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US and the European Union renew ENERGY STAR Agreement (December 2006)

The US and the European Community have agreed to renew their agreement on the energy efficiency labeling of office equipment products using EPA’s ENERGY STAR. The Agreement continues to cover office equipment including computers, monitors, printers, copiers, fax machines, and scanners, with other products possibly added in future years.

the ENERGY STAR/EU signing ceremony

Photograph from the ENERGY STAR/EU signing ceremony. Left to right: The Honorable Pekka Lintu, Ambassador of Finland to the United States, The Honorable John Bruton, European Union Ambassador to the United States, Marcus Peacock, EPA Deputy Administrator

High-resolution image (3235 pixels wide, 1.30MB)

Forty Organizations Rally to Meet the ENERGY STAR Building Challenge (November 2006)

Organizations across the country are rising to the challenge to reduce the energy they use, save money, and help the environment. As part of the ENERGY STAR Building Challenge, 20 new organizations joined 20 others recognized by EPA as ENERGY STAR Leaders for improving the efficiency of buildings by 10 percent or more.

Stay Warm this Winter with ENERGY STAR (November 2006)

The average family spends $1,900 a year on energy bills, much of which goes to heating and cooling. By following EPA's recommendations for home energy efficiency, consumers can save more than 30 percent, or about $600.

Partnership for Home Energy Report (October 2006)

The Federal government released its first Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) Report announcing progress helping Americans improve the energy efficiency of their homes. The energy efficiency of more than 325,000 American homes and apartment units was improved through better building techniques and energy efficiency improvements, saving close to $150 million dollars in 2005, under programs sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

ENERGY STAR Annual Report Released — Americans saved $12 billion in 2005 (October 2006)

EPA recently released its annual report summarizing the success of ENERGY STAR and other voluntary climate protection programs. The report summarizes the accomplishments of these programs for 2005. For example, Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 23 million automobiles — up from 20 million in 2004 — while saving $12 billion on their energy bills.

EPA Issues New Computer Efficiency Requirements (October 2006)

EPA announced the new specifications for computers and related equipment today. On average, ENERGY STAR qualifying computer equipment will be 65 percent more efficient than conventional models. Helping to drive these savings will be requirements for improved efficiency across all modes of a computer's operation, and inclusion of highly efficient internal and external power supplies. These new specifications are expected to save U.S. households and businesses more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next five years and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual emissions of 2.7 million cars. The new specifications go into effect on July 20, 2007.

October kicks off National ENERGY STAR Change A Light Campaign (October 2006)

Americans are being asked to take one small step that will protect the environment, save energy, and save money. Americans are encouraged to replace one light in their home with one that has earned the government’s ENERGY STAR. ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs and fixtures use one-third the energy of traditional models, last up to 10 times longer and reduce utility costs. In fact, consumers can save up to $30 in utility costs over the lifetime of one bulb. Replacing the most frequently used lights at home will yield the most savings.

2006 ENERGY STAR Awards for Small Business and Congregations (Sept 2006)

EPA is recognizing eight small businesses and two congregations for their energy-efficiency operations that prevented over 1 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions and saved $66,000 in annual utility costs. The agency gives ENERGY STAR awards to small businesses and congregations, institutions and associations that promote energy efficiency in their facilities.

ENERGY STAR Awarded for First Time to U.S. Manufacturing Plants (Sept 2006)

For the first time the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded 17 U.S. manufacturing plants with the ENERGY STAR recognition for their superior energy efficiency. The plants represent 6 percent of cement production capacity, 7 percent of wet corn milling capacity, and 23 percent of auto assembly capacity and are preventing almost 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to those from powering over 100,000 single family homes, relative to typical plants.

Rebuilt Vending Machines can now earn the ENERGY STAR (September 2006)

The ENERGY STAR label for refrigerated vending machines is now available to the thousands of vending machines rebuilt and re-installed each year. More than 3 million refrigerated beverage vending machines are installed and operating within the U.S. These machines typically run 24 hours a day and collectively consume more than 10 billion kWh/year. The addition of rebuilt machines to the ENERGY STAR refrigerated beverage vending machine specification is projected to save end users more than $2 million the first year. Over the next five years, the specification will save almost $40 million and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the emissions of more than 50,000 cars.

