Quick Links for Your Home | ||
Explore Ways to Use Renewable Energy 
]]>
Scoring Energy Star Performance
The energy performance of commercial and
industrial facilities is scored on a 1-100 scale and those facilities
that achieve a score of 75 or higher are eligible for the ENERGY STAR,
indicating that they are among the top 25% of facilities in the country
for energy performance.
Commercial buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR use on average 35% less energy than typical similar buildings and generate one-third less carbon dioxide. Increasing concern about the financial and environmental risks associated with climate change is driving more organizations to strive for the ENERGY STAR for their buildings, as it is seen as a symbol of an organization that is working to reduce global warming and its impacts.
]]>To determine how a building's energy use compares to other similar buildings in the country, the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR program developed an energy performance rating system that rates a building's energy efficiency on a scale of 1–100. A building that scores in a 75 or above on this scale (placing its energy performance among the top 25 percent among similar buildings) can earn an ENERGY STAR label. Receiving a rating for a building is easy and can be done at the energystar.gov Web site using Portfolio Manager, a free, online tracking and benchmarking tool.
More than 62,000 have been rated, and more than 4,000 of them have earned the ENERGY STAR label to date.
Has an energy target been established?
New construction project teams often promote building designs that are energy efficient, but do not always provide an estimate of the completed and commissioned building's expected energy to owners and investors. Many green building rating systems and programs targeting energy efficiency in building design rely on computer modeling primarily concerned with estimating if a design exceeds the building code, which is not an indicator of how much energy the building will use.
Establishing energy targets can help drive energy-efficient design choices; energy efficiency goals should be set based on comparisons to actual building energy use. EPA's Target Finder tool provides an easy way to develop an energy use target tailored to a specific design project.
Investors should ask about a new building design's estimated energy use and if it is Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.
What method or system was used to certify the building? Did it earn points for energy efficiency?
If a building has been operating for at least one year, it should be benchmarked for energy efficiency using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and against its energy target.
Energy-efficient buildings have efficient components and systems that are properly designed and sized and are actively managed once occupied. It is important to make sure that these investments are not subverted in the name of green design or value engineering.
Specifying and installing the latest energy saving technologies may
make little impact unless these technologies are properly commissioned
along with other building systems. New technologies often require more
attention during commissioning. Be sure that the project budget
includes proper funding for commissioning.
Quick Links for Your Home | ||
 |
Energy for America's future The National Energy Policy promotes the development and deployment of energy systems and practices that will provide current and future generations with clean, efficient, affordable, and reliable energy. |
 |
Protecting the environment through energy efficiency By working closely with private industry, governments and consumers the ENERGY STAR® program was established in 1992 to identify energy efficient products and reduce carbon emissions. |
 |
Making homes more energy efficient |
 |
Maintaining energy for the future Department initiatives help industry maintain the infrastructure to deliver energy to the consumer now, and for the future. |
 |
Learn How You Can Make Every Day Earth Day |
Energy Star Solutions
In 2007, Americans, with the help of Energy Star,
saved $16 billion on their energy bills and avoided greenhouse gas
emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles. To date, more
than 2.5 billion Energy Star-qualified products have been sold, and
nearly 840,000 new homes and 4,000 office buildings, schools,
hospitals, and public buildings have earned the Energy Star. Energy
Star-qualified products, homes, and buildings provide the quality,
features, and personal comfort today's consumers expect.
Energy Star was introduced by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based
partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy
efficiency. Today, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy,
Energy Star offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions
to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future
generations.
For more information visit: http://www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937). (San Francisco, Calif. -- 05/08/2008) –
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced more stringent
criteria for clothes washers under the ENERGY STAR® label in 2008.
Based on
first-year projected sales data, approximately 1.9 million ENERGY
STAR®-qualified clothes washers will be sold, saving American families
up to $92.4 million annually on their water and utility bills.
The more stringent requirements for clothes washers carrying the ENERGY STAR® label will take effect in two phases. In order to qualify, clothes washers must be a minimum of 43 percent more efficient than current federal energy efficiency standards with a maximum Water Factor (WF) of 7.5, as of July 1, 2009. As of January 1, 2011, clothes washers must be a minimum of 59 percent more efficient with a maximum WF of 6.0. WF measures the water efficiency and is calculated as gallons of water used per cubic foot of capacity – the lower the WF, the more efficient the clothes washer.
Following the 2011 criteria
change for clothes washers, consumers are expected to save $120 million
on utility bills annually, 11.2 billion gallons of water and 659
million kilowatt hours of electricity.
Current ENERGY STAR-qualified clothes washers use 75 percent less energy than clothes washer models manufactured in 1980. The ENERGY STAR® criteria for clothes washers, last modified in January 2007, were drafted with input from stakeholders and public review and comment.
The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy work together to bring common sense measurements of electrical appliances, equipment and even buildings. Energy efficiency has improved signficantly since the Energy Star program was started in the 1970s, and they continue to add new categories of equipment to their tested and rated product information.
We will help you find good information about Energy Star rated products and othr EPA suggestions to reduce climate change, save our precious natural resources, and improve our air quality. It all fits togehter. In fact, you could say that "green" is at attitude about everything. And we help you find practical energy efficient solutions.
And we'll also help you identify local, state and federal incentives and rebates that save you money on the original purchase of Energy Star rated equipment.