Environmental awareness in Seattle has never been higher, and many people are looking to Energy Star products to enhance their homes and businesses. [City] residents are finding that not only is Energy Star a great choice for the environment, but a great choice for their wallets as well!
Energy Star is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) joint program. It was introduced as a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Star label appears on over 50 product categories, such as major appliances, office equipment, home electronics, and lighting. EPA has also extended the label to cover new homes, and commercial and industrial buildings. Products, homes and businesses can apply to receive Energy Star certification by meeting energy efficiency requirements.
Energy Star Products
Qualified Energy Star products are available for residential and commercial use and are 10 to 25 percent more efficient than required by the federal standard. To see if your product is eligible to earn the Energy Star label, please refer to the Product Specifications and Requirements web page. If you would like to use the Energy Star mark on products that meet the program requirements and have these products listed on the Energy Star web site, you will need to join as an Energy Star Partner.
Please note that the EPA has revised the Energy Star specifications for washing machines, water heaters, imaging equipment, and for boxes that deliver television and video content, also called set-top boxes. Energy Star Partners must adhere to the new requirements.
Energy Star Homes
Any single-family or multi-family residential home that is three stories or less in height can qualify to receive the Energy Star label. This includes traditional site-constructed homes as well as log homes, modular homes, systems-built homes and manufactured homes. These homes are typically 20 to 30 percent more efficient than standard homes. Qualified new homes include energy-efficient features that lower energy demand and reduce air pollution, such as tight construction and ducts, efficient heating and cooling equipment, and high performance windows. Please note that existing homes can be qualified for the Energy Star label if they meet Energy Star's guidelines. However, it is not typically practical or cost-effective to bring an existing home to that level of efficiency.
If you decide to pursue an Energy Star label for your new or existing home, you will need to hire a home energy rater to evaluate the home and make recommendations on reaching performance guidelines. Once the construction or improvements are underway, the rater will conduct inspections and perform diagnostic tests to document the home's energy performance.
Energy Star Businesses
Buildings and industrial plants that have earned the Energy Star label use on average 35 percent less energy than similar buildings and generate one-third less carbon dioxide. Currently, commercial buildings that can earn the label include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retailers, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories and warehouses. Industrial buildings that can earn the Energy Star include auto assembly plants, petroleum refineries, cement plants and wet corn mills. Architecture firms can also display the Designed to Earn the Energy Star graphic to distinguish their projects. However, the only buildings located outside of the U.S. that are eligible to earn the Energy Star label are those that are owned and occupied by the U.S. government and that have met U.S. construction codes.
Earning the Energy Star label allows an organization to validate its environmental efforts in an objective, credible way. National recognition is granted with a placement on the registry of labeled buildings.
Finally, additional information on energy efficiency is available at the following links: