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EPA invites Americans to Bring their Green to Work (September 2008)

EPA introduced a new online tool, ENERGY STAR @ Work, to provide Americans with tips and information on how to save energy and protect the environment in the workplace. Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption nationwide. With the average American worker spending almost 8 hours a day at their place of employment, the workplace offers a unique opportunity for people to make a significant impact in the fight against global warming.

Save on Summer Cooling Costs with a Programmable Thermostat (June 2008)

EPA is launching an effort to help Americans save on their summer cooling bills with advice on how to properly program their thermostat. When used correctly, ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats can save money on energy bills and help fight global warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If consumers manage their heating and cooling schedules accordingly, a programmable thermostat can save about $180 a year on home energy bills.

EPA Announces New Set-top box Requirements (April 2008)

EPA announced a new ENERGY STAR specification for cable, satellite, and internet protocol boxes, also called set-top boxes. Effective January 1, 2009, set-top boxes that carry the ENERGY STAR will be at least 30% more efficient than conventional models. For the first time, EPA will also partner with the cable, satellite and telecommunications companies that deliver consumers content. As ENERGY STAR partners, these companies agree to purchase or replace a significant number of set-top boxes — by offering newly qualified boxes to subscribers and/or by upgrading boxes already in homes — to help subscribers reduce their carbon footprint and save money.

DOE and Department of Defense Launch OPERATION CHANGE OUT (April 2008)

The U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have launched ENERGY STAR OPERATION CHANGE OUT — THE MILITARY CHALLENGE. This joint effort, launched Earth Day — April 22, 2008 — at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, encourages and helps servicemen and women save energy, money, and protect the environment by replacing inefficient, incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified models. Progress will be announced on October 1, 2008, ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day.

EPA Launches New Campaign in Fight Against Climate Change (April 2008)

EPA has launched a new national campaign to help Americans join in the fight against climate change. The campaign, "Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR" helps people make important energy-efficient changes at home and at work that can add up to significant reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases. The campaign builds on the success of the ENERGY STAR Change a Light campaign by providing a set of steps people can take to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

NAM & EPA Challenge U.S. Manufacturers to Save Energy (April 2008)

The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) signed an agreement to promote energy savings in the industrial sector. NAM will challenge its 14,000 member companies to reduce energy use by 10% or more in cooperation with EPA’ ENERGY STAR Challenge. EPA estimates if the manufacturing industry reduced its energy use by 10%, manufacturers would save nearl $10.4 billion and enough energy to power nearly 10 million American homes for one year.

National Awareness of ENERGY STAR Increases to 70% (April 2008)

Public awareness of EPA's ENERGY STAR label continues to rise, reaching more than 70% 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 nearly 80%. The report, "National Awareness of ENERGY STAR for 2007" presents an analysis of a survey commissioned by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, a non-profit organization that promotes the manufacture and purchase of energy-efficient products and services. This is the eighth year that the survey has been conducted.

ENERGY STAR Launches Low Carbon IT Campaign (April 2008)

Environmental Protection Agency is asking organizations to join the ENERGY STAR Low Carbon IT Campaign. By enabling the power management, or sleep mode, on their computers and monitors, organizations will help reduce our growing demand for electricity, and save money while fighting climate change. If all office computers and monitors in the U.S. were set to sleep when not being used, the country could save more than 44 billion kWh or $4 billion worth of electricity and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of about 5 million cars each year. Power management has the potential to save up to $50 per computer annually. Despite the significant savings, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Labs, only five to ten percent of U.S. organizations have deployed these settings.

New Report: Profiles in Leadership, Recognizing ENERGY STAR Winners (April 2008)

EPA released a new report profiling leading organizations for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The report: "Profiles in Leadership, 2008 ENERGY STAR Award Winners," highlights seventy-four organizations across many sectors of the US economy including schools, hospitals, real estate, manufacturing, chemicals and home building. The report offers insights into this diverse set of winners and their energy-efficient approaches and practices. ENERGY STAR award winners were chosen from more than 12,000 partners in the ENERGY STAR program and include Lowes, PepsiCo, Food Lion, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Marriott International, Inc., and 3M. The awards will be presented on April 1, 2008 in Washington, D.C.

