To earn credit for Energy and Atmosphere Credit, Space Heating and Cooling Equipment, the HVAC equipment must exceed the requirements set by:

The LEED for Homes rating system is structured to build upon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR for Homes program. Earning the ENERGY STAR for Homes label is a prerequisite (EA Prerequisite 2). The credit for Space Heating and Cooling Equipment (EA Credit 3 in LEED for Homes v2008) specifically awards points for selecting equipment that meets or exceeds the efficiency levels defined in the ENERGY STAR for Homes Program Requirements. The Prescriptive Path within ENERGY STAR provides the specific efficiency ratings (e.g., SEER, HSPF, AFUE) that serve as the baseline which must be met or exceeded for credit achievement.

B. ASHRAE 2001 Handbook of Fundamentals: This is a comprehensive reference for HVAC principles and design data, not a minimum equipment efficiency standard that must be exceeded for a specific LEED credit.
C. International Energy Conservation Code (IECC): The IECC is a minimum energy code. ENERGY STAR for Homes, and by extension LEED, requires performance that is significantly better than the code minimum.
D. ACCA Manual J guidelines: This standard dictates the methodology for calculating heating and cooling loads to ensure proper equipment sizing, not the minimum energy efficiency rating of the equipment itself.

1. U.S. Green Building Council. (2016). LEED for Homes Rating System (Updated October 2016). Page 58, "EA Credit 3: Space-Heating and -Cooling Equipment." The credit explicitly requires equipment to meet the performance requirements of the ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes program.

2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2011). ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes, Version 3, National Program Requirements. Section 4.3, "HVAC Equipment Sizing," and Table 4.2.1, "Minimum Efficiency Requirements for HVAC Equipment." This document outlines the specific efficiency levels (e.g., SEER, HSPF) that LEED for Homes references.

3. Kibert, C. J. (2016). Sustainable Construction: Green Building Design and Delivery (4th ed.). Wiley. Chapter 10, "HVAC and Electrical Systems," discusses how green building rating systems like LEED leverage federal programs such as ENERGY STAR to set performance benchmarks for equipment efficiency beyond standard building codes.