of ENERGY STAR’s brand, the market for energy efficient homes, observations on residential energy consumption, or feedback on the ENERGY STAR program itself. Note that EPA has identified specific areas for obtaining feedback. EPA believes feedback about ENERGY STAR’s place within the residential sector and feedback about the ENERGY STAR Program itself is essential for the Agency to ensure that the Program effectively meets Partners’ needs and the Agency’s goals of reducing residential energy consumption and air pollution.

(i) Data Items

Verbal or written responses (either on paper or electronically) to EPA’s questions on issues that include:

How the prospective ENERGY STAR partner learned about the program (how heard of);
Random Infrared camera scans to approximate the effectiveness of the ENERGY STAR Qualified homes standards;
Participation of the ENERGY STAR label in the home owner’s purchasing decision
Differences in utility bill savings and energy savings for ENERGY STAR and non-ENERGY STAR qualified homes;
Utility bill information for ENERGY STAR Qualified home in conjunction with RemRate .blg file data
ENERGY STAR’s capability in meeting the needs of Partners who are key to the Program’s success;
Reasons why some Partners do not actively promote ENERGY STAR;
The effectiveness of the online reporting tool (HOST) in capturing Partners’ activity each quarter in qualifying homes for the ENERGY STAR label;
The market for energy efficient mortgages and other loans for making energy improvements to existing homes;
Verifying the presence of staff who are knowledgeable about ENERGY STAR and their organization’s ENERGY STAR-related promotions and incentives;
Current incentive programs being used by REEPS and lender Partners to promote ENERGY STAR in the residential sector;
The effectiveness of the Do It Yourself Guide for energy efficient home improvements;
The role of outreach initiatives such as the Sales Training, Marketing Toolkit, Outreach Partnership, and Home Performance with ENERGY STAR outreach materials
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR customer studies:
How satisfied was the homeowner with the following aspects of the work completed.
- Information from initial energy audit
- Listened to my concerns and goals
- Explanation of work to be done and why
- Quality of work done
- Speed and timeliness of work
- Clean up after work done
- Overall satisfaction with work done
How did the homeowner hear abut this contractor?
Would the homeowner recommend this contractor or Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to a friend?

(ii) Respondent Activities

Partners would be asked to respond to EPA questions concerning the above data items, either verbally via phone or in written format.

Homeowners

This participant group includes all homeowners and organizations that choose to use the Home Energy Yardstick to benchmark and monitor residential energy performance. Homeowners and organizations benefit directly from this activity. Homeowners can obtain a user account to save their data and monitor their energy use. Homeowners may be featured in case studies on the ENERGY STAR Web site when they provide information about how they improved the energy efficiency of their home. This group also includes a number of homeowners (less than 500 in any one market) who would receive a utility bill release form in the mail or directly from their contractor, builder or rater and asked to allow EPA to collect energy billing data from their utility companies in order to complete a program description study. Respondents would need to complete, sign, and return the permission form.

Data Items

To use the Home Energy Yardstick homeowners enter the following information.

Zip Code of the home
Number of people living in the home
The square footage of the home
Indicate the type of fuels used to heat the home
Annual or monthly energy use and costs for a consecutive 12 month period
Date that consecutive 12 month period begins
Email address to create an account to save information

Homeowners featured in case studies provide the following information

Name
City and State
Annual Energy Saved
Project Cost
Project Professionals
Energy use before and after the project
Yardstick Score before and after the project
Actions taken to save energy

Homeowners receiving a utility bill release form provide the following information

Name and signature
City and State
Utility/Fuel Supplier name and account number
Utility bill data from servicing utilities for 13 months after initial occupancy for new homes and 13 months before and after energy efficiency home improvements are completed

(ii) Respondent Activities

To use the Yardstick homeowners visit the ENERGY STAR Web site and enter data online.
To be featured in case studies on the ENERGY STAR Web site homeowners complete a Home Improvement profile form.
Complete and mail utility bill release form

QUARTERLY REPORTING

Data Items

For each qualified home or Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR qualified home plan, submission of the following data by rating provider partners and quality assurance provider partners (for manufactured and modular homes) via the Homes Online Submittal Tool (HOST) (www.energystar.gov/host), EPA’s online reporting tool for ENERGY STAR qualified homes:

Name of the home builder Partner;
Name of the Architect/home plan designer (only for Designed to Earn)
Name of the certified rater Partner, if applicable;
Name of the accredited rating provider Partner;
Name of the retailer (only for manufactured and modular homes);
Name of the developer Partner, if applicable;
Name of the Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (REEPS);
Program or other sponsoring organizations , if applicable;
Name of the manufacturing or modular plant Partner, if applicable;
City and state of the home;
Rating method used to qualify the home; and
Number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes labeled
Number of home plans that earned the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR label (only for Designed to Earn)

Partners have the option of requesting additional supplies of ENERGY STAR labels for homes via HOST. This entails entering the number of each type of label needed.
For 2009, Partners will manually provide data on the number of home plans that earn the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR label. After 2011, this data will be submitted electronically via HOST.

