Certification Body Resources

EPA–recognized certification bodies (CBs) certify products that meet ENERGY STAR requirements and report information on those products to EPA. A CB must be EPA–recognized to certify products. One of the key criteria for recognition is accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 65 or ISO/IEC 17065 by an accreditation body that is an International Accreditation Forum Multilateral Recognition Agreement (IAF MLA) signatory. CBs must verify that test results are from an EPA–recognized laboratory, maintain open correspondence with EPA, and cooperate with their AB for ongoing accreditation. CBs are also responsible for administering verification testing and challenge testing.

Responsibilities

• Maintain accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 65 or to ISO/IEC 17065 as per ENERGY STAR requirements.
• Certify product performance according to the Standard Operating Procedure for Certification of Products to ENERGY STAR Specifications (85KB).
• Enroll first–party laboratories in a CB’s witnessed or supervised manufacturers’ testing laboratory (W/SMTL) program. Note, operating a W/SMTL program is optional.
• Report certified products and corresponding data to EPA.
  • Submit data through the Qualified Product Exchange system via XML web services using well–formed, valid XML documents compliant with the web–services definition provided.
• Report products ineligible for ENERGY STAR certification to EPA.
• Administer verification and challenge testing, and share testing results.
  • Complete and submit verification testing summary report .
  • Report models that fail to meet ENERGY STAR requirements .
• Use the Certified Subcomponent Database (CSD) to support certification of luminaires. Note, use of the CSD is optional.
• Cooperate with ongoing assessments and audits from accreditors and from EPA.
• Participate in all required meetings and conference calls with EPA.
• Stay engaged in the development of all new and revised product specifications and test procedures.

How to Apply for EPA Recognition

1. Obtain or maintain accreditation to ISO/IEC Guide 65 or ISO/IEC 17605 from an AB that is an IAF MLA signatory.
2. Agree to comply with the Conditions and Criteria for Recognition of Certification Bodies (67KB).
3. Develop internal procedures to include all requirements in the Conditions and Criteria, including but not limited to:
   1. Verification testing
   2. Re–evaluation in the event of significant changes
   3. Challenge testing
   4. Process for resolving discrepancies
4. Complete and sign the application (338KB) for recognition of CBs.
5. Submit all internal procedures and signed application to Certification@energystar.gov.

Additional Resources

Mandatory Webinar for CBs on April 24, 2013

On April 24, 2013, EPA held a mandatory conference call session for certification bodies to discuss lessons learned from 2011 and 2012 verification testing. In addition, the webinar also included a discussion of the timeline and transition to ISO/IEC 17065 as well as addressed data quality issues for data submitted through the XML–based Qualified Product Exchange (QPX) system. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation.

• ENERGY STAR Webinar for EPA–Recognized CBs (April 24, 2013)

Mandatory Training for CBs Interested in Certifying ENERGY STAR Commercial Water Heaters

On February 7, 2013, EPA held a mandatory conference call training session for certification bodies (CBs) interested in certifying ENERGY STAR commercial water heaters. The presentation covered the specification and the key product criteria that CBs need to review to certify commercial water heaters and was mandatory for any CB interested in expanding its scope of recognition prior to formal accreditation. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation.

• ENERGY STAR Commercial Water Heaters CB training (February 7, 2013) (354KB)

Mandatory Training for CBs Interested in Certifying ENERGY STAR Pool Pumps

On January 29, 2013, EPA held a mandatory conference call training session for certification bodies (CBs) interested in certifying ENERGY STAR pool pumps. The presentation covered the specification and the key product criteria that CBs need to review to certify pool pumps and was mandatory for any CB interested in expanding its scope of recognition prior to formal accreditation. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation.

• ENERGY STAR Pool Pumps CB Training (January 29, 2013) (348KB)

ITI Certification and Verification Testing Overview

On July 29, 2011, EPA met with EPA–recognized CBs and members of the Information Technology Industry Council in Washington, DC to provide a general overview of the status of product certification in the consumer electronics and information technology fields, and to discuss the verification testing requirements. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation.

• ITI Certification and Verification Overview (July 29, 2011) (286KB)

Verification Testing Training Presentation

On June 10, 2011, EPA hosted a meeting for CBs in Washington, DC to discuss verification testing for certified products. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation. Note that this presentation provides a general overview of verification testing but is not EPA’s final guidance. The formal guidance is provided in Directive 2011–06.

• Verification Testing Training (June 10, 2011) (306KB)

Luminaires Specification Training

On April 26, 2011, EPA held a training for the ENERGY STAR Luminaires specification to provide additional details on product certification and assist with understanding the specification. EPA provided attendees with the following presentation.

• Luminaires Specification Training (April 26, 2011) (1.4MB)

Additional Questions?

Visit the Frequently Asked Questions.