Our History

Old ENERGY STAR poster from 1992 saying "Pollution Solution"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the ENERGY STAR program in 1992, at a time when both business leaders and environmentalists recognized that economic growth and environmental protection can—and must—go hand-in-hand. It was a radical idea at the time, but within a year, the success of this pioneering program proved that if the government empowered businesses to protect the environment at a profit, it would find a powerful partner in the fight against climate change.

Since then, EPA’s ENERGY STAR program has grown to encompass tens of thousands of organizations, utilities, and state and local governments who have partnered with the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With their help, EPA works to identify and dismantle the unique market barriers that prevent progress, and to provide the information and stability that private markets need to thrive. The environmental impacts are staggering, and a testament to the power of partnership: The avoidance of billions of metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, billions of dollars of private sector investment, and millions of high-paying, fast-growing jobs.

Scroll through the timeline below to learn more about the history of EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.

2022

  • EPA celebrated the 30th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR program with "Certification Nation," a special one-time recognition to organizations who certified five or more buildings or plants in 2022
  • More than 40,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants have earned ENERGY STAR certification to date
  • Recognized both Adaptive Commercial Refrigeration Equipment and Residential Induction Cooking Tops with the ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award
  • Launched the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade to promote a carefully crafted set of six high-impact, efficient electric home improvements
  • Finalized the first program requirements for ENERGY STAR NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments
  • Launched a new ENERGY STAR industrial focus for the chlor alkali industry
  • Launched 1 - 100 ENERGY STAR score for existing single-family homes in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
  • Continued to advance ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction program requirements for single-family (Version 3.2), multifamily (Version 1.2), and manufactured (Version 3) homes
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for six categories effective this year, including televisions, residential water heaters, water coolers, commercial refrigeration, small network equipment (sunset), and roofs (sunset)

2021

  • EPA celebrated the 30th anniversary of its climate partnership programs
  • Celebrated the ten-year anniversary of ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry. Participating manufacturers have achieved 17 million metric tons of greenhouse emissions reductions since ENERGY STAR first offered the challenge
  • Residential induction cooktops receive ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award
  • First smart home energy management system earns ENERGY STAR certification
  • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR surpassed 1 million retrofitted homes since the program began
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for three categories effective this year, including data center storage, commercial dishwashers and pool pumps

2020

  • Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its thousands of partners helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $500 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions
  • ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans save over 500 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in one year, for the first time ever
  • ENERGY STAR annual savings resulted in over 400 million in greenhouse gas reductions for the first time
  • Over the lifetime of the program, every dollar EPA has spent on ENERGY STAR resulted in nearly $350 in energy cost savings for American business and households
  • Developed new ENERGY STAR program requirements (PDF, 139 KB) specifically designed for single-family and multifamily homes built in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands
  • More than 3,000 builders, developers, and manufactured housing plants are ENERGY STAR partners, including all of the nation’s twenty largest homebuilders
  • Launched a new electric vehicle purchasing resource featuring ENERGY STAR certified chargers
  • Refrigerators with advanced adaptive compressors receive ENERGY STAR Emerging Technology Award
  • About 75,000 product models have earned the ENERGY STAR
  • Launched ENERGY STAR Tenant Space
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for four categories effective this year, including air cleaners, computers, displays and vending machines

2019

  • ENERGY STAR helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity and avoid 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions over the life of the program. In 2019 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped Americans save nearly 500 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity
  • Over the lifetime of the ENERGY STAR Program, private investment leveraged by ENERGY STAR totals to roughly $300 billion
  • Air pollution avoided by ENERGY STAR was responsible for an estimated $7 – 17 billion in public health benefits
  • For the first time, a majority of American households surveyed reported purchasing an ENERGY STAR certified product. Over the life of the program, Americans have purchased more than 7 billion products
  • More than 2 million ENERGY STAR certified homes and apartments built in the U.S. to date
  • ENERGY STAR LEDs come down in price to $1 per bulb in some stores
  • ENERGY STAR certified storm windows available in stores for the first time
  • ENERGY STAR certified the first fluid milk and yogurt processing plant in the U.S.
  • Released the first ENERGY STAR energy performance indicator (EPI) for fertilizer manufacturing
  • Released the 3rd update of the Cement EPI and the 2nd EPI update for frozen fried potato processing plants and cookie and cracker bakeries
  • Launched the ENERGY STAR Treasure Hunt campaign with 142 industrial sites and commercial buildings, uncovering $38 million in savings
  • Launched a new ENERGY STAR industrial focus for the distilled spirits sector
  • New ENERGY STAR product category introduced this year for Smart Home Energy Management Systems (SHEMS)
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for six categories effective this year, including uninterruptible power supplies, televisions, pool pumps, servers, imaging equipment, and dehumidifiers

