Hubbry Logo
search
logo
2209741

Energy Star

logo
Community Hub0 Subscribers
2209741

Energy Star

logo
Community Hub0 Subscribers
Write something...
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
See all
Energy Star

Energy Star (trademarked ENERGY STAR) is an energy-efficiency program established in 1992. It is administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The EPA establishes energy efficiency specifications, and those that meet these specifications are eligible to display the Energy Star logo.

More than 75 product categories are eligible for the Energy Star label, including appliances, electronics, lighting, heating and cooling systems, and commercial equipment such as food service products. In the United States, the Energy Star label often appears with the EnergyGuide label of eligible appliances to highlight energy-efficient products and compare energy use and operating costs.

One of the most successful voluntary initiatives introduced by the U.S. government, the program has saved 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, more than US$500 billion in energy costs, and prevented 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Elements of the Energy Star program are implemented in Canada, Japan, and Switzerland. In 2018, a 15-year long agreement with the European Union expired. A previous agreement with the European Free Trade Association also ended.

The Energy Star program was established by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 and operates under the authority of the Clean Air Act, section 103(g), and the 2005 Energy Policy Act, section 131 (which amended the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, section 324). Since 1992, Energy Star and its partners are estimated to have reduced various energy bills by at least $430 billion.

The EPA manages Energy Star products, as well as home and commercial/industrial programs. The EPA develops and manages Energy Star Portfolio Manager, an online energy tracking and benchmarking tool for commercial buildings. The DOE manages Home Performance with Energy Star and provides technical support, including test procedure development for products and some verification testing of products.

Initiated as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products, Energy Star began with labels for computers and their peripherals. In 1995 the program was significantly expanded, introducing labels for residential heating and cooling systems and new homes. In 2000, the Consortium for Energy Efficiency was directed by members to begin an annual survey of Energy Star impact.

In March 2010, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) performed covert testing of the Energy Star product certification process and found that Energy Star was for the most part a self-certification program that was vulnerable to fraud and abuse. While the GAO demonstrated, by submitting fake products from made-up companies, that cheating was possible, they found no evidence of consumer fraud relating to the quality or performance of Energy Star qualified products. In response, the Environmental Protection Agency instituted third-party certification of all Energy Star products starting in 2011. Under this regime, products are tested in an EPA-recognized laboratory and reviewed by an EPA-recognized certification body before they can carry the label. In order to be recognized, labs and certification bodies must meet specified criteria and be subject to oversight by a recognized accreditation body. In addition, a percentage of Energy Star certified product models in each category are subject to off-the-shelf verification testing each year.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.