For 2009, Partners will manually provide data on the number of qualified homes built containing the ENERGY STAR Indoor Air Package (IAP). After 2010 this data will be submitted electronically via HOST.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and HVAC Quality Installation Partner will submit a spreadsheet quarterly with the following information:

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR quarterly reports
- contact information for each participating contractor;
- number of jobs completed by each contractor
- number of jobs inspected by each contractor
A related activity is participating contractors submitting test-out reports for each home improved to the program sponsor or designated quality assurance organization

ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation quarterly reports
- the number of participating contractors,
- the number of installations completed,
- the number of installations inspected,
- the number of installations that failed verification
- the reasons and resolution of installations that failed verification
- the number of certificates issued
- contact information for participating contractors
A related activity is participating contractors submitting test-out reports for each home improved to the program sponsor or designated quality assurance organization

Respondent Activities

To submit quarterly reports to EPA via HOST (www.energystar.gov/HOST) Rating Provider and Quality Assurance Provider Partners are asked to:

Go to the Internet and login to HOST using a unique username and password that was e-mailed to the contact person;
Read the welcome screen and continue onto the data entry screen;
Input the data requested by navigating through HOST’s data entry and edit screens;
Submit quarterly report data to EPA for review and approval; and
Enter the number of ENERGY STAR labels needed, if applicable

For 2009, Partners will manually provide data on the number of home plans that the Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR label. After 2011, this data will be submitted electronically via HOST.
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR partners and HVAC Quality Installation partners will manually submit data on the number of completed projects or verified installations. This will be provided in a spreadsheet template and emailed to EPA.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

Data Items

An application package that includes print and electronic versions of:
Organization’s name, address, Web address, primary contact’s name, title, e-mail, phone, and fax;
Communications contact person’s name, phone, e-mail, and fax;
Organization’s headquarters address if different than organization;
Partner type;
Market penetration of qualified homes;
Total number of qualified homes labeled;
Percentage of homes built that are ENERGY STAR;
Percentage of housing starts in market area that earn the ENERGY STAR label;
A description, in both qualitative and quantitative terms, of the organization’s contributions in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector. This includes examples of how the ENERGY STAR logo has been used, examples of how the organization has utilized ENERGY STAR’s brand on their business, and how it has used ENERGY STAR in other areas if applicable;
Supporting documentation that illustrates the organization’s level of activity in promoting ENERGY STAR. This may include photos, CD-ROM, video; and
Dated signature of organization’s representative
Partners that sponsor a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program will submit a final annual report that summarizes contractor recruitment/training activities, quality assurance activities, marketing activities, and future program plans. This report should be less than three pages and can be used as part of a Partner’s application for an ENERGY STAR Award.

Respondent Activities

Download the appropriate application form from ENERGY STAR’s Web site; and
Complete and submit the application form and supporting materials via mail or courier. Supporting materials includes electronic copies of the organization’s logos in EPS format.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

The outreach partnership involves coordination and implementation by local Partners to develop and distribute the outreach materials as well as recruit showrooms. EPA works closely with Partners in interested markets to help facilitate a successful campaign.

Data Items

A Commitment Form that includes:
City where the outreach partnership campaign will run;
Total dollars to be contributed collectively by all partners;
Number of participating builder partners;
Target start date for the campaign;
Designated primary point of contact for campaign (including organization name, contact name, phone number, fax number, and e-mail); and
Designated contact to negotiate rates with publications and invoicing (including organization name, contact name, phone number, fax number, and e-mail).

Respondent Activities

To apply for the outreach partnership, respondents are asked to:
Download the commitment form from ENERGY STAR’s Web site;
Review, complete and submit the commitment form via fax;
Coordinate with other participants and EPA in developing and distributing the outreach campaign;
Review the Outreach Partnership guidelines;
Coordinate the outreach effort with other participating partners; and
Submit an electronic version of a corporate logo

5. THE INFORMATION COLLECTED—AGENCY ACTIVITIES, COLLECTION METHODOLOGY, AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

5(a) Agency Activities

This section describes EPA’s activities under ENERGY STAR for the residential new construction and home improvement sectors. Where possible, EPA activities that apply across different Partner categories (builders, lenders, verification organizations, REEPS, Home Performance Partners) have been grouped together and described as one activity.

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Partnership Agreement/Commitment Form

EPA must perform the following activities in distributing, collecting, and reviewing, and approving partnership agreements and commitment forms submitted by all partner categories under the residential program:

Review partnership agreements submitted via the online Partner Agreement Review Application (PARA) as well as those submitted via email or fax (for lender, REEP, Home Performance, and HVAC QI partners);
Contact potential partners and obtain any information missing from the online partnership agreement and commitment form;
Monitor the electronically countersigned partnership agreement via email;
Enter into iSTAR any partnership agreements submitted via email or fax
Make an electronic copy of the countersigned partnership agreement and commitment form
Send an email welcoming the new partner to the program;
Send a confirmation e-mail containing username and password information

Indoor Air Package (IAP) Supplemental Data

EPA must perform the following activities related to home builders who commit to offering ENERGY STAR’s IAP to home buyers:

Review electronic IAP commitment;
Contact partners to clarify their IAP commitment if necessary
Maintain a list of home builders offering the IAP and their contact information in the iSTAR database

Manufactured and Modular Housing Plant Certification Form

Although this form is not collected by EPA, EPA performs the following activities related to the certification of manufactured and modular housing plants that undergo ENERGY STAR certification:

Maintain a list of certified plants; and
Provide the EPA-approved Quality Assurance Provider ENERGY STAR label stock to distribute to certified plants.