2018

  • Americans purchased more than 6 billion ENERGY STAR certified products since 1992
  • Since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners helped American families and businesses save more than 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity
  • Over 200 American industrial plants have earned the ENERGY STAR for superior energy performance since 2006
  • Updated ENERGY STAR Product Finder for refrigerators, room air conditioners, clothes washers and dryers, and lighting
  • Version 3.2 program requirements for ENERGY STAR certified homes introduced in California, Oregon, and Washington
  • Released ENERGY STAR RaterPro, a tool to help energy rating companies collect field data during inspections required for ENERGY STAR certified homes
  • The 1-100 ENERGY STAR Scores for offices, K-12 schools, retail stores and supermarkets, warehouses, hotel properties, and worship facilities performance metrics for the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® tool were updated were updated based on recent market data
  • Storm windows became a new ENERGY STAR product category this year
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for six categories effective this year including computers, clothes washers, ceiling fans, and ice makers

2017

2016

2015

  • 20th anniversary of ENERGY STAR Certified Homes program
  • Americans purchased more than 300 million ENERGY STAR certified products, for a cumulative total exceeding 5.5 billion products (excluding purchases of light bulbs)
  • Version 3.1 program requirements for ENERGY STAR certified homes begin to become effective in states adopting 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or equivalent
  • ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® DataTrends available for 16 property types
  • Congress directs EPA to develop a recognition program for energy efficient tenant spaces under the ENERGY STAR program
  • Clothes dryers became a new ENERGY STAR product category this year
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for eight categories effective this year including TVs, clothes washers, room air conditioners, water coolers, and water heaters

2014

2013

  • More than 1.5 million ENERGY STAR certified homes built in the U.S. to-date
  • More than 20,000 American commercial building properties certified as ENERGY STAR
  • EPA updates the ENERGY STAR Home Energy Yardstick tool, allowing homeowners to upload their utility bills using ‘Green Button’ functionality
  • ENERGY STAR teams with the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and launches program to help new car and truck dealerships reduce energy waste
  • Four new ENERGY STAR product categories introduced this year including data centers and commercial water heaters
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for twelve categories effective this year including computer displays, room air conditioners, water heaters, furnaces, home audio equipment, and decorative string lights

2012

2011

2010

  • More than 80% of American households recognize the ENERGY STAR label
  • More than 10,000 American commercial building properties certified as ENERGY STAR
  • The first food processing plants earn ENERGY STAR
  • To protect program integrity, ENERGY STAR requires lab report from manufacturers when submitting products for ENERGY STAR certification
  • Launch of ENERGY STAR National Building Competition
  • Launch of 1-100 ENERGY STAR Score for Data Centers in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to assist data center operators in assessing their energy performance and reducing energy use
  • ENERGY STAR industrial partnership grows to twenty different industrial sectors and subsectors, fostering collaboration and developing industry-specific tools and resources
  • ENERGY STAR no longer available for external power adapters after market conversion to energy efficient adapters
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for eleven categories effective this year including computer displays, light bulbs, air conditioners, certain commercial HVAC, home audio equipment, windows and water coolers

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

  • ENERGY STAR, through its work with the U.S. auto manufacturing industry, provided first plant energy performance indicator for this industry
  • Three new ENERGY STAR product categories introduced including fryers and steam cookers
  • Updates to the ENERGY STAR product requirements for ten categories effective this year including TVs, light bulbs, telephones, clothes washers, room air conditioners, ceiling fans, traffic signals, and roof products

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

1996

  • EPA and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announce their ENERGY STAR partnership
  • Several national lenders offer ENERGY STAR mortgages to promote the purchase of certified new homes
  • Dishwashers, refrigerators/freezers, exit signs, room air conditioners, and boilers became new ENERGY STAR product categories

1995

1994

1993

1992

1991

  • EPA introduces Green Lights program, a partnership to promote efficient lighting systems in commercial and industrial buildings (later integrated into ENERGY STAR)

NOTE: Dollar figures are valued in the year for which they were originally reported.

Learn More

fields with the sun rising

Program Impacts
Get the latest stats on the economic and environmental benefits of ENERGY STAR.

ENERGY STAR Logo detail

How ENERGY STAR Works
Through ENERGY STAR, EPA partners with the private sector to transform how we use energy.
Tax forms, calculator, and a check from US treasury
Federal Tax Credits
Search for tax incentives on energy-saving products and building efficiency upgrades.