United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Air and Radiation
6202J
EPA 430-F-93-052
November 1993
&ER& Energy Star Programs
ENERGY STAR PROGRAMS
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Electricity generation is a source of air pollution, accounting for 35 percent of all U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, 75
percent of sulfur dioxide, and 38 percent of nitrogen oxides. EPA has formed revolutionary, voluntary new partner-
ships with the private sector to encourage the production and use of energy-efficient equipment that reduce air pol-
lution. The flagship Green Lights program helps businesses and other organizations cut their lighting electricity bills.
Itisalsothe first step in the comprehensive Energy Star Buildings program, which addresses heating, cooling, and
air handling in commercial buildings. The Energy Star Computers program works with manufacturers and end users
to bring more energy-efficient computers to market. These exciting public-private partnerships are changing the way
the country consumes energy—and they're preventing pollution profitably!
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Green Lights:
A Bright Investment in Energy Efficiency
.Lighting accounts for
2CM-25 percent of all elec-
tricity use in the United
States. If everyone in the
country used energy-effi-
cient lighting, the nation
could save—and rein-
vest—about $16 billion
per year, and could reduce
carbon dioxide, nitrogen
oxides, and sulfur dioxide
emissions from utilities by
up to 12 percent.
By forming voluntary
working partnerships with
over 1,150 businesses,
institutions, and nonprofit
organizations, the Green
Lights program has taught
these organizations to
view lighting as an oppor-
tunity for investment.
rather than as simply a
fixed overhead cost. Green
Lights works with partici-
pants to encourage the
installation of energy-effi-
cient lighting, only where
profitable and where light-
ing quality is maintained
or enhanced. EPA provides
technical support to partic-
ipants, as well as
employee education and
opportunities for public
recognition for their envi-
ronmental leadership. By
applying the Green Lights
formula for success, these
organizations have real-
ized average rates of
return on their invest-
ments of 30 percent or
more.
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Energy Star Buildings:
Maximizing Energy tfficiency--and Profits
The United States
spends approximately $70
billion annually to operate
commercial and industrial
buildings. Now, a wide
variety of energy-efficient
technologies can cut this
energy use by more than
40 percent. That amounts
to $28 billion that can be
reinvested in the economy
each year, rather than
wasted on unnecessary
electricity use. More
important, this profitable
and efficient use of energy
means less air pollution!
The Energy Star Build-
ings program is a five-
stage process in which
EPA asks participants to
perform energy-efficiency
upgrades only where prof-
itable. The program starts
with membership in Green
Lights, followed by a
comprehensive building
survey and tune-up. It then
calls for reducing heating,
ventilation, and air-condi-
tioning (HVAC) loads and
improving fans and air-
handling systems. The pro-
gram finishes with an
improved HVAC plant,
comprised of more effi-
cient chiller and heating
systems.
Energy Star Computers:
Saving Money by Going to
Sleep
Computers currently
account for 5 percent of
commercial electricity con-
sumption. As the fastest-
growing business
electricity load, this could
rise to 10 percent by the
year 2000. As many as
30-40 percent of personal
computers are left running
at night and on weekends.
Recognizing this signifi-
cant, energy-saving oppor-
tunity, EPA has formed a
partnership with leading
computer manufacturers
to develop desktop com-
puters, monitors, and
printers that can "sleep,"
or "power-down," when
not is use. Now available
to consumers and busi-
nesses, this sleep feature
can cut a computer's elec-
tricity use by over one-
half.
Look for computer prod-
ucts with the Energy
Star™ logo. Together, we
could save enough elec-
tricity each year to power
Vermont and New
Hampshire, to cut electric-
ity bills by $2 billion, and
to reduce carbon dioxide
pollution equal to the
emissions from 5 million
automobiles.
The Energy Star pro-
grams offer the kind of
tools pioneered by the
Green Lights program—
objective product infor-
mation, expert
decision-making capa-
bility, extensive techni-
cal support, and the
ability to publicize
progress in environmen-
tal protection. Energy
Star Buildings and
Energy Star Computers
are add ing to the
momentum established
by Green Lights, and
already the air is
cleaner!
EPA POLLUTION PREVENTtR
For more |,
informationl ~
For more information ••=:
contact:
-
Energy Star Programs •>,_„-
U.S.EPA(6202J) LUC'
401 M Street, SW ^ -g,
Washington, DC 20460o cr
Fax: 202 775-6680
Or call: 202 775-6650
For more information by
fax (available 24 hours a
day), call 202 233-9659
EPA SEEKS ONLY TO PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND DOES NOT ENDORSE ANY PARTICULAR COMPANY OR ITS PRODUCTS.
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