Home Energy Rating Reports

EPA must perform the following activities when requesting copies of home energy rating reports from all partners:

Review the report for consistency with current ENERGY STAR guidelines for new homes;
Contact partners involved in building and qualifying the home as ENERGY STAR, as well as the home owner, to resolve issues related to the energy efficiency of the home; and
Maintain a record of home owner complaints in the iSTAR database

Update on the Number of Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and ENERGY STAR Mortgages Written by Lender Partners

EPA must perform the following activities when requesting updates on the number of EEMs and ENERGY STAR Mortgages written:

Review submitted data; and
Enter information into a tracking spreadsheet

Program Implementation Plan for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

EPA must perform the following activities when reviewing implementation plans for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR or HVAC Quality Installation programs:

Receive plan via e-mail, mail, or fax;
Review plan; and
Contact partner with comments and to discuss collaborative efforts

Web and Other Marketing Materials for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR

EPA must perform the following activities when reviewing Web content and other marketing materials:

Receive materials via e-mail, mail, or fax;
Review content and materials; and
Contact partner with comments within five days of receipt

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

Feedback from Key Partners

EPA must perform the following activities when obtaining feedback from all key partners in all partner categories:

Prepare for the collection (e.g., review the questions);
Call key homebuilder and verification organization partners and solicit feedback;
Save feedback electronically in iSTAR database; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines and outreach efforts

Contacting Inactive Partners

EPA must perform the following activities when contacting all inactive partners in all partner categories:

Call inactive partners regarding reasons for their inactivity;
Update the iSTAR database with new information; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines and outreach efforts

Feedback on Homeowner Satisfaction in ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes

EPA must perform the following activities:
- Prepare for the collection;
- Solicit and document feedback;
- Save feedback electronically in iSTAR database; and
- Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines and outreach efforts

Research on Utility Bill Data

EPA must perform the following activities:
Facilitate Utility and Home Energy Rater partner participation;
Send defining criteria to Utility and Home Energy Rater partners;
Review submitted data; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines

Infrared (IR) Camera Images of ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes

EPA must perform the following activities:
Develop criteria;
Facilitate random testing with qualified IR Diagnostic technician;
Review feedback;
Apply lessons learned to improve training and program guidelines

Feedback on How Partners Learned about the Program

EPA must perform the following activities:
Prepare for the collection;
Request prospective partners selection via OPA;
Review submitted data; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program direction

Feedback on ENERGY STAR Outreach Materials and Initiatives

EPA must perform the following activities when contacting all partners categories and other participants regarding outreach materials and initiatives:

Prepare for the collection;
Solicit and document feedback;
Summarize feedback; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines and outreach efforts

Feedback on HOST Online Reporting System

EPA must perform the following activities when obtaining HOST feedback from verification organization and manufactured housing partners:

Call partners and solicit and document feedback;
Summarize feedback from key partners; and
Apply lessons learned to improve HOST reporting process

Feedback on REEP Partners’ Knowledge of ENERGY STAR Sponsorship Programs

EPA must perform the following activities when obtaining feedback from REEP partners:

Prepare for the collection;
Call partners and solicit and document feedback;
Summarize feedback from key partners; and
Save feedback electronically in iSTAR database and on Web site

Feedback on Lender Partners’ Promotion of EEMs and Energy Star Mortgages and Financing’s Participation in the Demand for Energy Efficient Homes

EPA must perform the following activities when obtaining feedback from lender partners:

Prepare for the collection;
Contact key partners and solicit and document feedback;
Summarize feedback from key partners;
Save feedback electronically in iSTAR database or other electronic format; and
Apply lessons learned to improve program guidelines and outreach efforts

Research on ENERGY STAR and Residential Energy Use

EPA must perform the following activities when completing this research:

Identify a subset of homeowners to review.
Obtain permission from homeowners to collect energy use histories from utilities and energy suppliers.
Contact utilities and energy suppliers to obtain energy use histories for homeowners granted permission.
Compile and review energy use histories to determine the average energy saving of program participants

QUARTERLY REPORTING

EPA must perform the following activities with regard to quarterly reports submitted by partners:

Train new partners on using online quarterly report submittal system;
Contact partners on quarterly basis to request submittal of their quarterly report;
Review partner report submissions;
Contact partner to resolve any errors or issues;
Make changes to report data if necessary;
Accept report data into iSTAR;
Operate and Maintain iSTAR database and Web site;
Fulfill requests for ENERGY STAR labels, if any; and

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

EPA must perform the following activities with regard to the ENERGY STAR awards:

Contact key partners to inform them of the annual award application process;
Develop award winner selection criteria;
Review award applications and supporting materials;
Summarize application information for all applicants;
Select award winners; and
Contact winners and non-winners via phone, e-mail, and mail regarding their status and to provide winners information about the award ceremony

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

EPA must perform the following activities with regard to the outreach partnership:

Contact partners to solicit applications for the outreach partnership;
Review partner applications and select participants;
Contact partners to coordinate outreach development efforts;
Review outreach materials; and
Coordinate with partners in placing outreach materials in mass media.

5(b) Collection Methodology and Management

In collecting and reviewing the information associated with this ICR, EPA will use a telephone system, personal computers, and applicable database software. EPA will ensure the accuracy and completeness of collected information by reviewing each submittal. EPA will enter the information obtained into a database and will aggregate data obtained to monitor the progress of participants in improving energy performance.

