There are a couple of certification programs out there that are well regarded (with vary levels of real-world usage): Energy Star: https://www.energystar.gov/n

There are a couple of certification programs out there that are well regarded (with vary levels of real-world usage): Energy Star: https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes/ https://www.energystar.gov/newhomes/ Zero Energy Ready Homes: https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home https://energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-ready-home Passive House: http://www.phius.org/home-page http://www.phius.org/home-page LEED for Homes: https://www.usgbc.org/cert-guide/homes https://www.usgbc.org/cert-guide/homes And my favorite, the Pretty Good House: http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/pretty-good-house http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/guest-blogs/p... Honestly, if you're buying a new home and the builder hasn't ponied up for Energy Star, you've got to wonder where their priorities are - it's not a difficult program to achieve. You can find Energy Star builders here: https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=new_homes_partners.locator https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=new_homes_pa... I agree, there is little transparency on the home-buying front, largely because adherence to one of these certifications is still pretty rare. Also, it's rarely taken into account in the appraisal process.