In our homes we all have refrigerators, televisions; some of us have dishwashers, clothes washer & dryers, microwaves, etc. Now I’m not going to tell you to run out and replace perfectly good appliances, however when these items need to be replaced, you can save energy and reduce your carbon footprint by looking for the ENERGY STAR label which means that that particular appliance is energy efficient. Not only do you save money on your electric bill, but you are also saving tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. If just one in 10 homes used ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, the change would be like planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. That’s like planting 3 new forests!!ENERGY STAR is the trusted, government-backed symbol for energy efficiency helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.
The ENERGY STAR label was established to:
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants caused by the inefficient use of energy, and make it easy for consumers to identify and purchase energy-efficient products that offer savings on energy bills without sacrificing performance, features, and comfort.How Does EPA Choose which Products Earn the Label?
Products can earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in ENERGY STAR product specifications. EPA establishes these specifications based on the following set of key guiding principles:
- Product categories must contribute significant energy savings nationwide.
- Qualified products must deliver the features and performance demanded by consumers, in addition to increased energy efficiency.
- If the qualified product costs more than a conventional, less-efficient counterpart, purchasers will recover their investment in increased energy efficiency through utility bill savings, within a reasonable period of time.
- Energy efficiency can be achieved through broadly available, non-proprietary technologies offered by more than one manufacturer.
- Product energy consumption and performance can be measured and verified with testing.
- Labeling would effectively differentiate products and be visible for purchasers.
Generally, a market share of ENERGY STAR qualified products in a particular category of 50 percent or higher will prompt consideration for a specification revision. However, there are other factors that weigh into the decision, such as:
- A change in the Federal minimum efficiency standards.
- Technological changes with advances in energy efficiency which allow a revised ENERGY STAR specification to capture additional savings.
- Product availability
- Significant issues with consumers realizing expected energy savings
- Performance or quality issues
- Issues with Test Procedures
