What if my appliance, fixture, etc. is required to be ENERGY STAR certified but can only be found on an archived list?

Any appliance, light fixture or HVAC unit that is required to be ENERGY STAR certified, must be certified at the time of purchase. If a unit is not found on the ENERGY STAR Product Directory, please search the archived list. If the unit is found on an archived list, documentation of purchase date should be submitted.

Are cut sheets and labels acceptable means of verifying WaterSense or ENERGY STAR certification?

ENERGY STAR and WaterSense certifications must be verified on the online ENERGY STAR and WaterSense product directories. These certifications cannot be verified via cut sheets.

What should I do if my low-flow fixtures aren’t rated at 80 psi?

The program requirements note that average flow rate for all faucets must be ≤ 2.0 gallons per minute (as rated at 80 psi). If flow rates are not rated at 80 psi refer to policy record #00018 which notes “For faucets and showerheads, use the GPM that is associated with 80 psi in the energy model and/or to meet program requirements. If specifying a WaterSense labeled faucet or aerator rated at 60 psi, not 80 psi, adjust the Baseline GPM to 2.2 in the energy model. Depending on actual water pressure, actual flow rates may be lower or higher, but measured flow rates are not used as the criteria in Version 1.0 of the MFHR Program. This was clarified in Revision 01 of the MFHR Program. If unable to find a kitchen faucet that is rated at less than 2.0 gpm at 80 psi, you can specify one that uses a WaterSense certified aerator or one that is less than 1.5 gpm at 60 psi.”

Per footnote #24 of the ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise National Performance Path Requirements, Version 1.0 "If flow ratings at 80 psi are not available, WaterSense® labeled faucets or aerators may be used to meet this prerequisite."

Can specified windows be single pane?

Per the program prerequisites, windows installed are required to be double or triple-pane, with low-emissivity glass or coatings.

Can window center of glass U-Values be used in the model?

No, NFRC Assembly U-Values should be modeled.

How should we report the envelope assemblies in the T&V Worksheets?

The T&V Envelope tabs should report all unique assemblies separately so that modeled weighted U-value can be confirmed with the reported % of total area. The Performance Path Calculator can then either report the individual assemblies (for example, each individual AGW assembly and each individual floor edge assembly), or the weighted average assembly. Please report in the same manner the assemblies are modeled.

Does BGW or building foundations have any insulation requirements in the Performance Path?

Insulation requirement in the Performance Path for any envelope component, except for the continuous insulation requirements which only applies to the above grade wall.

What AHRI Certification number should I report?

Please be sure the AHRI Certification number references the correct unit. For example, when searching for makes/model numbers in the AHRI directory, there may be multiple variations of the unit (for example, ducted versus non-ducted). Please be sure the applicable unit is selected.

Does exhaust need to be vented to the outdoors?

Bathroom and kitchen exhaust must be vented to the outdoors and not recirculated.

How can whole house ventilation be met using exhaust only systems?

Whole house ventilation can be met by continuous exhaust only systems or with intermittent exhaust only systems (if on a schedule or timer to operate at least one hour out of every twelve).

Example A: Intermittent exhaust only systems in the bathrooms and kitchens can meet the whole house ventilation requirements if there is a schedule or timer set to operate at least one hour out of every twelve.

Example B: An exhaust only system with continuously running bathroom exhaust, that alone meets the whole house ventilation requirement, and intermittent kitchen exhaust with an on/off switch. Please note the kitchen in this example does not need to be on a schedule or timer since the bathroom continuous rate by itself meets the whole house ventilation requirement.

Does the SEDI need to be signed?

No, the Designed to Earn, the ENERGY STAR Application Checklist, and the Professional Verification page do not need to be completed.

Performance Path Calculator

1. Foot-candle requirements are not met per Table 3 of the Simulation Guidelines.
2. Not all non-apartment spaces, except those intended for 24-hour operation, have occupancy sensors or automatic bilevel lighting controls.
   • If automatic shutoff would endanger the safety of occupants in some spaces, please have the licensed professional submit a description of the safety concerns associated with each applicable non-apartment space for MRO review. Note that the EPA would provide final approval
3. The exterior lighting reported does not clearly show the quantity and fixture IDs used to determine total watts. Please consider using formulas in these exterior lighting counts tables to show fixture quantities and the associated fixture wattages.

T&V Worksheets

1. The Appendix A tables used to determine assembly U/F/C-values are not reported in the T&V Workbook on the envelope tabs. It is a program requirement that envelope assembly U/F/C values be determined using Appendix A tables – please provide the tables used for each unique assembly.
2. The Calculator for Non-Apartment Spaces and Calculators for Apartment Spaces on the 8.2 - VENT_SCHEDULE&TAB REPORT T&V tab have not been filled out and therefore compliance with program ventilation requirements have not been able to be fully assessed.
3. DHW, heating and cooling unit AHRI certificate numbers are not reported and therefore modeled/installed equipment efficiencies have not been able to be verified.
4. Sampling plans (i.e. # and locations of tests) for blower door, heating/cooling duct leakage, ventilation duct tightness and TAB testing have not been reported, and therefore compliance with program sampling requirements have not been able to be confirmed.
   • Example: Per the Testing & Verification Protocols, blower door testing of apartment units must be conducted following RESNET sampling protocol. We would expect to see a multifamily building with 204 apartment units, report a total of 7+(204-7)/7=36 samples in the blower door testing table, assuming there are no failures per the blower door testing requirements.
   • Per RESNET’s sampling protocol, when an initial failure occurs, the failure should be remedied, and tested again, and two additional apartments selected from the same sample set should be tested and reported.