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Major Milestones

2008

  • April: ENERGY STAR specification for set-top boxes is announced, with an effective date of January 1, 2009.
  • April: EPA launches "Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR" campaign to help Americans join in the fight against climate change.
  • April: EPA launches "Low Carbon IT Campaign" encouraging organizations to enable the power management features on their computers and monitors.
  • April: National awareness of ENERGY STAR increases to 70%.
  • January: ENERGY STAR qualified CFL sales for 2007 nearly double, reaching 20% market share.
  • February: ENERGY STAR specification for televisions is updated, with an effective date of November 1, 2008.
  • February: The number of commercial buildings and manufacturing plants to earn the ENERGY STAR increases by more than 25% in 2007 to nearly 4,100.
  • February: EPA announces enhancements to its on-line energy rating system for water and wastewater facilities.

2007

  • January: ENERGY STAR specification for Digital Television Adapters (DTAs) is announced.
  • February: More than 3,200 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR.
  • April: Public Awareness of ENERGY STAR Label Exceeds 65%.
  • June: New ENERGY STAR PSA Campaign features real people fighting global warming.
  • July: ENERGY STAR Criteria for Commercial Dishwashers and Ice Machines announced.
  • August: Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency.
  • September: EPA's on-line energy rating system for commercial buildings is updated to include greenhouse gas emission factors.
  • October: Eighth annual ENERGY STAR Change a Light campaign launches its first National Bus Tour.
  • October: EPA offers customized recommendations for improving energy efficiency and comfort at home through the new ENERGY STAR Home Advisor.
  • October: The first retail buildings earn the ENERGY STAR Award.

2006

  • January: Battery chargers can now earn the ENERGY STAR.
  • January: EPA adopts Guiding Principles for designing and operating sustainable federal facilities.
  • January: More than 2,500 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR.
  • March: Americans have purchased more than two billion ENERGY STAR qualified products.
  • May: ENERGY STAR @ Home interactive tool is launched, as part of the annual summer "Cool Your World" campaign.
  • May: Specifications for imaging equipment (copiers, fax machines, printers, and scanners) is revised, with an effective date of April 1, 2007.
  • August: EPA Announces Energy Performance Indicators for Cement Manufacturers & Corn Refiners.
  • September: Manufacturing plants can earn the ENERGY STAR for the first time.
  • September: Rebuilt Vending Machines can now earn the ENERGY STAR.
  • October: Computers specification is revised, with an effective date of July 20, 2007.
  • October: 7th annual Change a Light campaign run October through November.
  • October: First Partnership for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) Report released.
  • November: Annual winter "Heat Your Home Smartly" campaign begins.
  • December: US and EU renew ENERGY STAR agreement.
  • December: Nearly 200,000 new homes earned the ENERGY STAR in 2006 (12 percent of single family home starts), bringing the total number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes across the nation to almost 750,000.

2005

  • January: Agreement with the European Union (EU) updated.
  • January: Power adapters can now earn the ENERGY STAR.
  • January: Almost 2000 buildings across the US have earned the ENERGY STAR.
  • February: ENERGY STAR awareness now over 60 percent nationally.
  • March: Over 350,000 new Homes in the US have earned the ENERGY STAR; nearly 1 in 10 new homes built in 2004 qualified as ENERGY STAR.
  • March: ENERGY STAR Challenge Announced – EPA challenges US buildings to be 10 percent more energy efficient.
  • April: ENERGY STAR specification for telephony revised, effective November 1, 2006.
  • May: ENERGY STAR Industrial Focus on energy efficiency in cement announced.
  • June: EPA announces availability of ENERGY STAR performance indicator for auto assembly plants.
  • July: EPA/HUD/DOE announce Partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE).
  • July: Home Performance with ENERGY STAR offered by local program sponsors in 12 states.
  • August: Specification for dehumidifiers is updated, with an effective date of October 1, 2006.
  • September: ENERGY STAR new homes specification is revised, effective July 1, 2006.
  • October: October 5 is ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day.
  • December: Half of the states join EPA’s ENERGY STAR Challenge to address energy issues.
  • December: ENERGY STAR specification for clothes washer is revised, effective January 2007.

2004

  • January: Almost 1400 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR for superior energy performance.
  • February: Draft specifications and proposed testing methodology for power supplies announced.
  • March: ENERGY STAR public awareness reaches 56 percent.
  • April: New energy efficiency specification announced for refrigerated vending machines.
  • May: EPA expands ENERGY STAR to commercial new construction with the "Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR" label.
  • June: EPA launches new PSA campaign.
  • July: ENERGY STAR expanded to air cleaners.
  • July: Updated and expanded agreement with New Zealand on the implementation of ENERGY STAR.
  • July: Announcement of grant for Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to help establish certification for home improvement contractors.
  • August: ENERGY STAR specification for exit signs revised.

