YONKERS, New York, September 3, 2008 (ENS) – Lax standards and out-of-date test protocols that are not independently verified weaken the federal Energy Star program used to identify energy efficient appliances, according to a report in the latest issue of “Consumer Reports” magazine published Tuesday.

This Energy Star logo is found on
products listed as energy efficient
by the federal government.

“The percent of products that qualify for Energy Star is increasing because standards are too easy to reach and federal test procedures haven’t kept pace with new technology,” the report states.

Energy Star is a 16 year old voluntary program administered by the Energy Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that covers more than 50 product categories such as lighting, home electronics, office equipment, and home heating and cooling. The program establishes nationwide guidelines and uses a logo that identifies energy-efficient products.

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA says it “stands by the integrity of the Energy Star program.”

But the report points out that to qualify, companies self-certify that their products comply with the standards. The Energy Department does not test products for compliance with Energy Star standards, and often there is no independent verification of what manufacturers report, Consumers Reports states.

Qualifying Energy Star appliances and consumer electronics should use about 10 to 25 percent less than the Energy Department’s maximum allowed amount for that category.

Tests conducted by the magazine’s staff found the energy consumption claims reported on some products’ EnergyGuide label to “understate significantly” what consumers are likely to experience.

The Samsung RF267ABRS refrigerator (Photo
courtesy Samsung)

Consumer Reports’ comparative energy tests of refrigerators, which the magazine says are tougher than the Energy Department’s and better resemble how consumers use refrigerators, found five Energy Star models – three from LG and two from Samsung – whose annual energy consumption would likely be far greater than that claimed on their EnergyGuide labels.

For example, “Consumer Reports” found that the Samsung RF267ABRS, a refrigerator with French doors and through-the-door ice and water dispensers, used 890-kilowatt-hours per year – a number higher than the 540 kWh annual consumption claimed under the less rigorous Energy Star Program.

There was an even larger difference between company claims and Consumer Reports’ more-demanding test measurements for the LG LMX25981ST French-door fridge. LG claims it uses 547 kWh per year, but Consumer Reports’ tests found that real-life energy use would be more than double.

In the case of the LG models, the Energy Star protocol allows for the ice maker to be turned off during testing, resulting in the ice melting. Consumer Reports believes that consumers would not turn off the icemaker, and that appears to be a primary reason for the discrepancy between the Energy Star and Consumer Reports’ test results.

According to the EPA, about 25 percent of products in a category should qualify for Energy Star. But until recently, for example, 92 percent of all dishwashers qualified. Under a tighter standard, about 50 percent now qualify. A high number of residential-use oil-fired boilers, 67 percent, and dehumidifiers, 60 percent, also qualify for the program, the report states

Another logo used in the government’s Energy
Star marketing campaign

In a statement Tuesday, the EPA calls the “Consumer Reports” article “misleading.”

The agency says the magazine “confuses” three different programs run by the federal government that address energy use and energy efficiency of energy-using products – the minimum standards program operated by the Energy Department, the EnergyGuide label overseen by the Federal Trade Commission, and the Energy Star labeling program.

“The Consumer Reports article misses the basic point of the Energy Star program,” says the EPA. “Energy Star is designed to help consumers find energy-efficient products that will cost-effectively help save them money and help them protect the environment.”

“Last year alone, the program prevented 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions while saving Americans more than $16 billion on their utility bills,” the federal agency said.

“Consumer Reports” criticizes the three year time period it usually takes the Department of Energy to publish new rules – a period that includes comments from manufacturers, organizations such as Consumers Union, and others. It takes another three years for the updated standards to take effect.

“Input into the rule-making process by those who have a vested interest in easy-to-meet standards, such as manufacturers, can also dilute those standards,” the report states.

Consumers Union, the organization that publishes the “Consumer Reports” magazine, recommends more frequent reviews of testing procedures and standards and suggests that testing procedures be brought in line with new technologies. The government should also require independent verification of test results, the report recommends.

Federal officials need to better police companies and enforce standards with spot checks of Energy Star-qualified products, says the Consumers Union, and the report suggests that the program should consider a graded qualifying system that uses letters.

View This Story On Eco–mmunity Map.

It is good to know what your government is doing in regards to the state of the environment. The U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started a program called Energy Star in 1992. Energy Star is a voluntary organization that entreats companies who make electrical devices to include a special label on their products. In order for a product to qualify for an Energy Star label, it must meet strict energy efficiency standards set by the Energy Star program.

The idea here is to point consumer attention towards products that promote responsible consumption of natural resources. This seems to be one of the more realistic approaches to solving the climate crisis, since we all know somebody is always going to want a microwave or an air conditioner, no matter how bad the environmental problems might get. Conservation is a great way to get your cake and eat it too. Read more below to find out about the new pledge you can make at the Energy Star Website.

Join Countless Other People Taking The Pledge [www.energystar.gov]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is launching a national campaign to help Americans join in the fight against climate change. The campaign, “Change the World, Start with Energy Star” helps people make important energy-efficient changes at home and at work that can add up to significant reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases.

“Environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility and this Earth Day, we are encouraging people to take common sense steps to reduce their climate footprints,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Through our new ‘Change the World: Start with ENERGY STAR’ campaign, we are helping people save green by going green.”

