Chapter 7 Interpretation: 2020 NGBS Section 701.1.4 Alternative Bronze and Silver Level Compliance

Published Friday, February 7, 2025

Chapter 7 Energy Efficiency includes several alternative compliance pathways for projects to demonstrate compliance. These pathways offer a substitute to addressing the NGBS requirements.

Section 701.1.4 Alternative Bronze and Silver Level Compliance identifies ENERGY STAR and IECC/IRC compliance pathways that a project could follow to earn Bronze or Silver within Chapter 7. For Bronze level, the options are ENERGY STAR Certified Homes (ESCH) v3.0, ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise (ES MFHR) Version 1.0 Rev. 03, and ICC IECC or IRC Chapter 11 compliance. For Silver level, the options are ENERGY STAR Certified Homes v3.1, ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise Version 1.0 Rev. 03 (with a baseline at ASHRAE 90.1-2010), and ICC IECC Section R401.2.1 compliance. 

ENERGY STAR adoption is based on a state building code adoption, and the program is updated at regular intervals for ongoing market transformation. EPA has transitioned to newer versions of program requirements since the 2020 NGBS was published.  

In 2019, EPA discontinued the ENERGY STAR Multifamily High Rise program and launched the ENERGY STAR Multifamily New Construction program (ES MFNC), which serves all multifamily buildings. Home Innovation was asked to accept buildings that are compliant with ES MFNC via an alternative compliance pathway

Download the Detailed Interpretation