5(c) Small Entity Flexibility

EPA expects that Small Businesses will participate in the ENERGY STAR Program. EPA has designed its report forms to minimize respondent burden while obtaining sufficient and accurate information. In addition, the initial agreement to participate in the Program is voluntary.

5(d) Collection Schedule

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

Partnership Agreement and Commitment Form

EPA collects the partnership agreement and commitment form on a one-time basis from organizations seeking to be partners.

Manufactured and Modular Housing Plant Certification Form

EPA does not collect the manufactured or modular housing plant certification forms. These forms are collected by an EPA-approved third party quality assurance provider partner each time the plant undergoes the plant certification process. It is anticipated this process is a one-time only process.

Home Energy Rating Reports

EPA does not collect home energy rating reports for ENERGY STAR qualified homes. These reports are written and maintained by the verification organization that verified the efficiency of the home. EPA collects home energy rating reports from verification organizations only on an as needed basis to assist in resolving questions concerning ENERGY STAR qualified homes.

Updates on Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and ENERGY STAR Mortgages

EPA expects to collect updates on the number of EEMs and ENERGY STAR Mortgages written by lender partners no more than once a year, although during the pilot phase of the ENERGY STAR Mortgage program EPA anticipates collecting updates from lenders on the number of ENERGY STAR Mortgages written after the first three months of participation.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Implementation Plan

EPA collects the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR implementation plan on a one-time basis.

ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation Implementation Plan

EPA collects the HVAC Quality Installation Implementation plan on a one-time basis.

Web Designs and Outreach Materials

EPA collects Web content and other outreach materials from partners for review and approval on an as-needed basis.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

EPA may ask selected participants in the ENERGY STAR Program to provide feedback on their partnership with ENERGY STAR, on the Program’s guidelines and policies, on the Program’s public outreach efforts, and the Program’s role in the market for energy efficient new homes and home improvements. EPA expects to contact organizations not more than once per year.

Infrared Testing

EPA expects to conduct infra-red testing of constructed ENERGY STAR Qualified homes once per year.

Homeowner Study

EPA expects to collect this information from ENERGY STAR Qualified Home Owners on a yearly basis, but only once per home owner. EPA expects to begin collection of this data in 2011.

Utility Bill Study

EPA expects to collect this information from ENERGY STAR Qualified Home Owners on a yearly basis, but only once per home owner. EPA expects to begin collection of this data in 2011. EPA may ask a number of homeowners (less than 500 in any market) for permission to obtain energy use histories from their energy supplier. EPA will work with partners to obtain energy use histories from energy suppliers and complete an impact study.

Source of Referral to ENERGY STAR

EPA expects to ask partners to provide information once when they submit their partnership agreement.

QUARTERLY REPORTING

EPA expects to ask partners to provide information on the number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes built, the number of Home Performance improvements completed and the number of HVAC Quality Installations on a quarterly basis.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

Partners interested in receiving recognition for their performance in promoting ENERGY STAR in the residential sector may submit an award application each year.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

Partners interested in participating in ENERGY STAR’s public outreach partnership for the residential sector may submit an application each year.

6. ESTIMATING THE BURDEN AND COST OF THE COLLECTION

6(a) Estimating Respondent Burden

Exhibits 1 through 6 estimate the annual respondent burden hours for information collection activities associated with the ENERGY STAR Program in the new homes and existing homes sectors.

6(b) Estimating Respondent Costs

Exhibits 1 through 6 present the annual respondent costs for information collection activities associated with the ENERGY STAR Program in the new homes and existing homes sectors. Specific cost assumptions are discussed below.

(i) Estimating Labor Costs

To derive respondent labor rates, EPA updated the labor rates in the previously approved ICR to 2009 levels. The labor rates in the previously approved ICR included overhead and fringe as of 2005. To update these rates, EPA applied the employment cost indices of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (see http://www.bls.gov/ncs/ect/#tables). Based on these calculations, EPA estimates an average respondent hourly labor rate (hourly plus overhead and fringe) of $140.26 for legal staff, $101.45 for managerial staff, $69.60 for technical staff, and $35.03 for clerical staff.

(ii) Estimating Capital and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs

This ICR includes a total annual capital cost of $16,000. This represents an estimated average annual cost of $800 incurred by each manufactured and modular housing plant to modify and retool plant operations to become certified to produce homes that are ready for ENERGY STAR qualification.

Operation and maintenance (O&M) costs are those costs associated with a paperwork requirement incurred continually over the life of the ICR. They are defined by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 as “the recurring dollar amount of costs associated with O&M or purchasing services.” This ICR includes O&M costs for postage (i.e., $0.44 for first class mail) for each submittal of a Partnership Agreement and related forms or copy of a utility bill release form to EPA by postal mail and a cost for a long distance call (i.e. $0.10) for partners to respond to EPA phone calls and for each submittal of a Partnership Agreement, rating report, and ENERGY STAR Award Commitment Form to EPA by fax.

There is an estimated annual O&M cost of $2.00 for express mailing costs associated with submitting application materials for an ENERGY STAR Award, and for mailing time-sensitive print materials for the annual outreach partnership. There is also an estimated annual O&M cost of $50 for mailing costs associated with Home Performance and HVAC QI partners submitting program implementation plans.