EPA Sets Energy Performance Indicators for Cement Manufacturers & Corn Refiners (August 2006)

EPA, working with industry, has developed plant energy performance indicators for cement manufacturers and corn refiners. These performance indicators benchmark an entire plant’s energy use, a critical step in strategic energy management. The indicators enable companies to determine how efficiently each plant is using energy as compared to the industry as a whole, and whether better energy performance could be expected. U.S. cement manufacturers and corn refiners spend more than $2 billion annually for 626 trillion Btus of energy. If energy use for both of these industries was reduced by three percent, the energy saved could produce electricity for 187,000 households preventing the emissions of more than 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

American Society for Healthcare Engineering Joins EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge and Kicks Off Initiative for Nation’s Hospitals (July 2006)

The American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) of the American Hospital Association (AHA) today joined with the EPA to meet the ENERGY STAR Challenge of improving energy efficiency by 10 percent. ASHE is launching a two year campaign, E2C, to educate its members about the environmental and financial benefits of pursuing energy efficiency improvements in healthcare facilities. ASHE estimates that in the first year of the campaign, members will save more than $65 million on energy costs while helping to protect our environment by reducing nearly three million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Save on Energy Bills this Summer — for Consumers and Businesses (May 2006)

No need for Americans to suffer in the heat this summer. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has new tools and advice for homeowners and businesses to keep money in their pockets, be comfortable, and protect the environment. The average family spends $1,900 a year on energy bills, nearly half of which goes to heating and cooling. EPA has a new interactive tool, ENERGY STAR @ home, that allows homeowners to take a virtual tour of a home and learn how they can make energy-efficient improvements in each room.

EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge encourages businesses and other organizations to improve their energy efficiency by 10 percent or more. EPA has five steps to put your business on the path to significant savings, while helping to protect the environment, this summer and beyond.

New Specifications for Imaging Equipment Released (May 2006)

EPA released new specifications for ENERGY STAR qualified imaging equipment, including copiers, fax machines, printers, and scanners. In addition to low power mode efficiency, for products that get the most use, the new specifications address the power consumed while the equipment is being used (e.g. active mode) delivering energy savings in all modes of operation. There are approximately 275 million imaging equipment products in use in the U.S. today. This year, businesses and households will consume 50 Billion KWh at a cost of $3.6 Million, accounting for 2 percent of total U.S. electricity expenditures.

2006 ENERGY STAR Awards

EPA and DOE are recognizing 67 organizations as winners of the 2006 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards. These organizations have made outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. EPA and DOE sponsor these awards annually to recognize energy efficiency investments made by ENERGY STAR partners that saved consumers money while helping the environment. The Partners of the Year are selected from the over 8,000 ENERGY STAR partners based on their efforts to utilize energy-efficient technologies, communicate the benefits of energy savings to consumers and businesses, and encourage others to partner with ENERGY STAR. This year’s award winners include Merck & Co. Inc., The Home Depot, Frito-Lay, Toyota and Pardee Homes.

More than 2500 U.S. Buildings Earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR (January 2006)

More than 2500 office buildings, schools, hospitals, and public buildings, representing 482 million square feet, earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR for superior energy and environmental performance in 2005. These buildings are saving an estimated $349 million annually in lower energy bills and are also preventing 1.8 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from 540,000 vehicles. ENERGY STAR qualified buildings use up to 40 percent less energy than typical buildings, while providing the required comfort and services.

EPA Adopts Principles from White House Summit on Sustainable Buildings (January 2006)

Following a White House Summit on Sustainable Buildings, EPA adopted a set of Guiding Principles for designing and operating federal facilities including: integrated design, energy performance, water conservation, and indoor environmental quality. Specifically, new buildings should be designed to earn the ENERGY STAR, where applicable, and the energy performance of a building should be verified, using EPA’s energy performance rating for buildings. Other signatories include DOD and GSA. This effort will help the federal government address the rising cost of energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and generally reduce the environmental impact of federal buildings.

Energy Efficient Battery Chargers can now earn the ENERGY STAR (January 2006)

The ENERGY STAR label is now available for cordless power tool and appliance battery chargers that meet newly established energy efficiency guidelines. Battery charging systems recharge a wide variety of cordless products, including power tools, electric toothbrushes and portable floor vacuums. Approximately 230 million products with battery charging systems are currently in use in the United States. On average, ENERGY STAR qualified battery chargers will use 35 percent less energy than conventional models.

