ENERGY STAR Certifications

Since its creation in 1992, the ENERGY STAR program has grown to designate high efficiency for products in more than 75 categories; for multifamily, manufactured, and single-family homes; for buildings in 21 property types, and for industrial plants in 31 diverse sectors. To earn the label, EPA requires third-party certifications in all categories.

ENERGY STAR Certified Products

Hundreds of utilities and other energy efficiency program administrators feature ENERGY STAR certified residential and commercial products as focal measures for their efficiency programs. 

• Find information on how product specifications are established for ENERGY STAR products, as well as the process around the annual ENERGY STAR Most Efficient and Emerging Technology recognitions. 
• Learn about EPA's robust system to protect the integrity of the ENERGY STAR label on products.
• Explore certified product listings in the ENERGY STAR Product Finders which enable consumers to identify efficient product models, compare features, and more. 
• Leverage the ENERGY STAR product data sets to host up-to-date qualifying product lists (or subsets thereof) on your website using ENERGY STAR Certified Product APIs.

Learn about the process for collecting ENERGY STAR certified products shipment data and review market share reports.

ENERGY STAR Certified Residential New Construction

ENERGY STAR certification for a new home or apartment means not only that it is more efficient, but that it is designed and built to standards well above most other homes and apartments on the market and that it has undergone a process of inspections, testing, and verification to meet strict requirements set by EPA. The median age of owner-occupied homes in the United States is 37 years.¹  Locking in energy efficiency during new construction avoids lost opportunities.

Learn about performance criteria by dwelling type through the links below:

• Single-family homes (alternative compliance options for gut rehab)
• Multifamily dwellings
• Manufactured homes

Learn about market share for ENERGY STAR New Homes in your state.

ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings and Plants

In the commercial and industrial space, the major focus of the ENERGY STAR program is on improving the performance of existing buildings and industrial plants. To do so, EPA provides tools for benchmarking whole building and industrial plant performance. Using these tools, buildings and plants that receive an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or above, as verified by a licensed professional (a professional engineer or registered architect), can apply to have their building or industrial plant certified as ENERGY STAR for a given year.

Learn more about the EPA benchmarking tools and certification opportunities via the links below:

• ENERGY STAR certification for buildings
• Designed to earn the ENERGY STAR (new construction)
• ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® tool
• ENERGY STAR certification for industrial plants
• Industry-specific energy performance indicators

Find ENERGY STAR certified buildings and plants near you.

In addition to promoting the value of ENERGY STAR certification, energy efficiency program sponsors can leverage benchmarking tools with customers to promote awareness of energy performance and the value of continuous improvement. Utilities also serve a valuable role in providing customer access to energy data for benchmarking with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.

Learn what others are doing through the interactive maps for energy benchmarking data, programs and policies.

¹ Source: http://eyeonhousing.org