6(c) Estimating Agency Burden and Costs

Exhibits 7 through 11 present the annual Agency burden and costs for information collection activities associated with the ENERGY STAR Program in the new homes and existing homes sectors. The hourly labor rates used in this ICR were obtained from the 2009 GS pay schedule available from the Office of Personnel Management. EPA estimates an average hourly labor cost of $75.50 for legal staff, $70.61 for managerial staff, $51.77 for technical staff, and $20.79 for clerical staff. The labor costs are based on the following GS levels and steps: legal labor rates were based on GS Level 15, Step 1, managerial labor rates were based on GS Level 14, Step 4, technical labor rates were based on GS Level 12, Step 5, and clerical labor rates were based on GS Level 5, Step 1. To derive hourly estimates, EPA divided annual salary by 2,080, which is the number of hours in the Federal work-year. EPA then multiplied hourly rates by the standard government overhead factor of 1.6.

EPA anticipates instances of Agency O&M costs associated with ENERGY STAR for Homes information collection activities. EPA anticipates an annual Agency O&M cost of $2.00 for a long distance phone call to a Partner to obtain information including: obtain missing contact information, obtain feedback on the IAP, resolve verification issues, discuss Home Performance implementation plans, provide comments on Web and other marketing materials, and obtain feedback from Partners on program initiatives. EPA also anticipates an annual O&M cost of $2.00 to contact Partners concerning participation in the Outreach Partnership and their ENERGY STAR award status. EPA also anticipates an annual O&M cost of $100 to ship a trophy to each winner of an ENERGY STAR award. Also, EPA anticipates an annual O&M cost of $12,000 for operation and maintenance of ENERGY STAR’s partnership database and Web site related to the collection and processing of quarterly reports from partners. In addition, EPA anticipates an O&M cost of $0.44 to mail a letter of award or loss to Partners who submit ENERGY STAR Award applications.

6(d) Estimating the Respondent Universe

In this section, EPA describes its estimates of the number of respondents carrying out the information collections under the ENERGY STAR Program in the new homes and existing homes sectors. In developing its estimates, EPA referred to its partnership database (e.g., iSTAR) and other documentation in order to understand historical trends in the number of new and existing respondents. Based on this understanding, EPA has estimated the average number of respondents associated with each of the information collections under the Program. These estimates are explained below and reflected in Exhibits 1 through 6.

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES AND ENERGY STAR MORTGAGE PROGRAM (EXHIBITS 1 AND 6)

Home Builder Partners

EPA estimates that during the three-year life of this ICR, on average, 3,000 home builders in the new homes sector will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA each year.

EPA estimates that no more than ten manufactured home builder partners and ten modular home builder partners each year will become certified by a quality assurance provider to produce ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured and modular homes.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

Architect/Home Plan Designer Partners

EPA estimates that during the three-year life of this ICR, on average, 60 architect/home plan designers in the new homes sector will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA each year.

EPA also estimates that, on average, 10 home plans will be submitted to EPA and will earn the Designed to Earn ENERGY STAR label.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

Verification Organization Partners

EPA estimates that, during the three-year life of this ICR, 400 verification organizations will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA, on average, each year.

EPA estimates that, on average, 80,923 site-built homes will be qualified primarily for the ENERGY STAR label, with 20,413 of these homes verified via individual energy ratings and 60,510 homes verified via a protocol in which homes are collectively rated. Also, there will be on average 3,000 manufactured homes and 200 modular homes that are qualified for the ENERGY STAR label on an annual basis during the three-year life of this ICR.

EPA estimates that it will ask no more than ten organizations each year to submit home energy rating reports.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

Lender Partners

There are currently ten lender partners who promote EEMs and four lender partners who promote ENERGY STAR mortgages under the ENERGY STAR mortgage pilot program. EPA estimates a growth rate of six lender partners who join to promote EEMs each year and six lender partners who join to promote ENERGY STAR mortgages each year. Based on Table 1, EPA estimates that 22 lender partners promoting EEMs will be in existence on average during this ICR. Based on Table 2, EPA estimates that 16 lender partners promoting ENERGY STAR mortgages will be in existence, on average, during the life of this ICR.

Table 1: Number of Lender Partners Promoting EEMs In Existence

During Three-Year Life of ICR

Partners	2010	2011	2012
Existing	10	16	22
New	6	6	6
Total	16	22	28

Table 2: Number of Lender Partners Promoting ENERGY STAR Mortgages

In Existence During Three-Year Life of ICR

Partners	2010	2011	2012
Existing	4	10	16
New	6	6	6
Total	10	16	22

EPA assumes all lender partners will report the number of energy efficient mortgages and ENERGY STAR Mortgages they write each year.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibits 1 and 6.

Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (REEPS) Partners

EPA estimates that, during the three-year life of this ICR, seven regional energy efficiency program organizations will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA, on average, each year. This assumption is reflected in Exhibit 1.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners - Sponsors

EPA estimates that, during the three-year life of this ICR, eight organizations in the home improvement sector will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA, on average, each year. They also will submit Web designs and materials for EPA review. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners - Contractors

EPA will test a contractor partnership program in Northern Virginia in 2010. EPA estimates that, during the three-year life of this ICR, 13 home performance contactors will submit Partnership Agreements to EPA, on average, each year. They also will submit Web designs and materials for EPA review. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners

EPA estimates that, during the three-year life of this ICR, five organizations in the home improvement sector will submit HVAC Quality Installation Partnership Agreements to EPA, on average, each year. They also will submit program plans and Web designs for EPA review.

