Energy Star - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient

Energy conservation

Energy conservation refers to efforts made to reduce energy consumption. Energy conservation can be achieved through increased efficient energy use, in conjunction with decreased energy consumption and/or reduced consumption from conventional energy sources...

consumer

Consumer

Consumer is a broad label for any individuals or households that use goods generated within the economy. The concept of a consumer occurs in different contexts, so that the usage and significance of the term may vary.-Economics and marketing:...

products originated in the United States of America. It was first created as a United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

government program during the early 1990s, but Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan and the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

have also adopted the program. Devices carrying the Energy Star logo, such as computer products and peripherals, kitchen appliances, buildings and other products, generally use 20%–30% less energy than required by federal standards. However, many Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an-targeted products are labeled using a different standard, TCO Certification

TCO Certification

TCO Certification is a series of product certifications for office equipment . It is set by TCO Development, owned by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees, TCO . The certifications are named after years...

, a combined energy usage and ergonomics

Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices that fit the human body, its movements, and its cognitive abilities.The International Ergonomics Association defines ergonomics as follows:...

rating from the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees

Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees

The Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees is a national trade union centre, the umbrella organisation for eighteen trade unions in Sweden that organise professional and other qualified employees within both the private and the public sectors...

(TCO) instead of Energy Star.

History

The Energy Star program was created in the early 1990s by the United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...

in an attempt to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas

Greenhouse gas

A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone...

emission by power plants

Power station

A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....

. The program was developed by John S. Hoffman, inventor of the Green Programs at EPA, working closely with the IT industry, and implemented by Cathy Zoi

Cathy Zoi

Cathy Zoi is the former Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. She is currently employed by Silver Lake Kraftwerk, "a partnership between Soros Fund Management and Silicon Valley private equity giant Silver Lake."-Career:Zoi is the founding...

and Brian Johnson. The program was intended to be part of a series of voluntary programs, such as Green Lights and the Methane Programs, that would demonstrate the potential for profit in reducing greenhouse gases and facilitate further steps to reducing global warming gases.

Initiated as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy efficient

Energy conservation

products, Energy Star began with labels for computer and printer products. In 1995 the program was significantly expanded, introducing labels for residential heating and cooling systems and new homes.
As of 2006, more than 40,000 Energy Star products are available in a wide range of items including major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, and more. In addition, the label can also be found on new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. In 2006, about 12 percent of new housing in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

was labeled Energy Star.

The EPA estimates that it saved about $14 billion in energy costs in 2006 alone. The Energy Star program has helped spread the use of LED

Light-emitting diode

A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...

traffic light

Traffic light

Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...

s, efficient fluorescent lighting, power management

Power management

Power management is a feature of some electrical appliances, especially copiers, computers and computer peripherals such as monitors and printers, that turns off the power or switches the system to a low-power state when inactive. In computing this is known as PC power management and is built...

systems for office equipment, and low standby

Standby power

Standby power, also called vampire power, vampire draw, phantom load, or leaking electricity , refers to the electric power consumed by electronic and electrical appliances while they are switched off Standby power, also called vampire power, vampire draw, phantom load, or leaking electricity...

energy use.

In 2008, the EPA announced Green Power Partnership program, which was designed to help achieve its goal of encouraging the use of renewable power sources. The renewable energy credits allow companies without direct access to renewable power achieve their goals. However, to avoid companies buying RECs years in advance of any of the hypothetical power ever being produced, RECs are only accepted into the program when the actual equivalent renewable power will be produced.

Specifications

Energy Star specifications differ with each item, and are set by either the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Energy. The following highlights product and specification information available on the Energy Star website.

Computers

New Energy Star 4.0 specifications for computers became effective on July 20, 2007. They require the use of 80 PLUS

80 PLUS

80 PLUS is an initiative to promote energy efficiency in computer power supply units . It certifies products that have more than 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load, and a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load....

Bronze level or higher power supplies. Energy Star 5.0 became effective on July 1, 2009.

Servers

The EPA released Version 1.0 of the Computer Server specifications on May 15, 2009. It covers standalone servers with one to four processor sockets. A second tier to the specification covering servers with more than four processor sockets, as well as blade servers and fault-tolerant machines is expected in 2012.

