The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program is implemented by DOE to recognize homes that achieve exceptional levels of energy savings, comfort, health, and durability. There are multiple versions of the DOE ZERH program, with more recent versions requiring higher levels of energy efficiency and performance. See the DOE ZERH Program Requirements webpage to see the different program version and implementation dates. The ZERH program version to be used depends on a project's building , type location, and permit date, as listed on the DOE ZERH Program Requirements webpage. The National Program Requirements documents at this link describe the eligibility, compliance path options, mandatory requirements, and modeling of a target home to qualify a home for certification. For Version 1 of the ZERH program, the checklists below provide links to technical guides providing installation instructions for each measure included in the requirements.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) amended Internal Revenue Code Section 45L to provide eligible contractors with a tax credit for eligible new or substantially reconstructed homes that meet applicable ENERGY STAR or DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) program requirements. The new Section 45L provisions include two tiers of credits, with the higher credits for eligible homes and dwelling units certified to applicable ZERH program requirements. For more information see Section 45L Tax Credits for Zero Energy Ready Homes.
Visit the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home program website to learn more about the program, to become a partner, to find partner resources, or to find participating builders.