2003

  • January: ENERGY STAR specifications for Audio/DVD revised.
  • January: ENERGY STAR, through its work with the U.S. auto manufacturing industry, provides the first plant energy performance indicator for this industry.
  • March: ENERGY STAR specification for Residential Light Fixture (RLF) revised.
  • August: ENERGY STAR label for commercial steam cookers available.
  • September: ENERGY STAR specifications for ventilation fans and TVs revised.
  • September: Change Campaign came to a close. It generated over $17 million in equivalent ad value and more than 70,000 airings in just 18 months.
  • October: ENERGY STAR specifications for ceiling fans revised.
  • October: 50 percent of the top U.S. homebuilders participate in ENERGY STAR for New Homes.

2002

  • January: ENERGY STAR label for Telephony announced.
  • January: ENERGY STAR specifications for light commercial central air conditioning/air source heat pump (CAC/ASHP) revised.
  • April: ENERGY STAR specifications for Residential Light Fixture (RLF) revised.
  • April: ENERGY STAR label extended to hotels that perform in the top 25 percent of the market.
  • May: More than 100,000 new homes have earned the ENERGY STAR label for superior energy performance.
  • June: First ENERGY STAR Cool Change campaign launched.
  • July: ENERGY STAR specifications for TV/VCR revised.
  • August: Cash Flow Opportunity Calculator released to estimate how much energy-efficient equipment can be purchased from anticipated energy savings.
  • September: EPA, HUD, and DOE sign Joint Partnership to promote ENERGY STAR in HUD housing.
  • November: First annual ENERGY STAR Home Electronics Holiday Campaign launched.
  • October: ENERGY STAR specifications for Residential CAC/ASHP revised.
  • December: Americans have purchased more than one billion ENERGY STAR qualified products.
  • December: Nearly 1,100 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR label.
  • December: Study conducted by the New Buildings Institute confirms EPA’s energy performance rating system accurately accounts for changes in energy use related to installation of energy efficiency measure.

2001

  • January: ENERGY STAR label for set-top boxes and residential dehumidifiers introduced.
  • February: First Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program in New York.
  • June: ENERGY STAR specifications for ventilation fans and commercial washing machines announced.
  • July: ENERGY STAR label extended to supermarkets and grocery stores that perform in the top 25 percent of the market.
  • July: U.S. and Canada announce agreement to partner on ENERGY STAR.
  • August: ENERGY STAR specifications for ceiling fans and small commercial heating and cooling equipment announced.
  • September: ENERGY STAR specifications for commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers available.
  • November: EPA and ENERGY STAR launch a national public awareness campaign called Change to encourage Americans to help protect the environment by changing to energy-efficient products and practices.
  • November: ENERGY STAR label extended to acute care hospitals that perform in the top 25 percent of the market.

2000

  • April: ENERGY STAR label extended to schools that perform in the top 25 percent of the market.
  • June: US Army and Navy housing procurement specifications comply with ENERGY STAR qualifications for new homes.
  • October: First annual Change a Light fall lighting promotion launched.
  • October: ENERGY STAR qualified water coolers introduced.
  • November: ENERGY STAR qualified traffic signals announced.
  • November: ENERGY STAR offers the Home Improvement Toolbox to make it easy for homeowners to incorporate ENERGY STAR into their home improvement or repair projects.
  • November: Portfolio Manager, an energy tracking and management tool for buildings, released.

1999

  • January: ENERGY STAR program requirements for consumer audio and DVD equipment announced.
  • February: ENERGY STAR label for roof products introduced.
  • June: ENERGY STAR label extended to office buildings that perform in the top 25 percent of the market.
  • August: ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) added.

1998

  • January: ENERGY STAR qualified TVs and VCRs announced.
  • March: ENERGY STAR qualified windows added.

1997

  • March: ENERGY STAR specifications for residential light fixtures, multifunction devices, and scanners announced.
  • July: ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers announced.
  • December: ENERGY STAR qualified homes expands to include manufactured homes.

1996

  • June: EPA and DOE announce their ENERGY STAR partnership. Exit signs, insulation, and boilers added to the list of qualified product categories.
  • October: ENERGY STAR label for appliances, including dishwashers, refrigerators and room air conditioners announced.
  • December: Several national lenders offer ENERGY STAR mortgages to purchase qualified new homes.

1995

  • March: ENERGY STAR for buildings launched to help businesses simultaneously improve their energy performance and increase their bottom line. Green Lights merges with ENERGY STAR for buildings.
  • April: EPA introduces ENERGY STAR specifications for copiers, transformers, and residential heating and cooling products, including air-source heat pumps, central air conditioners, furnaces, gas-fired heat pumps, and programmable thermostats. (Note: the label was removed from gas-fired heat pumps in April 2000 because of product unavailability.)
  • October: EPA launches ENERGY STAR qualified new homes that are 30 percent more efficient than the model energy code.

1994

  • October: ENERGY STAR qualified fax machines introduced.

1993

  • January: ENERGY STAR qualified printers introduced.

1992

  • June: EPA introduces the first ENERGY STAR qualified product line, including personal computers and monitors.

1991

  • January: EPA introduces the Green Lights Program, a partnership program designed to promote efficient lighting systems in commercial and industrial buildings (to be integrated into ENERGY STAR by the end of the decade).