Appliances

As of early 2008, average refrigerators need 20% savings over the minimum standard. Dishwashers need at least 41% savings. Most appliances as well as heating and cooling systems have a yellow EnergyGuide label showing the annual cost of operation compared to other models. This label is created through the Federal Trade Commission and often shows if an appliance is Energy Star. While an Energy Star label indicates that the appliance is more energy efficient than the minimum guidelines, purchasing an Energy Star labeled product does not always mean you are getting the most energy efficient option available. For example, dehumidifiers that are rated under 25 USpt per day of water extraction receive an Energy Star rating if they have an energy factor

Energy factor

An energy factor is a metric used to compare energy conversion efficiencies of appliances or equipment.For water heaters, the energy factor is the ratio of useful energy output to the total amount of energy delivered...

of 1.2 (higher is better), while those rated 25 USpt to 35 USpt per day receive an Energy Star rating for an energy factor of 1.4 or higher. Thus a higher-capacity but non-Energy Star rated dehumidifier may be a more energy efficient alternative than an Energy Star rated but lower-capacity model. The Energy Star program's savings calculator has also been criticized for unrealistic assumptions in its model that tend to magnify savings benefits to the average consumer.

Another factor yet to be considered by the EPA and DOE is the overall effect of energy-saving requirements on the durability and expected service life of a mass-market appliance built to a consumer-level cost standard. For example, a refrigerator may be made more efficient by the use of more insulative spacing and a smaller-capacity compressor using electronics to control operation and temperature. However, this may come at the cost of reduced interior storage (or increased exterior mass) or a reduced service life due to compressor and/or electronic failures. In particular, electronic controls used on new-generation appliances are subject to damage from shock, vibration, moisture, or power spikes on the electrical circuit to which they are attached. Critics have pointed out that even if a new appliance is energy-efficient, any consumer appliance that does not provide customer satisfaction, or must be replaced twice as often as its predecessor contributes to landfill pollution and wastage of natural resources used to construct its replacement.

Heating and cooling systems

Energy Star qualified heat pumps, boilers, air conditioning systems, and furnaces are available. In addition, cooling and heating bills can be significantly lowered with air sealing and duct sealing. Air sealing reduces the outdoor air that penetrates a building, and duct sealing prevents attic or basement air from entering ducts and lessening the heating/cooling system’s efficiency.

Energy Star qualified room air conditioners are at least 10% more energy efficient than the minimum U.S. federal government standards.

Home electronics

Energy Star qualified televisions use 30% less energy than average. In November 2008, television specifications were improved to limit on-mode power use, in addition to standby power

Standby power

which is limited by the current specifications. A wider range of Energy Star qualified televisions will be available.
Other qualified home electronics include cordless phones, battery chargers, VCRs and external power adapters, most of which use 90% less energy.

Imaging equipment

The Energy Star Program Requirements for Imaging Products are focused on product families such as Electrophotographic (EP) printers, Inkjet (e.g., thermal), copiers, facsimile machines and other imaging equipment including MFD's (multifunctional devices). Typical Electrical Consumption (TEC) of a product family are measured and reported against an allowance set by the maximum throughput of the device. Operation modes (OM) are measured and reported for devices such as inkjet products against an allowance set by the functions present in the EUT (equipment under test). Devices that included "adders" such as ethernet, on-board memory, wireless, etc are mathematically "added" to increase the OM allowance. Recently on February 1st, 2011, the EPA/DOE added the requirement that all products registered under the Energy Star logo, must be tested by an AB (Accredited Body) or CB (Certification Body) Laboratory.

Lighting

The Energy Star is awarded to only certain bulbs that meet strict efficiency, quality, and lifetime criteria.

Energy Star qualified fluorescent lighting uses 75% less energy and lasts up to ten times longer than normal incandescent lights.

Energy Star Qualified Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lighting:

Reduces energy costs — uses at least 75% less energy than incandescent lighting, saving on operating expenses.
Reduces maintenance costs — lasts 35 to 50 times longer than incandescent lighting and about 2 to 5 times longer than fluorescent lighting. No bulb-replacements, no ladders, no ongoing disposal program.
Reduces cooling costs — LEDs produce very little heat.
Is guaranteed — comes with a minimum three-year warranty — far beyond the industry standard.
Offers convenient features — available with dimming on some indoor models and automatic daylight shut-off and motion sensors on some outdoor models.
Is durable — won’t break like a bulb.

