Energy Star is a government-sponsored "seal of approval" for appliances, electronics and other products -- and even homes -- which are somewhat energy-efficient. It is a joint program between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, although it is now been adopted by Australia, Canada, the European Union, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan. It was started in 1992 as a voluntary labeling program. The first Energy Star-qualified products were computers and printers.
While each product category has many slightly different criteria for obtaining the Energy Star certification, the general guidelines are that products must be from 10% to 30% more efficient than the minimum standards set by the EPA. It is not clear whether products without Energy Star certification exactly meet the EPA's minimum criteria; so the government's claim of $14 billion in energy cost savings (the amount it says the U.S. saved in 2006) is hard to verify.
European products
Many products made for the European market now carry approval from TCO Certification, which combines energy efficiency with an ergonomics rating.
Energy Star homes
In 1995, Energy Star certification was expanded to include new homes, taking into account the efficiency of insulation, windows, "tight" construction, lighting, heating and cooling systems, ducts, installed appliances, and water heaters.
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