ENERGY STAR Tool for Drinking Water and Wastewater Facilities (February 2008)

America’s drinking water and wastewater facilities can now save energy and reduce their carbon footprint with expanded tools available from EPA’s ENERGY STAR Program. Enhancements to Portfolio Manager, the Agency’s popular energy tracking tool for commercial facilities, allow water utilities to track energy use and associated carbon emissions, set targets for investment priorities, and verify efficiency improvements. Water and wastewater facilities are energy intensive, accounting for more than one-third of municipal energy use. Improving the energy efficiency of America’s drinking water and wastewater systems by 10 percent would save about $400 million and more than 5 billion kWh annually.

Green Choices Grow with ENERGY STAR Qualified Buildings (February 2008)

The number of commercial buildings and manufacturing plants to earn the ENERGY STAR for superior energy efficiency is up by more than 25% in the past year and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced has reached an all-time high of more than 25 billion pounds. Nearly 4,100 buildings and manufacturing plants have earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR through the end of 2007, with the addition of more than 1,400 in 2007 alone. They include about 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 K-12 schools, and 250 hotels.

New TV Spec for ENERGY STAR (February 2008)

EPA has finalized a revision to the ENERGY STAR specification for TVs. Effective November 1, 2008, TVs that carry the ENERGY STAR label will be up to 30% more efficient than conventional models and will save energy while they are on and when they are off (stand by and active modes).

ENERGY STAR CFLs reach 20% Market Share (January 2008)

Americans are more than making good on their pledges to help fight climate change by replacing their light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs). EPA estimates that ENERGY STAR CFL sales for 2007 were nearly double what they were in 2006, accounting for about 20% of the light bulb market in the U.S. To date, the national ENERGY STAR Change a Light campaign has received more than 1.2 million pledges from Americans across the country to change nearly 4 million light bulbs to ENERGY STAR CFLs. This means a potential savings of more than $100 million in energy costs and the prevention of more than 1.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions.

ENERGY STAR Leaders Awarded (December 2007)

EPA's list of ENERGY STAR Leaders has grown to more than 50 organizations, almost two-thirds of which are school districts. In addition to schools, ENERGY STAR Leaders include hospitals, supermarkets, commercial real estate businesses, and hospitality companies. These select organizations are recognized by the Agency for improving the energy performance of their portfolio by ten percent or more. Combined, they have reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to those from more than 30,000 U.S. homes.

Next Generation of ENERGY STAR Qualified Computers Offers Over One Billion Dollars in Energy Savings (November 2007)

Within three months of stringent new requirements for ENERGY STAR computers becoming effective, more than 35 manufacturers have demonstrated their commitment to fight climate change by offering products that save energy. With over 500 newly qualified products already on the shelves, there are many options for home and work that will reduce your energy bill while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If every U.S. household and business replaced old computers with new ENERGY STAR qualified models, we would save more than $1.8 billion in energy costs over the next five years and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to more than 2.7 million cars.

First Retail Buildings Awarded the ENERGY STAR (October 2007)

Four JC Penney stores are the first retail buildings in the country to earn the ENERGY STAR for superior energy performance and environmental protection. Of the almost 5 million commercial buildings in the U.S., retail buildings account for the largest energy bills and release the second largest percentage of greenhouse gases. With the recent availability of the ENERGY STAR for retail buildings, retailers can pursue significant savings in energy costs while fighting global warming.

Save Energy this Winter with the ENERGY STAR Home Advisor

This winter, EPA is encouraging homeowners to save 10 percent or more on their energy bills. To learn how, consumers can get customized recommendations for improving energy efficiency and comfort at home by using the EPA's new online ENERGY STAR Home Advisor. Using energy more efficiently is also a great way for each of us to do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Successful ENERGY STAR Change a Light Campaign (October 2007)

With energy prices rising and the importance of fighting climate change, every light bulb counts. An event in Manhattan's Union Square marks the conclusion of the 20-day national ENERGY STAR Change a Light Bus Tour. The bus stopped for 16 events in 10 cities with the goal of encouraging as many Americans as possible to begin using energy wisely at home, starting today by switching to energy-efficient lighting. Individuals and their families were invited to take a pledge to change at least one light at home to one that has earned the government's ENERGY STAR label. To date, more than 980,000 individuals in every US state and territory have pledged to change more than 2.6 million lights.

