ENERGY STAR® is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy to help consumers save money and protect the environment through voluntary labeling designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products such as residential heating and cooling equipment and electronic equipment. Manufacturers may label a product if the product meets the approved performance efficiency standard set by the ENERGY STAR program.
Computers and monitors were the first labeled products. The ENERGY STAR label can now be found in over 60 product categories (with thousands of models) including major appliances, office equipment, lighting, home electronics, insulation, windows, roofing products, and even new homes and commercial and industrial buildings.
Over the past decade, ENERGY STAR has been a driving force behind the more widespread use of such technological innovations as efficient fluorescent lighting, power management systems for office equipment, and low standby energy use.
The typical household spends about $2,000 per year on energy bills. Homes fully equipped with ENERGY STAR qualified products and using recommended practices may use up to 30 percent less energy in their operation than homes equipped with standard products, saving the typical homeowner up to $600 each year according to the ENERGY STAR Web site. There are also savings of greenhouse gas emissions.
Source: ENERGY STAR
