WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) jointly announced changes to the Energy Star product certification process to ensure that only products meeting the program requirements can receive an Energy Star label. These changes accelerate steps that DOE and EPA have recently initiated to bolster the verification, testing, and enforcement aspects of the Energy Star program.

EPA and DOE said that, effective immediately, manufacturers wishing to qualify their products for the Energy Star must submit complete lab reports and results for review and approval by EPA prior to labeling. Following a thorough review of the Energy Star qualification approval process, EPA has strengthened its approval systems and is no longer relying on an automated approval process. All new qualification applications will be reviewed and approved individually by EPA.

Additionally, companies applying to be program partners will not be able to access the Energy Star certification mark until EPA has approved a specific Energy Star-qualified product submitted by the company.

EPA and DOE are further strengthening the certification process with a requirement effective at the end of the year that all manufacturers must submit test results from an approved, accredited lab for any product seeking the Energy Star label. Testing in an accredited lab is currently required for certain product categories. The new process will extend the requirement to each of the more than 60 eligible product categories under the Energy Star program.

These efforts are in addition to enforcement and testing procedures already in place to ensure compliance with Energy Star specifications. DOE is conducting off-the-shelf product testing for some of the most common household appliances and a recent Inspector General audit found that 98 percent of products tested fully complied with Energy Star requirements.

For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.

Publication date: 04/26/2010