In addition, there are currently 5 active HVAC Quality Installation partners. EPA estimates a growth rate of 5 HVAC Quality Installation partners each year. Based on Table 3, EPA estimates that 15 HVAC Quality Installation partners will be in existence, on average, during the life of this ICR. These 15 partners will submit updated contact information annually.

Table 3: Number of HVAC Quality Installation Partners

In Existence During Three-Year Life of ICR

Partners	2010	2011	2012
Existing	5	10	15
New	5	5	5
Total	10	15	20

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 1.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK (EXHIBIT 2)

Home Builder Partners

EPA anticipates contacting inactive ENERGY STAR partners no more than once a year to determine why they are not participating in the program and what steps can be taken to improve the program to increase participation and the benefits to partners. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 75 inactive builder partners each year.

In addition, EPA anticipates communicating with home builder partners no more than once a year to obtain their feedback on new outreach products and initiatives, such as the Outreach Partnership, designed to educate the public about the benefits of ENERGY STAR and to increase ENERGY STAR’s market presence in new sectors such as affordable housing and high-rise multi-family housing. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 50 builder partners each year.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Verification Organization Partners

EPA anticipates contacting verification organization partners to obtain feedback on their ENERGY STAR-related activities, level of satisfaction with their partnership, and ENERGY STAR’s participation in the demand for residential energy and energy efficient homes. This information is intended to improve program implementation, identify ways to minimize burden under the program, and enhance benefits from participation. EPA estimates that it will contact not more than 132 verification organizations once per year.

Lender Partners

EPA expects to contact ENERGY STAR lender partners to learn about their promotion of energy efficiency financing and whether staff is knowledgeable about ENERGY STAR and energy efficient mortgages (EEMs) and/or ENERGY STAR Mortgages if participating in the ENERGY STAR Mortgage pilot program. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 20 lender partners each year.

EPA expects to ask for brief input from ENERGY STAR lender partners on issues related to financing for energy efficient homes and home improvements, such as financing’s role in the market for energy efficient homes in the affordable housing sector. EPA estimates that it will contact up to 20 ENERGY STAR lender partners no more than once each year for this input.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Regional Energy Efficiency Program Sponsor (REEPS) Partners

EPA anticipates making regular contact with its key partners to obtain information about their ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes program offerings, update contact information and program incentive details. Program Sponsors will also provide verbal feedback on ENERGY STAR program initiatives at yearly Sponsor Meetings. These efforts are intended to collect key information about ENERGY STAR’s relevance in the marketplace, which will be used to improve program implementation, identify ways to streamline burden under the program, and enhance benefits from participation. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 150 key Sponsors once each year.

EPA anticipates contacting REEPS about their current energy efficiency incentives so that EPA can provide this information on its Web site to the public. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 150 REEPS regarding incentives each year.

EPA also will ask questions dealing with quality assurance of ENERGY STAR qualified homes and ENERGY STAR’s role in residential energy use and residential utility bills. The information provided may include aggregated data on actual utility bills. EPA estimates that it will contact up to 10 ENERGY STAR REEPS each year for this input.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners -Sponsors

EPA anticipates communicating with Home Performance with ENERGY STAR partners each year to obtain feedback on their partnership and its role in the market for energy efficient home improvements. EPA expects to contact 38 partners to discuss feedback on their partnership and related activities and 30 partners to complete a study. These collections are intended to improve EPA’s implementation of the program, enhance benefits to partners, and identify ways to minimize the burden of participating in promoting ENERGY STAR.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners-Contractors

EPA anticipates communicating with no more than 13 Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor partners each year to obtain feedback on their partnership and its role in the market for energy efficient home improvements. These calls are intended to improve EPA’s implementation of the program, enhance benefits to partners, and identify ways to minimize the burden of participating in promoting ENERGY STAR.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners

EPA anticipates communicating with 15 partners on average each year to obtain feedback on their partnership and its role in the market for energy efficient home improvements. These calls are intended to improve EPA’s implementation of the program, enhance benefits to partners, and identify ways to minimize the burden of participating in promoting ENERGY STAR.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Other Home Industry Professionals

EPA anticipates contacting other professionals in the residential sector such as realtors, product manufacturers, and retailers, for their feedback on the ENERGY STAR Program, its outreach efforts, and its role in the market for energy efficient new and existing homes. EPA estimates that it will contact no more than 30 home industry professionals each year for this input.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

Homeowners

Based on its past experience under the program, EPA estimates that 20,000 homeowners per year will make energy efficient home improvement through Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs. EPA anticipates that 5 percent (i.e., 20,000 x 5% = 1,000 homeowners each year, on average) of these homeowners will respond to questions related to their experiences and agree to release energy use histories for study.

Based on its experience, EPA estimates that 50,000 homeowners will enter data into ENERGY STAR’s online Home Energy Yardstick tool annually.

EPA anticipates that 1,000 owners of ENERGY STAR qualified homes will provide information describing their experience and the energy performance of their home.