DOE Announces New Clothes Washer Criteria (December 2005)

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced stricter criteria for clothes washers to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label, which provides consumers an easy way to identify which clothes washers save the most energy and use the least water. The new criteria take effect on January 1, 2007, and will require that all qualified clothes washers be a minimum of 37 percent better than the Federal standard. For the first time, water efficiency is also explicitly included in the criteria. The new criteria are expected to save $70 million in energy bills and 8.9 billion gallons of water each year. View the 2007 Partner Commitments PDF (164KB).

Half of the States Join ENERGY STAR Challenge (December 2005)

Half of the states across the nation are joining with the EPA to address critical energy issues in our communities in conjunction with EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge. Through the ENERGY STAR Challenge, state governments will offer a variety of programs to help building owners assess how much energy their buildings use now, establish efficiency improvement goals of 10 percent or greater portfolio-wide, and make efficiency improvements wherever cost effective.

Businesses: Save on Energy Bills this Winter (November 2005)

American businesses are experiencing higher than ever energy prices, which are expected to continue this winter. EPA has advice almost any business can take to save 10 percent or more on their energy bills this winter. The advice shares lessons learned from EPA’s ENERGY STAR partners who have saved through simple steps and adopted longer term energy management strategies with even greater savings. If every business in the US saved 10 percent on their energy bills, Americans would save about $10 billion and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15 million vehicles.

EPA Recognizes 18 Leading Organizations for Efforts to Cut Energy Bills (October 2005)

On October 26, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson recognized 18 organizations as ENERGY STAR Leaders for achieving significant energy savings and leading their industries in responding to EPA’s ENERGY STAR Building Challenge. The ENERGY STAR Commercial Building Challenge, launched in Spring 2005, encourages building owners and managers to make their buildings at least 10 percent more efficient.

Save Energy this Winter with help from ENERGY STAR (October 2005)

In the face of higher energy bills this winter, the EPA encourages everyone to take action in their home to be more energy efficient. The average American household spends $1,500 annually on energy bills — a number that may go up as much as 50 percent this year. EPA offers five places to look and practical advice for home energy savings.

K-12 Schools take the ENERGY STAR Challenge (October 2005)

Ten leading associations representing state school boards, superintendents, principals, facility planners, parents, and teachers are joining with the EPA to address critical energy issues in our nation’s K-12 schools. Currently, the nation’s more than 17,000 K-12 schools spend $5 billion on energy bills each year. However, school districts can save up to 30 percent on their energy bills through cost-effective energy efficiency improvements. Through the ENERGY STAR Challenge, school decision-makers assess how much energy school districts use now, establish efficiency improvement goals of 10 percent or greater district-wide, and make efficiency improvements wherever cost effective.

EPA and DOE Announce ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day (October 2005)

EPA and DOE, together with more than half of US Governors, declared October 5th ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day, and encouraged every American to change a light in their home to one that is more energy efficient. Lighting accounts for 20 percent of a home’s electricity costs. ENERGY STAR qualified bulbs reduce household energy bills because they use one-third the energy of traditional lighting and last up to 10 times longer. This small step can make a big difference for our nation’s energy resources and environment.

EPA Raises the Bar for New Homes to Earn ENERGY STAR Label (September 2005)

Builders of new homes in the United States will have to significantly increase the energy efficiency of their homes to meet the new ENERGY STAR requirements which take effect July 1, 2006. To qualify under the revised ENERGY STAR specifications, new homes must have higher levels of insulation inspected for proper installation; complete framing and air barrier assemblies that enable insulation to perform at its full rated value; windows that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements; high-efficiency and properly sized heating and cooling equipment appropriate to the climate; and more energy-efficient water heating, lighting and appliances.

ENERGY STAR Annual Report Released (September 2005)

EPA recently released its annual report summarizing the success of ENERGY STAR and other voluntary climate protection programs. The report summarizes the accomplishments of these programs for 2004. For example, Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 20 million automobiles – up from 18 million in 2003 – while saving $10 billion on their energy bills.

New Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency Announced (July 2005)

On July 11 the EPA, DOE and HUD announced a new multi-agency effort, the Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency, to bring greater energy efficiency to the U.S. housing market to save 10 percent or more on home energy bills over the next decade. A 10 percent savings would total almost $20 billion a year, help increase the affordability and comfort of homes, reduce demand for natural gas by more than 1 quad, avoid the need for 40 power plants and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 25 million vehicles. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR plays a large role in delivering these savings to consumers.

