Certifying
the Plant
Producing ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured homes starts
with certifying the plant. Plant certification is done once and usually requires
a few weeks to complete. The certification steps are described below.
| |
Step
1. Hire a Manufactured Housing ENERGY STAR Certifier | |
List of ENERGY STAR Certifiers
In qualifying to produce ENERGY STAR qualified homes, plants are required to retain
an independent, third-party energy expert. | |
Step
2. Design Homes To Meet ENERGY STAR Requirements
| | ENERGY
STAR Qualified Manufactured Homes:
Design, Manufacturing, Installation and
Certification Procedures - Fourth Edition
This guide contains the design
requirements for ENERGY STAR qualified manufactured homes.
| |
Step
3. Incorporate ENERGY STAR Design Features into Quality Control and Inspection
Procedures
| | Information about the ENERGY STAR
features in the new home designs must be incorporated into the Design Approval
Primary Inspection Agency (DAPIA)-approved packages, the plant Quality Control
Manual, and the Manufacturers’ Installation Manual.
| |
Step
4. Manufacture, Inspect, and Test Homes in the Plant for Duct Tightness
| | Manufacture
a minimum of three consecutive homes that meet ENERGY STAR duct system requirements.
As these homes are manufactured, their ducts are tested to determine the level
of air leakage. The ENERGY STAR Certifier verifies that the ducts do not exceed
allowable leakage levels.
| |
Step
5. Develop Site Installation Checklist
| | SAMPLE
ENERGY STAR MANUFACTURED HOME SITE INSTALLATION CHECKLIST
(52 KB)
Every ENERGY STAR qualified home that leaves a manufacturing
plant must have a Site Installation Checklist identifying items that are part
of the ENERGY STAR design package, but installed and verified at the time of home
installation.
| |
Step 6. Install,
Inspect, and Test a Minimum of Three Qualification Homes in the Field
| | Install
and test three ENERGY STAR qualified homes in the field. The homes selected should
be representative of the types of homes the plant intends to build and label as
ENERGY STAR.
| |
Step 7. Incorporate
ENERGY STAR Practices into Routine Operations
| | Once
the required number of certification homes have been installed successfully, the
plant must take steps to transfer the lessons learned from the process into its
routine production of ENERGY STAR qualified homes.
| |
| Step
8. Establish MHRA ENERGY STAR Information Manager Account | | The
Information Manger is a free web-based system used by plants to keep track of
and report production of ENERGY STAR qualified homes.
| |
| Step
9. Submit ENERGY STAR Partnership Agreement | | ENERGY
STAR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT: For Home Builders and Verification Organizations
Each plant must submit to EPA this form which asks for basic contact information
for the plant.
| |
Producing
ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes
Once a plant has been certified, it can
proceed to manufacture ENERGY STAR qualified homes based on the designs approved
during the certification process.
| |
Step
1. Manufacture and Inspect Homes in the Plant
| | The
plant manufactures ENERGY STAR qualified homes in accordance with the designs
created during the plant certification process.
| |
Step
2. Install and Inspect Homes in the Field
| | SAMPLE
ENERGY STAR MANUFACTURED HOME SITE INSTALLATION CHECKLIST
(52 KB)
A plant representative uses the Site Installation Checklist
to monitor set-up. Non-compliance items are fixed on site. The Site Installation
Checklist must be completed, signed by the plant representative and returned to
the plant in order for the home to be an ENERGY STAR qualified home.
| |
Step
3. Affix the ENERGY STAR Label and the Quality Assured Label
| | Sample
ENERGY STAR Labels (60 KB)
Every ENERGY
STAR qualified home must have an EPA-issued ENERGY STAR qualified home label and
a Quality Assurance Provider label affixed to it.
EPA
ENERGY STAR Label |  | SBRA
quality assurance label |  | |  |
| |
| Step
4. Conduct Periodic Field Evaluations To Verify Performance | | A
plant must at all times retain an accredited ENERGY STAR Certifier responsible
for conducting field evaluations on no less than 2 percent (2%) of its ENERGY
STAR qualified homes sold. | |