EPA estimates that ten owners of ENERGY STAR qualified homes will participate in infrared camera studies of their homes.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 2.

QUARTERLY REPORTING (EXHIBIT 3)

Architects/Home Plan Designer Partners

EPA estimates that 10 partners annually will submit data on approved home plans. This is reflected in Exhibit 3.

Verification Organization Partners

Based on past experience, EPA estimates that 90 verification organizations will submit quarterly reports each year. They will use the HOST system. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 3.

Manufactured and Modular Housing Partners

Information on the number of ENERGY STAR manufactured and modular homes produced each year is submitted by manufacturing plants to their ENERGY STAR quality assurance provider who in turn electronically submits this information to EPA once each quarter. There are currently 2 quality assurance providers. EPA anticipates only these two quality assurance providers will submit quarterly reports to EPA during the life of this ICR. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 3.

Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners

There are currently 22 active Home Performance with ENERGY STAR partners. EPA estimates a growth rate of eight partners each year. Based on Table 4, EPA estimates that 38 partners will be in existence, on average, during the life of this ICR. EPA estimates that 90 percent of these partners will submit quarterly reports on the effects of their programs (i.e., 38 x 90% = 34 partners each year, on average).

Table 4: Number of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Partners - Sponsors

In Existence During Three-Year Life of ICR

Partners	2010	2011	2012
Existing	22	30	38
New	8	8	8
Total	30	38	46

EPA estimates that about 500 contractors participate in Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs sponsored by partners. Of these, EPA estimates that 20 percent will submit test-out reports for 100 homes improved each year (i.e., 500 x 20% = 100 each year, on average). This information is compiled by program sponsors and summarized in quarterly reports.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 3.

HVAC Quality Installation Program Partners

Based on past experience, EPA estimates that 90 percent of HVAC Quality Installation partners will submit quarterly reports on the effects of their programs (i.e., 15 x 90% = 14 partners each year, on average).

EPA estimates that HVAC contractors that participate in HVAC Quality Installation programs will provide program sponsors with contact information and submit test-out reports for properly installed systems. EPA estimates that 50 HVAC contractors will actively submit test-out reports for 100 installations per year.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 3.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS (EXHIBIT 4)

Based on previous award applications received, EPA estimates that 30 home builder partners, 25 affordable housing partners, six verification organization partners, ten regional energy efficiency program partners, 30 Home Performance partners, and ten HVAC Quality Installation partners will apply for an ENERGY STAR Award each year. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 4.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP (EXHIBIT 5)

EPA expects 40 metropolitan markets to participate in the 2010 Outreach Partnership. The number of participating markets is expected to increase by one each year. Based on Table 5, EPA estimates that 41 markets will submit the commitment form and participate in the outreach partnership on average each year during the life of this ICR (3 years). EPA assumes that each market will include two participants on average; therefore, there will be a total estimated 82 participants (41 x 2 = 82) who will be asked to review the outreach partnership guidelines, coordinate with other partners, and submit a corporate logo to EPA. These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 5.

Table 5: Number of Markets In Outreach Partnership In Existence

During Three-Year Life of ICR

Partners	2010	2011	2012
Existing	39	40	41
New	1	1	1
Total	40	41	42

ENERGY STAR MORTGAGE PILOT PROGRAM (EXHIBIT 6)

As mentioned in Table 2, EPA estimates a growth rate of six lender partners who join to promote ENERGY STAR mortgages each year. These six lender partners will undergo an initial lender review and approval process administered by the Energy Programs Consortium on behalf of EPA. These six lenders will also undergo an initial lender review after the first three months of joining the pilot program.

There are currently four lender partners who promote ENERGY STAR mortgages under the ENERGY STAR mortgage pilot program. With an estimated growth rate of six lenders who join the pilot program each year, EPA expects that 16 lender partners will participate in the ENERGY STAR mortgage pilot program, on average, during the life of this ICR. EPA expects all lender partners will report the number of ENERGY STAR Mortgages they write each year and that all lender partners will undergo the annual lender review process.

EPA estimates that lenders will originate 32 ENERGY STAR mortgages on average each year during the life of this ICR and that there will be ten ENERGY STAR mortgages on average each year that involve the use of grants or other incentives to reduce the cost of the mortgage to the borrower.

These assumptions are reflected in Exhibit 6.

6(e) Bottom Line Burden Hours and Cost Tables

(i) Respondent Tally

As shown in Table 6, EPA estimates the total annual burden to respondents to be 180,958 hours and $10,896,852. The total bottom-line burden to respondents over three years is estimated to be 542,874 hours and $32,690,556.

TABLE 6

TOTAL ESTIMATED RESPONDENT BURDEN AND COST SUMMARY*

(ii) Agency Tally

As shown in Table 7, EPA estimates the total annual burden to the Agency to be 7,417 hours and $351,364. The bottom-line burden to the Agency over three years is estimated to be 22,251 hours and $1,054,092.

TABLE 7

TOTAL ESTIMATED AGENCY BURDEN AND COST SUMMARY*

6(f) Reasons for Change in Burden

This is the first ICR renewal for the ENERGY STAR Program in the Residential Sector. The burden estimates contained in this ICR renewal differ from those contained in the previous ICR submitted three years ago due to changes in ENERGY STAR’s residential programs. Specifically, the burden has increased by 5,509 hours per year, from 175,449 hours in the previous ICR to180,958 hours in this ICR.