EPA Announces Energy Performance Indicator for Auto Assembly Plants (June 2005)

The energy efficiency of automobile assembly plants can now be rated on a national basis. EPA has recently made available a tool to help the automobile industry evaluate the energy performance of its assembly plants. This tool, the first of its kind for a manufacturing facility, compares the energy efficiency of any assembly plant producing passenger cars, light duty trucks, sport utility vehicles, and vans in the U.S. to that of the entire industry.

EPA Offers Smart Ways to Stay Cool this Summer (June 2005)

Energy use escalates when hot summer days set in across the nation. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program is offering advice this summer on how to save money, remain cool and comfortable and help reduce the risks of global warming – all at the same time. Advice includes keeping your air conditioner maintained, using a programmable thermostat, sealing up gaps and cracks in the home envelope, and replacing old equipment with products that have earned the government’s ENERGY STAR for energy efficiency.

New Water and Wastewater Industry Focus Announced (May 2005)

EPA is launching a new initiative to increase the energy efficiency of U.S. drinking water and wastewater systems, with participation from more than 20 leading organizations. The new ENERGY STAR Water and Wastewater Industry Focus will work over the next year to develop an energy performance rating system, a guide to assessing energy efficiency opportunities, strategies for superior energy management, and innovative approaches to financing energy efficiency projects for each of the two industries. This new ENERGY STAR focus is part of a series of efforts to improve the energy efficiency of selected industries.

EPA announces ENERGY STAR Building Challenge (March 2005)

EPA joined with more than 20 leading associations, States, and businesses to announce a national challenge for the owners of commercial and institutional buildings across the country. The ENERGY STAR Challenge encourages building owners to improve the efficiency of their buildings by 10 percent or more and to capitalize on the environmental benefits and cost savings that will result.

2005 ENERGY STAR Awards (March 2005)

EPA and DOE are recognizing 50 organizations as winners of the 2005 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards. These organizations have made outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. EPA and DOE sponsor these awards annually to recognize energy efficiency investments made by ENERGY STAR partners that saved consumers money while helping the environment. The Partners of the Year are selected from the over 7,000 ENERGY STAR partners based on their efforts to utilize energy-efficient technologies, communicate the benefits of energy savings to consumers and businesses, and encourage others to partner with ENERGY STAR. This year’s award winners include Lowes Companies Inc., Food Lion, Pardee Homes, USAA Real Estate and 3M.

International Power Supply Design Competition Winners Announced at Applied Power Electronics Conference and Exposition (APEC), Austin, TX, March 6–10, 2005 (March 2005)

On March 7, 2005 at APEC’s plenary session, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the California Energy Commission announced the winners of Efficiency Challenge 2004, an international design competition for power supply efficiency. Twelve winners were selected, including two Grand Champions: Power Integrations in the Market Ready Category and Hong Kong Polytechnic University in the Open Category. All the winning entries are more energy efficient, and in many cases radically smaller than typical power supplies on the market today, demonstrating what is possible in future consumer electronics products.

Efficiency Challenge APEC Presentation PDF (62KB)

Photograph of people

Andrew Fanara, EPA, Andy Williams, ON Semiconductor, and Peter Schwartz, representing the California Energy Commission

Photograph of people

Andrew Fanara, EPA, Balu Balakrishnan, Power Integrations, and Peter Schwartz, representing the California Energy Commission

Product Picture, Power Integrations, Winner of Best in Class A1, Market Ready Grand Champion

Product Picture, Power Integrations, Winner of Best in Class A1, Market Ready Grand Champion

photograph of people

Andrew Fanara, EPA, Speaking at APEC 2005

ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes Near 10 Percent of Housing Starts Nationwide (March 2005)

Nearly 10 percent of all homes built in 2004 earned the ENERGY STAR label. According to a recently released report, A Decade of Change in Home Building with ENERGY STAR PDF (2.36MB), since 1995 over 360,000 of the Nation’s new homes have earned the ENERGY STAR, saving homeowners an estimated $200 million and eliminating approximately 4 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

Almost 2,000 Buildings Have Earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR (January 2005)

As of January 1, 2005, almost 2,000 of the nation’s most energy efficient buildings, representing almost 400 million square feet, have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR designation for superior energy performance. The buildings qualifying as ENERGY STAR use about 40 percent less energy than average buildings without compromising comfort or services.

