By Greg Richardson
ENERGY STAR® is an international program that has established standards for energy efficiency in consumer products. The program began in 1992 as a government program in the United States and has since spread to Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union. The ENERGY STAR® label was first used on computers but now can be found on over 50 product categories. According to www.energystar.gov, rated products include:
Appliances - clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators and freezers, room air conditioners, room air cleaners, water coolers
Heating & cooling – air source heat pumps, boilers, central air conditioners, ceiling fans, dehumidifiers, furnaces, geothermal heat pumps, home sealing (insulation), light commercial, programmable thermostats, room air conditioners, ventilating fans
Home electronics – battery charging systems, cordless phones, combination units, digital-to-analog converter boxes (CTAs), DVD products, external power adapters, home audio, televisions, VCRs
Office equipment – computers, copiers, and fax machines, digital duplicators, notebook computers/tablet PCs, mailing machines, external power adapters, monitors, printers, scanners, and all-in-one office equipment
Lighting – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), residential light fixtures, exit signs
Commercial food service – commercial dishwashers, commercial fryers, commercial hot food holding cabinets, commercial ice machines, commercial solid door refrigerators and freezers, commercial steam cookers
Other commercial products – external power adapters, roof products, vending machines, water coolers
In order to receive an ENERGY STAR® label, products must exceed minimum federal energy-use requirements: Refrigerators must be 20 percent more efficient, televisions 30 percent more efficient, dishwashers 41 percent, and lighting 75 percent. As a result of ENERGY STAR® standards and labeling, the United States’ Environmental Protection Agency estimated that ENERGY STAR® products saved about $14 billion in energy costs in 2006 alone.
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