Glossary · Programs & credentials
DOE (US Department of Energy)
Also called: Department of Energy
The US federal energy department, which sets appliance efficiency standards and funds home energy rebates and weatherization through the states.
What it means
DOE writes the minimum efficiency standards for furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners and water heaters, and it runs the Home Energy Score and its new-home program. It funds the HOMES and HEEHR rebates and the Weatherization Assistance Program, which states deliver, and it is taking over ENERGY STAR from EPA. Its national laboratories, such as PNNL, produce much of the building research audits rely on.
Why it matters in an audit
Many of the rebate rules, test procedures and efficiency ratings in a US audit report come from DOE, so its name signals the federal baseline.