ENERGY STAR Awareness Climbs to Over 60 Percent (February 2005)

Public awareness of ENERGY STAR has jumped to 64 percent of U.S. households, according to a recent nationwide survey. In many major markets where local utilities and other organizations use ENERGY STAR to promote energy efficiency to their customers, public awareness of ENERGY STAR is even higher, averaging 74 percent.

Energy-Efficient External Power Adapters Can Now Earn the ENERGY STAR (January 2005)

On January 6, 2005 EPA announced that the ENERGY STAR is now available for qualifying external power adapters. Power adapters, also known as external power supplies, are used to power many electronic products such as cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras, camcorders, MP3 players, routers and other electronics and appliances. As many as 1.5 billion power adapters are in use in the U.S. – which is about five for every person. The new guidelines for power adapters will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions; in the U.S., more efficient adapters have the potential to save over 5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy and prevent the release of more than 4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions the equivalent to taking 800,000 cars off the road.

New ENERGY STAR Monitor Specification (January 2005)

Beginning January 2005, computer monitors must meet more energy-efficient requirements to qualify for the ENERGY STAR label. For the first time, the specification addresses energy consumption while monitors are in use, as well as while they are idle. Many models on the market already meet EPA’s new specifications. By 2010, EPA estimates that the new requirements will result in carbon emission savings of almost 5 million metric tonnes (carbon equivalent), or the equivalent of taking more than 3 million cars off the road. The previous computer monitor requirements called for only a “sleep mode” energy-saving function.

EPA Urges Americans to Heat More Efficiently this Winter (October 2004)

In anticipation of cold winter days to come, EPA, through the ENERGY STAR program, can help consumers save energy, money and protect the environment by increasing the efficiency of their homes’ heating systems. A Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating PDF (2.6MB) en espanol — Guía para la Eficiencia de Energía en la Calefacción y el Aire Acondicionado PDF (2.5MB) can help you determine when its time to replace your existing equipment and offers recommendations on increasing the performance of your new or existing equipment.

Million Dollar Grant Awarded to Improve Energy Efficiency of Homes (October 2004)

EPA awarded a one million dollar grant to the Building Performance Institute (BPI), Inc. to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. This grant will advance the development of a national infrastructure of certified technicians and accredited contractors to deliver whole house energy efficiency improvements. BPI technician certification and contractor accreditation can complement the nationwide expansion of Home Performance with ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR Annual Report Released (September 2004)

EPA recently released its annual report summarizing the success of ENERGY STAR and other voluntary climate protection programs. The report summarizes the accomplishments of these programs for 2003. For example, Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 18 million automobiles — up from 15 million in 2002 — while saving $8 billion on their energy bills.

Room Air Cleaners Now Can Earn the ENERGY STAR (July 2004)

EPA announced on July 1 that an energy efficiency specification is in effect for room air cleaners/purifiers. Room air cleaners are the newest product category to carry the ENERGY STAR, joining other home comfort products such as dehumidifiers, programmable thermostats, and room air conditioners that are eligible to carry the government-backed symbol for energy-efficiency.

Campaign Encourages Consumers to Take 5 Steps at Home (June 2004)

EPA unveiled a new ENERGY STAR public awareness campaign calling on Americans to protect our environment for future generations by taking 5 steps in their own homes to improve energy efficiency. The campaign is based on the little known fact that the average home can cause more greenhouse gas emissions than the average car.

Power Management Featured On National Public Radio (June 2004)

EPA’s efforts to encourage power management were featured on National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, on June 17. Through the ENERGY STAR program, EPA is working with companies to enable the power management feature on computers and monitors — thereby reducing pollution and saving almost $1 billion on energy costs.

EPA Expands ENERGY STAR to Commercial New Construction (May 2004)

EPA announced the expansion of its ENERGY STAR program to the design of new commercial buildings. Architecture firms will now be able to distinguish buildings that have been designed to be among the most efficient buildings in the country as “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR”.

ENERGY STAR Award Winners for Small Businesses and Congregations Announced (April 2004)

EPA has announced the ENERGY STAR award winners for small businesses and congregations. These 13 winners are being recognized for their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Public recognition efforts are focused on winners’ hometowns and state and local market areas. For more information on current and past winners please visit the online summaries.

New Energy Efficiency Specification Announced for Refrigerated Vending Machines (April 2004)

On April 1, EPA announced that refrigerated beverage vending machines may now earn the ENERGY STAR. Qualified machines are 35% more efficient than standard new machines and feature modes to power down lighting and refrigeration levels during inactivity.