EPA has added new partnership categories (e.g., HVAC QI partners) that have collection activities associated with them. In addition, EPA has moved more of its data collection activities to Web-based tools and forms, reducing the use of paper-based collection methods. Also, EPA has added new activities for obtaining feedback about ENERGY STAR from partners and homeowners in this ICR renewal.

EPA believes the burden in this ICR renewal is justified in light of the many benefits to participants, the public and the environment. Homes earning the ENERGY STAR label have been verified to be energy efficient, making it easier for consumers to identify and purchase homes that are energy efficient. Compared to a standard home, an ENERGY STAR qualified home uses substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating. In 2008 the national average annual utility bill savings was estimated to be $384 per home. In 2008 alone there were over 120,000 new homes earning the ENERGY STAR label, almost 17 percent of all new homes permitted in the U.S that year. These homes are estimated to have provided homeowners around $42 million in annual utility bill savings. This savings becomes even greater when you consider that a person lives in the same home an average of 7 to 8 years.

In 2008, the cumulative number of ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes "in the ground" is estimated to have saved U.S. homeowners $258 million in utility bills, more than 1,500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, 155 million therms of natural gas, and over 1.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide that each year - the equivalent of having removed over a third of a million cars from the road.

Additional savings on household maintenance can also be substantial. More than 17,000 homes have been improved through state and locally sponsored Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs. This whole-house retrofit initiative is bringing new opportunities to achieve energy savings and reduce peak loads across the U.S. Also, there are many state and local energy-efficiency sponsorship programs that provide rebates and other financial incentives to home builders that offset the verification costs associated with qualifying a home for the ENERGY STAR label.

In addition, EPA’s ENERGY STAR Programs are an important part of the overall effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Obama has made ENERGY STAR a key element of his National Energy Policy and his climate change initiative, which emphasizes the use of market-based, voluntary partnerships with industry. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary, market-based program aimed at preventing pollution rather than controlling it after its creation. ENERGY STAR focuses on reducing utility-generated emissions by reducing the demand for energy via voluntary commitments by a wide range of organizations, public and private.

6(g) Burden Statement

JOINING THE ENERGY STAR PROGRAM AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

The average annual reporting burden for joining the ENERGY STAR Program and related activities is estimated to be about one hour per respondent. This includes time for preparing and submitting the Partnership Agreement and related paperwork. The average annual recordkeeping burden is estimated to be 40 hours per respondent. This reflects the time primarily for verification organization partners to verify that site-built, modular, and manufactured homes meet specified energy efficiency standards. Other partners experience negligible recordkeeping burden.

PROGRAM FEEDBACK

The average annual reporting burden for program feedback is estimated to be about 15 minutes per respondent. This includes time to respond to EPA questions (e.g., via the phone or questionnaire). There is no recordkeeping burden for program feedback.

QUARTERLY REPORTS

The average annual reporting burden for quarterly reports is estimated to be 75 hours per respondent. This reflects the time primarily for organizations under the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR and HVAC Quality Installation Programs to prepare test-out reports (e.g., on the energy efficiency of home improvements) and submit quarterly reports. There is no recordkeeping burden for quarterly reports.

ENERGY STAR AWARDS

The average annual reporting burden for ENERGY STAR awards is estimated to be 13 hours per respondent. This includes time to prepare and submit the application to EPA. In addition, organizations under the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR also submit an annual report. There is no recordkeeping burden for the awards.

OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP

The average annual reporting burden for the Outreach Partnership is estimated to be 7.5 hours per respondent. This includes time for partners to complete and submit the Commitment Form and to work with other participants and EPA to develop, approve, and distribute a coordinated outreach campaign. The average annual recordkeeping burden is estimated to be about 15 minutes per respondent. This includes time to review partnership guidelines.

ENERGY STAR MORTGAGE PROGRAM

The average annual reporting burden for the ENERGY STAR Mortgage Program is estimated to be 15.5 hours per respondent. This includes time for lenders to complete partnership agreements and undergo periodic lender reviews. The average annual recordkeeping burden is estimated to be 24 hours per respondent. This reflects the time primarily for the Energy Programs Consortium to conduct periodic reviews of lenders under the program.

Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements; train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information; search data sources; complete and review the collection of information; and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.

To comment on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including the use of automated collection techniques, EPA has established a public docket for this ICR under Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0500, which is available for public viewing at the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center in the EPA Docket Center (EPA/DC), EPA West, Room 3334, 1301 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC. The EPA Docket Center Public Reading Room is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays. The telephone number for the Reading Room is (202) 566-1744, and the telephone number for the Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center is (202) 566-1742. An electronic version of the public docket is available through the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) at http://www.regulations.gov. Use FDMS to submit or view public comments, access the index listing of the contents of the public docket, and to access those documents in the public docket that are available electronically. Once in the system, select "search," then key in the docket ID number identified above. Also, you can send comments to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20503, Attention: Desk Office for EPA. Please include the EPA Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2004-0500 and OMB Control Number 2060-0586 in any correspondence.

File Type	application/msword
Author	Allegra & Brian Ng
Last Modified By	ctsuser
File Modified	2010-02-01
File Created	2010-02-01