To qualify for Energy Star certification, LED lighting products must pass a variety of tests to prove that the products will display the following characteristics:

Brightness is equal to or greater than existing lighting technologies (incandescent or fluorescent) and light is well distributed over the area lighted by the fixture.
Light output remains constant over time, only decreasing towards the end of the rated lifetime (at least 35,000 hours or 12 years based on use of 8 hours per day).
Excellent color quality. The shade of white light appears clear and consistent over time.
Efficiency is as good as or better than fluorescent lighting.
Light comes on instantly when turned on.
No flicker when dimmed.
No off-state power draw. The fixture does not use power when it is turned off, with the exception of external controls, whose power should not exceed 0.5 watts in the off state.

Home office

A new Energy Star specification for desktop computers went into effect 20 July 2007. The requirements are more stringent than the previous specification and existing equipment designs can no longer use the logo unless re-qualified. The power requirements are for 80% or greater AC

Alternating current

In alternating current the movement of electric charge periodically reverses direction. In direct current , the flow of electric charge is only in one direction....

power supply efficiency using the standards defined by 80 Plus

80 PLUS

Program.

New homes

New homes that meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency can qualify for Energy Star certification. An Energy Star qualified home uses at least 15% less energy than standard homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC). They usually include properly installed insulation

Building insulation

building insulation refers broadly to any object in a building used as insulation for any purpose. While the majority of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes, the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire insulation, and impact insulation...

, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, energy efficient cooling and heating systems, and Energy Star qualified appliances, lighting, and water heaters.

Energy performance ratings

The U.S. EPA's Energy Star program has developed energy performance rating systems for several commercial and institutional building types and manufacturing facilities. These ratings, on a scale of 1 to 100, provide a means for benchmarking the energy efficiency of specific buildings and industrial plants against the energy performance of similar facilities. The ratings are used by building and energy managers to evaluate the energy performance of existing buildings and industrial plants. The rating systems are also used by EPA to determine if a building or plant can qualify to earn Energy Star recognition.

For many types of commercial buildings, you can enter energy information into EPA's free online tool, Portfolio Manager https://www.energystar.gov/istar/pmpam/, and it will calculate a score for your building on a scale of 1-100. Buildings that score a 75 or greater may qualify for the ENERGY STAR. Portfolio Manager is an interactive energy management tool that allows you to track and assess energy and water consumption across your entire portfolio of buildings in a secure online environment. Whether you own, manage, or hold properties for investment, Portfolio Manager can help you set investment priorities, identify under-performing buildings, verify efficiency improvements, and receive EPA recognition for superior energy performance.

Buildings

The number of space types that can receive the energy performance rating in Portfolio Manager is expanding and now includes bank/financial institutions, courthouses, hospitals (acute care and children's), hotels and motels, houses of worship, K-12 schools, medical offices, offices, residence halls/dormitories, retail stores, supermarkets,
warehouses (refrigerated and non-refrigerated), data centers, senior care facilities, and wastewater facilities.

See the technical descriptions for models used in the rating system at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=evaluate_performance.bus_portfoliomanager_model_tech_desc. These documents provide detailed information on the methodologies used to create the energy performance ratings including details on rating objectives, regression techniques, and the steps applied to compute a rating. A 1-100 rating can be generated for ratable space types by entering building attributes, such as square footage and weekly operating hours, and monthly energy consumption data into Portfolio Manager, a free online tool provided by ENERGY STAR. This process is known as benchmarking and reveals how a building's energy consumption compares to that of other similar buildings of the same space type, based on a national average. Earning a rating of 75 or above is the first step towards achieving the ENERGY STAR for a building.

Energy Star energy performance ratings have been incorporated into some green buildings standards, such as LEED for Existing Buildings.

Energy Conservation Building Code

Energy Conservation Building Code

The Energy Conservation Building Code , launched on 28 June 2007, is a document that specifies the energy performance requirements for all commercial buildings that are to be constructed in India...

