An analysis of the ENERGY STAR® program in Alachua County, Florida

ENERGY STAR® certification, as a voluntary label, represents a residence that is designed and built to use 30% less energy than its counterparts. We examine the effectiveness of this program using monthly residential energy consumption data for residences in Alachua County, Florida between 2000 and 2013. Our sample represents about 25% of the ENERGY STAR® qualified homes in the area. We use panel models and a modified repeat sales approach to estimate energy savings of ENERGY STAR® residences relative to Non-ENERGY STAR® ones, while controlling for the bundle of house attributes, spatial and temporal fixed effects, changes in the Florida State Building Code (FBC), and household changes. Our results indicate that ENERGY STAR® residences have a long term, greater energy efficiency savings over Non-ENERGY STAR® houses. Thus, the ENERGY STAR® residential program can be seen as an environmentally conscious housing practice that addresses economic and environmental dimensions.