ENERGY STAR Change a Light National Bus Tour Launched (October 2007)

The national ENERGY STAR Change a Light campaign kicks off this year at the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, California as the first stop on a 20-day, 10-city national Bus Tour to help rally public support to use energy more efficiently to help fight climate change. The coast-to-coast bus tour aims to educate as many Americans as possible about the importance of choosing lighting that has earned the government’s ENERGY STAR label for efficiency as a first step toward saving energy. Americans can take the online ENERGY STAR Change a Light pledge and commit to change out at least one inefficient light at home with an energy-efficient one. To date, nearly 900,000 Americans in every state and U.S. territory have pledged to change more than 2 million lights.

EPA Energy Tracking Tool Offers Look at Carbon Footprints of Buildings
(September 2007)

Estimating the carbon footprint of commercial buildings has just become easier. EPA's on-line energy rating system for commercial buildings has been updated to include greenhouse gas emission factors, enabling users to estimate the carbon footprint of their commercial buildings. The updated rating-system (Portfolio Manager) shows that ENERGY STAR buildings not only use 35% less energy than their typical counterparts but also contribute 35% less carbon dioxide emissions.

ENERGY STAR Annual Report Released — Americans saved $14 billion in 2006 (September 2007)

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 2006. One highlight for 2006 is Americans, with the help of the ENERGY STAR, avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million automobiles — up from 23 million in 2005 — while saving $14 billion on their energy bills.

Small Businesses and Congregations Honored by EPA for Energy Savings (September 2007)

The 2007 ENERGY STAR Award winners for Small Businesses and Congregations together saved more than $1.2 million in annual energy costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 1,600 vehicles annually. This year's diverse group of eight small businesses and three congregations includes an auto dealership, a winery and a mega-church. Small businesses and congregations that strategically manage the energy performance of their facilities can cut utility costs by 25 percent or more by making efficiency improvements and, at the same time, make significant contributions to a healthier environment.

Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency (August 2007)

An EPA report, entitled “Report to Congress on Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency,” assesses the national energy impacts from data centers in the U.S. The report recommends priority efficiency opportunities and policies which together have the potential to save up to $4 billion in annual electricity costs through broad implementation of best practices. Additional savings are available using state of the art technologies and operations.

EPA Announced ENERGY STAR Criteria for Commercial Dishwashers and Ice Machines (July 2007)

EPA announced specifications for two new commercial food service products — commercial dishwashers and ice machines — that may now earn the ENERGY STAR label. These new product categories are the latest products to join the growing suite of six ENERGY STAR qualified commercial food service products. More efficient commercial kitchen equipment can save restaurants and related businesses from 10 to 30 percent on energy consumption.

EPA highlights 15 States Leading the Nation in ENERGY STAR Homes (July 2007)

In 2006, the percentage of newly-constructed single family homes earning the government's ENERGY STAR for superior energy efficiency exceeded 12 percent in 15 states. Leading states included: Alaska, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah, and Vermont.

Conference of Mayors Endorses ENERGY STAR Challenge (June 2007)

The U.S. Conference of Mayors formally endorsed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ENERGY STAR Challenge as a key strategy in meeting the goals of the Conference of Mayors' Climate Protection Agreement. As part of the resolution, they will encourage their members to support and take the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national campaign to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings across the United States by 10 percent or more.

Report on ENERGY STAR Brand by Interbrand (June 2007)

Since its inception in 1992, ENERGY STAR has grown into a well-recognized consumer brand. Interbrand, a leading international branding consultancy, has been working with EPA since 2001 to provide strategic counsel and brand management expertise. Interbrand has prepared a report to provide information on the art and science of branding, the core principles of the ENERGY STAR brand, the evolution of the ENERGY STAR brand, future opportunities and challenges, and ways to ensure future success of the brand.