- India

Industrial facilities

Energy performance ratings have been released for the following industrial facilities:

Automobile assembly plants, Cement Plants, Wet Corn Mills, Container glass manufacturing, Flat glass manufacturing, Frozen fried potato processing plants, Juice processing, Petroleum refineries, Pharmaceutical manufacturing plants.

Small business award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually recognizes small businesses that demonstrate abilities to reduce waste, conserve energy, and recycle. The businesses use resources and ideas outlined in the Energy Star program. The award was established in 1999.

Controversies

On December 17, 2008, the EPA Office of the Inspector General released its report on the Energy Star program. The Inspector General's audit found that the program claims regarding greenhouse gas reductions were inaccurate and based on faulty data. Additionally, the IG found that Energy Star program's reported energy savings were unreliable, and that many of the touted benefits could not be verified. "Deficiencies included the lack of a quality review of the data collected; reliance on estimates, forecasting, and unverified third party reporting; and the potential inclusion of exported items," the report concluded.

Additionally, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE, is a nonprofit, 501 organization. Founded in 1980, ACEEE's mission is to advance energy efficiency as a fast, cheap, and effective means of meeting energy challenges...

, Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports is an American magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936. It publishes reviews and comparisons of consumer products and services based on reporting and results from its in-house testing laboratory. It also publishes cleaning and general buying guides...

, and the trade website ApplianceAdvisor.com, have released statements claiming that Energy Star test procedures contained loopholes that allow many inefficient products to receive Energy Star labels. Specific claims include:

U.S. Department of Energy regulations allowed the manufacturers to test the refrigerators with their ice-makers turned off, which is not how they are normally used in the home. However, the Energy Star requirements usually exclude refrigerators that include an ice maker because of the penetration of the ice dispenser. Some designs get around this by dispensing the ice into a tray located in the freezer.

Using outdated testing rules and loose standards to award Energy Star ratings.

The program allows manufacturers to test their own products and only selectively spot-checks the test results they submit.

There are so many individually rated refrigerator categories that even inefficient product categories (such as side-by-sides) are certified.

Before the complaints were raised in 2008, 2006 federal court had required the DOE to update and tighten misleading Energy Star ratings given to products in almost two dozen categories, including dishwashers, air conditioners, heaters, furnaces and clothes dryers. The updates were to settle complaints by 14 states. However, categories such as room air conditioners and clothes dryers would not be completed until June 2011.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had released reports in 2007 and 2008 claiming Energy Star labels were misleading. Inspector general issued a report that said Energy Star's savings claims were "not accurate or verifiable." The report also found that shipment data for Energy Star products were not being adequately reviewed and in some cases, were based on estimates instead of actual shipping totals.

Martin Hellman

Martin Hellman

Martin Edward Hellman is an American cryptologist, and is best known for his invention of public key cryptography in cooperation with Whitfield Diffie and Ralph Merkle...

revealed that Energy Star standby mode requirement can be compromised when an electronic device uses Download Acquisition Mode (DAM) feature to update TV Guide listing during standby mode. Hellman first found the feature on Sony

Sony

, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....

KDL-37XBR6.

In March 2010, a report by the Government Accountability Office

Government Accountability Office

The Government Accountability Office is the audit, evaluation, and investigative arm of the United States Congress. It is located in the legislative branch of the United States government.-History:...

stated that the Energy Star program had accepted 15 out of 20 bogus products submitted for approval. The Energy Star program had also qualified four businesses as Energy Star partners, failing to catch the fact that information on the companies, products and staff were all fictitious.

Testing vendors

Aurora International Testing Laboratory
ITL Boulder
MET Laboratories, Inc.
MET Laboratories, Inc.
MET Laboratories, Inc is an independent electrical testing and certification lab, recognized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration...
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. www.ul.com

External links

Energy Star
Energy Star Australia
Energy Star Canada
Energy Consumption Calculator
Energy Star entry at Ecolabelling.org
Energy Efficiency Breakdown of the costs, savings, and energy efficiency of Energy Star appliances
Energy Star qualified Energy Service & Product Providers list
Energy Star qualified Service Provider example
Energy Star 5.0 Computer specification (November 14, 2008)

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.