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Zero Energy Ready Home

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) is a third-party-verified certification program available for new single-family homes and multifamily residential buildings. The certification requires that homes are ready to become Zero Net Energy (ZNE) in the future, producing as much energy as they use. To qualify, projects must first pass Energy Star and Indoor Air Plus certifications, then incorporate additional requirements including electric vehicle charging stations and readiness for solar energy systems.

There are five steps for homeowners looking to have a ZERH certified home built.

1. Hire a builder who is a DOE-registered ZERH partner.
2. Have the home designed to meet Energy Star and Indoor Air Plus certifications, as well as ZERH additional requirements like renewable energy readiness.
3. Adhere to all design requirements during the construction phase.
4. Have the home verified by a third-party verifier. Verifiers charge varying rates for this process.
5. The verifier will submit their findings to the DOE for certification.

If desired, there is also a performance verification that can be conducted to generate a home-specific certification.

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Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology

Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) is a global sustainability building standard administered in the U.S. by Building Research Establishment (BRE) Global, a subsidiary of the BRE Group, a center of building science in the United Kingdom. BREEAM offers certifications for new and existing commercial, industrial and residential projects by measuring a building’s performance against established BREEAM standards and benchmarks. Point-based certifications are awarded in six categories from Adequate to Outstanding based on a variety of sustainable building design categories. There are three residential certifications based on project type.

In-use:

BREEAM In-Use certification encourages property owners to improve the sustainability and energy efficiency of existing buildings.

BREEAM residential In-Use certification involves six steps.

1. Register your home with BREEAM and pay the $1,200 fee.
2. Use the provided online tool to measure your home’s performance against the BREEAM In-Use standard.
3. Receive an instantaneous unverified score.
4. Hire a licensed BREEAM Assessor to verify the score.
5. Receive BREEAM In-Use certification after paying a $1,500 fee.
6. Work with a builder and BREEAM assessor to adopt sustainable solutions to improve the property’s BREEAM score.

New construction:

A BREEAM New Construction residential certification involves seven steps.

1. Hire a builder familiar with BREEAM building standards.
2. Find and hire a licensed BREEAM assessor.
3. Register your project with BREEAM and pay the $1,500 fee.
4. Plan and design your home to incorporate BREEAM construction standards.
5. Have your project evaluated by a BREEAM assessor. This will cost another $1,500.
6. Verify the BREEAM results by a third party company for $750.
7. Receive certification if all conditions have been met.

Refurbishment and fit out

The BREEAM Refurbishment and Fit Out (RFO) standards are used to assess sustainability features added during major renovation projects.

Certification includes the same steps as a New Construction project, with the added step of submitting evidence to support the project’s design and construction decisions. Registration also costs $1,500, and for a home under 10,000 square feet, expect to pay between $1,275 to $2,800 for certification and verification.

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Passive Home Institute U.S.

Passive Home Institute U.S. (PHIUS), a nonprofit organization, offers a passive home certification for single-family detached homes, side-by-side townhomes and duplexes. Certification focuses on a dramatic decrease in the energy required to cool and heat a home’s interior. All projects must first qualify to be Energy Star, ZERH and IAP certified. They must also meet additional standards including an electric vehicle charging station, balanced ventilation, no fossil fuel combustion on-site and renewable energy to offset usage.

PHIUS residential certification involves six steps.

1. Hire a PHIUS certified builder.
2. Hire a Certified Phius Home Consultant (CPHC). These individuals work independently and have varying rates.
3. Register the project with PHIUS. Certification fees are due with registration and homes under 4,500 square feet pay $2,200 for certification.
4. The CPHC will submit design plans to PHIUS for approval and edits.
5. Complete construction with regular communication and inspections by a PHIUS Verifier. Verifiers charge varying rates.
6. The PHIUS Verifier submits all documentation of completed work and inspection results for certification.
7. Certification is awarded if all criteria have been met.