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.

Sources

Related terms

HOMES rebates (Home Owner Managing Energy Savings) A federal rebate, run by states, that pays $2,000 to $8,000 based on the modeled energy savings of whole-home upgrades.
High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHR) An Inflation Reduction Act rebate run by states for efficient electric equipment and envelope upgrades in lower- and moderate-income homes.
Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) A US Department of Energy program, delivered by state and local agencies, that makes low-income households' homes more energy efficient.
Home Energy Score (DOE) A US Department of Energy 1-to-10 rating of an existing home's expected energy use, a bit like a miles-per-gallon rating for houses.
ENERGY STAR The government-backed blue label for products and some homes that beat minimum efficiency standards by meeting stricter criteria.
PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) A US Department of Energy national laboratory whose building research includes the Building America Solution Center and county climate zone data.

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