New ENERGY STAR PSA Campaign features real people fighting global warming (June 2007)

EPA's new public service campaign promotes ENERGY STAR as an important part of the solution to global warming. A new 30 second TV spot features ordinary individuals who represent the growing number of Americans turning to ENERGY STAR to help save energy, save money, and protect the climate for future generations. The new campaign (which also includes print PSAs) helps to reinforce the very important link between saving energy and preventing global warming.

Cool Savings this Summer (May 2007)

EPA has advice for consumers and small businesses to help them stay cool and comfortable this summer while protecting our environment and saving as much as 20 percent on energy bills. With a few simple steps like seasonal maintenance of heating and cooling equipment, well sealed ducts, and proper use of ceiling fans and programmable thermostats you can save energy and help reduce the risks of global warming.

Public Awareness of ENERGY STAR Label Exceeds 65 percent (April 2007)

Public awareness of the EPA’s ENERGY STAR label has jumped to 68 percent of US households, according to a recent nationwide survey. According to the 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 greater, averaging 76 percent.

2007 ENERGY STAR Awards (March 2007)

EPA and DOE recognized organizations on March 21 as winners of the 2007 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Awards. These organizations have made outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Winners were chosen from the more than 9,000 organizations that partner with the government in the ENERGY STAR program. These award winners are helping to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes, and businesses across the country. This year’s winners include The Home Depot, PepsiCo, McDonalds, Food Lion, Ford Motor Company, Marriott International, Inc., Astoria Homes and 3M.

EPA and the China Standard Certification Center Enter New Partnership
(March 2007)

EPA and the China Standard Certification Center (CSC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together towards harmonization of energy-efficiency labels for consumer electronics and office equipment. This agreement builds on a long history of EPA cooperation with China on clean air and energy issues, including voluntary energy efficiency labeling. This new phase of cooperation has three principle goals: exploring harmonization of key elements of ENERGY STAR and CSC product endorsement-labeling programs; providing a more unified set of energy efficiency standards to manufacturers in both programs; and building China’s capacity to manage an internationally-recognized product labeling program. Specific activities towards achieving these goals will be initiated over the coming year.

More than 3,200 Buildings earn the ENERGY STAR (February 2007)

EPA has awarded the prestigious ENERGY STAR to more than 3,200 buildings for their energy efficiency. These buildings represent more than 575 million square feet, save an estimated $600 million annually in lower energy bills, and prevent almost 11 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to emissions from almost 900,000 vehicles. The top performing buildings for 2006 include about 320 supermarkets, 320 office buildings, and 200 K–12 schools. Almost 90 banks, courthouses, financial centers, hospitals, hotels, and — for the first time — dormitories also earned the ENERGY STAR, the most recognized national symbol for energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR specification for Digital Television Adapters (DTAs) announced
(January 2007)

In anticipation of the nationwide changeover to digital television signals in February 2009, EPA is announcing new ENERGY STAR specifications for energy-efficient, digital-to-analog converter boxes, or DTAs. These new specifications are expected to cut the energy use of a DTA by over 70 percent. It is estimated that Americans will purchase 22 million DTAs to continue to receive over-the-air broadcasts after the February 18, 2009 conversion from analog to digital broadcasts. If all DTAs met the ENERGY STAR specification, Americans could save 13 billion kWh and $1 billion in energy costs, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 1 million cars.

US Auto Dealers Join ENERGY STAR Challenge (January 2007)

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) has joined the ENERGY STAR Challenge. With a kickoff at the Washington Auto Show, NADA is challenging its 20,000 member dealerships to reduce energy use at more than 43,000 facilities nationwide by 10 percent or more. Automobile dealerships are energy intensive operations that require high quality lighting, both indoors and outdoors, and first-rate climate control. EPA estimates if auto dealers cut their energy use by 10 percent they would save almost $193 million and prevent more than one million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

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