This study compares the WaterSense home labeling program to Energy Star and LEED to evaluate its progress. While WaterSense has potential to save families money through water efficiency, it is still a young program. The study analyzes trends in all three programs and finds that Energy Star may be helping to promote WaterSense. To increase adoption, WaterSense could improve reporting, increase funding to expand product offerings, and develop training for plumbers to install water efficient products. Lessons from the more established Energy Star and LEED programs could help WaterSense grow.

1. WATERSENSE HOME LABEL PROGRESS:
LESSONS FROM ENERGY STAR AND LEED
Maria Saxton, Undergraduate Student, Virginia Tech
maria.saxton@vt.edu
Margaret Carneal, Instructor, Virginia Tech
mcarneal@vt.edu
Annie Pearce, Associate Professor, Virginia Tech
apearce@vt.edu
Abstract:
A WaterSense Label for new homes has the potential to save
50,000 gallons a year for a family of four and decrease their
utility bill up to $600 annually. While this program is in its
infancy, comparing the progress of Water Sense to that of oth-
er green home certification programs, namely Energy Star and
LEED, will show how the program is progressing. This study
evaluated trends and events in all three home labeling pro-
grams to check the progress of WaterSense home labels.
Online resources such as the EPA and USGBC websites and
reports were examined to chart each program’s progress and
note the implementation of adoption strategies by the agen-
cies. By comparing Energy Star and LEED to WaterSense,
the hope is to gain insight to strategically inspire the growth of
WaterSense homes and products and make recommendations
for further adoption. Lessons from Energy Star and LEED
could prove to be effective models for WaterSense and in-
crease its popularity in the United States.
Introduction:
While the global population has nearly doubled in the past 50
years, water use has more than tripled (EPA, 2015). Ameri-
cans consume 20% of the world's energy but comprise just 5%
of the population (Resources, Conservation, and Recycling,
2011). Recently, issues of water quantity have gained promi-
nence, such as the impacts of climate change, water resources,
and the effect of the energy sector on water quantity and quali-
ty. In fact, energy use in the building sector is one of the larg-
est man-made global contributor to climate change (EPA,
2013). Using our finite water resources more efficiently helps
preserve water supplies for future generations, save money,
and reduce stress on water treatment systems and the envi-
ronment. Reasonably priced, water-efficient appliances are
becoming increasingly available as consumers and manufac-
turers recognize the economic and environmental benefits of
water conservation. Substantial savings can be realized over
the life of these products in both water and energy consump-
tion. Green home certification programs play an important role
in promoting innovative, efficient products. Building homes
is a big investment for homeowners, but by having green certi-
fied homes, consumers can save natural resources, reduce en-
ergy consumption, and save money. This study examined
three individual green home certifications: WaterSense, Ener-
gy Star, and LEED, to find trends in both Energy Star and
LEED to use as potential business models for WaterSense to
further promote their program.
Background:
Developed in 1998 by the USGBC, LEED (Leadership in En-
ergy and Environmental Design) is aimed to define the “green
building” standard of measurement by allowing a project to
accumulate points for four levels of classifications: Certified,
Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Thus far, millions live or work in
LEED-certified buildings, which can save 24-50% of a build-
ing’s energy consumption and 40% of its water usage (Farmer
2012).
The EPA started Energy Star in 1992 to identify and promote
energy-efficient products and buildings in order to reduce en-
ergy consumption and pollution. Energy Star certified homes
are at least 20% more efficient than standard homes. As of
now, most homeowners recognize the Energy Star label and
the label has reportedly helped save Americans billions on
energy bills (Energy Star, 2014).
A developing program by the EPA, WaterSense began in in
2006 and is considered the “plumbing” cousin of Energy Star.
The focus of the program is to increase water efficiency in
homes through product labelling and educational initiatives for
consumers. WaterSense home labeling began in 2010 saving
20% more water than standard homes, and so far has saved
about 757 billions of gallons of water and $14.2 billion in en-
ergy and water bills (EPA, 2015). This program has great
potential and considerable opportunity for growth.
So far, there have been no direct comparisons between all
three certification programs. Several studies compare LEED to
Energy Star and Energy Star to WaterSense, but none com-
plete the circle. Since WaterSense is in its infancy, drawing
comparisons between these three programs may aid in shaping
this newest program to become more effective.
Approach/Experimental:
The three home certification programs were compared by us-
ing the LEED, Energy Star, and WaterSense online databases,
along with multiple reference books. Perhaps the most useful
wealth of information came from available online annual re-
ports, which were essential in comparing the programs. To
determine the differences in energy savings, a conversion fac-
tor of 0.0033 was used to convert gallons to kilowatt hours of
energy saved. To compare the number of certified homes, fig-
ures were extracted from annual reports as well as the United
States census reports of annual housing starts.
Results and Discussion:
This study’s preliminary results indicated some synergies be-
tween these three programs. Energy Star especially seems to
be “priming” WaterSense, thus enhancing its diffusion so far.
If consumers were more aware of the synergies between these
programs, it could be a start to increasing their adoption. In
addition, reporting exact numbers in annual reports rather than
estimates could add credibility to the programs—especially

2. WaterSense. It seems that current annual reports are used for
a source of marketing rather than reporting actual data.
The following graph compares the number of certified homes
of LEED, Energy Star, and WaterSense to the total number of
new homes built in the US each year (on a logarithmic scale).
The following graph represents the energy savings in kilowatt
hours between Energy Star and WaterSense on a log scale. It
shows the rapid increase in WaterSense savings compared to
the gradual increase of Energy Star. This could show that
Energy Star is serving as a primer for WaterSense.
Summary and Conclusions:
This study brought forth observations about issues beyond just
how WaterSense can improve. Room for improvement exists
with all green certification programs. First and foremost, we
need to explore how water use in the home affects both re-
source use and public health, and develop guidelines accord-
ingly. These guidelines could include tax incentives to encour-
age consumers to pay closer attention to energy and water
efficiency. Another area that needs much improvement is
funding. At the moment, Energy Star receives over $30 mil-
lion more a year in funding than WaterSense (Mary Ann Dick-
inson, 2009). This is possibly the biggest reason why Water-
Sense has had a slow spur of success. At the moment, only 1-2
WaterSense product categories are being launched annually.
With more funding, WaterSense would have the resources to
address additional available product categories to improve
water efficiency. Although water shortage is quickly becom-
ing a front-line issue, there is not yet a fully established re-
search and development program for water efficiency in resi-
dences. If the EPA developed a program for water efficiency
on the home use level, lessons learned could be expanded to
other types of resource efficiency. In addition, WaterSense
should further expand on non-residential sectors (hospitality,
medical services, public services, etc), because they use higher
quantities of water than residences. Lastly, there seems to be a
"gap" between product installation and the qualifications of
plumbers-- there are not yet trained professionals certified by
WaterSense. Further developing green home certification
programs can transform the way buildings and communities
are designed, built, and operated. This could provide envi-
ronmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous
environments which improves consumer’s quality of life.
Acknowledgements:
This research was made possible through support from the
Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech.
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