The campaign builds on the success of the Energy Star Change a Light campaign by providing a set of steps people can take to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition to replacing at least one light in the home with an Energy Star one, the new Energy Star pledge encourages consumers to:

- Make home heating and cooling systems work more efficiently
- Make sure homes are well sealed and insulated
- Enable the power management features on home computers and monitors
- Choose an Energy Star qualified refrigerator, dishwasher and/or clothes washer when replacing or purchasing new appliances

Taking energy efficient steps at home and at work can make an important difference in addressing climate change. Buildings contribute about 40% of the nation’s emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary greenhouse gas, as most of the energy used in buildings comes from the burning of fossil fuels. These emissions can be reduced substantially through energy efficiency and the steps of the Energy Star pledge. If every American household took part in this new Energy Star pledge, we would save more than $18 billion in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 18 million cars..

Individuals can take the pledge online at www.energystar.gov

WASHINGTON, DC, March 17, 2008 (ENS) – Next year, clothes washers that are much more efficient than current appliances will be coming on the market. The new washers will have to use less water than those now on sale, and they also must be more energy efficient.

As of July 1, 2009, manufacturers will have to make their washers meet a higher standard if they want to qualify the appliances to carry the government’s Energy Star® label.

Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency formed in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based program that seeks to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency.

“The Energy Star program provides consumers with greater options for purchasing energy efficient products to save money and energy,” said Andy Karsner, the Energy Department’s assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy

“More stringent Energy Star criteria for clothes washers … means more consumers can make smart energy choices and help further the nation’s goal of increasing efficiency and energy productivity, resulting in significant energy savings and greater economic competitiveness,” he said.

This Energy Star qualified Whirlpool washer
will be held to a stricter standard come
July 2009. (Photo courtesy Whirlpool)

The new 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 of 7.5, as of July 1, 2009.

The Water Factor measures water efficiency and is calculated as gallons of water used per cubic foot of capacity – the lower the Water Factor, the more efficient the clothes washer.

Then in the second phase, from January 1, 2011, clothes washers must be a minimum of 59 percent more efficient than current federal energy efficiency standards with a maximum Water Factor of 6.0.

After the 2011 criteria change for clothes washers, consumers across the country are expected to save a total of $120 million on utility bills annually.

The Energy Department calculates buyers will also save 11.2 billion gallons of water, and 659 million kilowatt hours of electricity each year.

The agency projects that 1.9 million Energy Star qualified clothes washers built to the new criteria will be sold the first year they are available, saving Americans up to $92.4 million annually on their water and utility bills.

Currently, clothes washers qualified to the Energy Star standard use 75 percent less energy than clothes washer models manufactured in 1980. The current Energy Star criteria for clothes washers, last modified in January 2007, were drafted with input from stakeholders and public review and comment.

To learn more about Energy Star®, and to view the revised program requirements, visit [url]www.EnergyStar.gov[/url] or call 1-888-STAR-YES.

There are at least 225 models of clothes washers on the U.S. market that meet the current Energy Star criteria, made by 27 different manufacturers.

For a complete list of Energy Star qualified washers, click here [www.energystar.gov].

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It’s easy for people like us TreeHuggers to sit back and say, “Follow our advice; be greener; it’s better.” We have good reasons for saying so — things like using less energy, reducing greenhouse gas output and lowering our individual and collective ecological footprint — but those are sometimes difficult to contextualize and put into practice in a meaningful, everyday sort of way. Let’s take a look, then, at some context for what we’re talking about, as we look at home energy use, by the numbers.

It’s easy to forget that the appliances and systems in our homes have two price tags: one on display at the store, and one in our energy bill every month. It’s also easy to forget that the second one really adds up over time, and that buying the cheaper product (at the point of sale) may end up costing you more over its lifespan in utility bills (not to mention the increase carbon footprint it has from hogging all that extra energy). The US Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program and accompanying label is an easy, effective way to cut back on this phenomenon; in case you don’t believe us; here are some of the numbers.

$1,900 per year — the amount the average home spends in energy costs.
$110 per year — the amount that using an Energy Star clothes washer can save you.
18-25 gallons — the amount, in water, that most Energy Star clothes washers uses per cycle.
40 gallons — the amount, in water, that an average conventional washer uses per cycle.
$30 per year — the amount you can save by replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an Energy Star qualified dishwasher.
$90 — the amount, over its lifetime, that using an Energy Star dishwasher will save you by using less hot water.
Four months — the amount of time you could light an average house with the energy saved by replacing a refrigerator bought in 1990. Check out Energy Star’s Refrigerator Retirement Savings Calculator [www.energystar.gov] to get more numbers.
$25 per year — the amount you can save by replacing a 10 year-old room air conditioner (those that go in the window, usually) with an Energy Star model.
40% — the amount of all electricity used to power home electronics that is consumed while the products are turned off (there’s that pesky phantom power [www.sundancechannel.com] again).
17 power plants[/url] — the equivalent output that this wasted energy equals each year across the US.
[b]Seven — the average number of home electronics — 2 TVs, a VCR, DVD player and 3 telephones — in US homes.
25 billion pounds — the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that would be saved if these items were replaced by Energy Star models.
3 million cars — the equivalent, in greenhouse gas emissions, that the above action would take off the road.
1.7 million acres — the equivalent amount of new trees planted that would result from just one in 10 homes using Energy Star-qualified products.

We could go on and on, but we hope you’re starting to get the idea. Look for the yellow guide above to help you when shopping and doing the math for replacement costs (old ones will have much higher numbers than new ones, and remember: little changes really can make a really big difference, when you start adding a few of them up. And you don’t even have to do it because you care about the planet; you can do it because you’re tired of wasting money. Either way, you’ll be more (and have more) green.