ENERGY STAR
CELEBRATING
2OYEARS
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A Message from the Administrator
Twenty years ago, the U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency (EPA) created a unique partnership
to overcome market barriers to energy efficiency
and create a healthier climate for all Americans.
Today, we celebrate two decades of partnership,
promise, and progress with the ENERGY STAR
program.
Together with the Department of Energy, we have
seen the ENERGY STAR program grow to include nearly 20,000 organiza-
tions from every sector of the economy. More than 80 percent of Americans
now recognize the ENERGY STAR label. American families and businesses
have saved a total of nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more
than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from
ENERGY STAR.
As we celebrate our past, we also look to the future. We remain committed
to helping America embrace energy efficiency as one of the fastest and
easiest ways to save money, prevent pollution, and create jobs. We look
forward to continued partnership and enduring progress toward a healthy
environment and a prosperous economy for our families and our future.
Lisa P. Jackson
Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
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A blue box with just two words, ENERGY STAR—it may seem like a
small thing. But it stands for a landmark program that is changing our
world.
On the 20th anniversary of the EPA's ENERGY STAR program, we honor
a remarkable partnership between American businesses and the fed-
eral government that is transforming how America uses energy.
20 years of partnership,
promise, and progress
Through our vast network of partners, ENERGY STAR helps Americans
make informed decisions about cost-effective ways to save energy in
every facet of our lives—at home, at work, and in our communities.
Together, we have achieved meaningful reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions that will help protect our climate, our families, and our
future.
We are making our world a better place.
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More than a mark of efficiency,
ENERGY STAR is also a
symbol of trust, quality, and
responsible stewardship
of the environment.
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A Promise of
Superior Performance,
Proven Value, and
a Clear Choice.
';
In the early 1990s, an innovative idea took hold with the advent
of the ENERGY STAR program. EPA's vision was bold and
untested in the environmental arena: capture and channel the
ingenuity of the marketplace to overcome barriers to energy
efficiency, and prevent pollution rather than remedy it. ENERGY
STAR has traveled a carefully planned journey, considering each
step with deliberate and thoughtful examination.
Today, more than 80 percent of Americans recognize the
ENERGY STAR label. Organizations from small school districts to
large Fortune 500 companies have embraced its value and made
it their own. Families and businesses have saved nearly $230
billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric
tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the past two decades.
The interplay of government, business, and market forces
brought together through ENERGY STAR literally has changed
history.
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20 Years. 20 Memorable Mome
1992: EPA launched the
ENERGY STAR program
with a small group of pio-
neering partners; by 2012,
nearly 20,000 organizations
across every sector of
the economy have joined
ENERGY STAR.
1992: First ENERGY STAR qualified
computers and monitors introduced;
by 2012, more than 5 billion ENERGY
STAR qualified products across more
than 60 different categories have
been purchased.
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1995: ENERGY STAR launched in the commercial and
industrial building markets leading to the first ENERGY STAR
certified building in 1999; by 2012, tens of thousands of
buildings and plants have earned EPA's ENERGY STAR and
perform in the top 25% of facilities nationwide.
1995: ENERGY STAR program
expanded into labeling new
homes; by 2011, the number
of ENERGY STAR certified new
homes climbed to more than
1.3 million.
1996: Department of Energy
(DOE) and EPA ENERGY STAR
partnership announced;
leveraged long-standing DOE
expertise in appliance and
lighting technologies and
testing as well as whole-home
improvement.
1996: White goods became eligible for the
ENERGY STAR label, drawing the attention
of leading national retailers; by 2012,
ENERGY STAR certified appliances have
saved Americans about $1.5 billion a year
in energy costs.
997: ENERGY STAR program
expanded into lighting, labeling
products that were 75% more
efficient than their incandescent
counterparts; by 2012, ENERGY
STAR certified compact fluores-
cent lights (CFLs) represent about
a quarter of U.S. light bulb sales.
1993: Executive Order 12845 signed by
President Clinton requiring Federal agencies
to purchase ENERGY STAR products when
buying new office equipment; just one year
later, more than 2,000 ENERGY STAR qualified
products were available and all major manu-
facturers were participating in the program.
1995: First ENERGY STAR
international agreement
established between EPA and
Japan; laid foundation for
future agreements with global
economic leaders, including the
European Union and Canada,
and international harmoniza-
tion of voluntary efficiency
standards for globally traded
products.
1999: EPA's first 1-100 scale introduced that
allowed for energy performance comparisons
between similar facility types; by 2012, ENERGY
STAR Energy Performance Scales/Indicators are
the only national performance-based comparative
metrics in the marketplace and are available for 25
different facility types.
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2000: First National Awareness
Survey showed 40% of Americans
recognized the ENERGY STAR label;
by 2012, awareness has more than
doubled to more than 80%.
2008: ENERGY STAR ©home
animated web tool debuted;
together with other interactive
tools from ENERGY STAR, such
as the Home Energy Advisor
and the Home Energy Yardstick,
it helped empower millions of
Americans with tips for saving
energy at home, at work, and in
their communities.
2010: New rigorous guidelines for
ENERGY STAR certified homes
announced; new requirements make
certified homes at least 15% more
efficient than those built to the 2009
International Energy Conservation
Code (IECC), and include additional
features to deliver a performance
advantage of up to 30% compared to
typical new homes.
2000: ENERGY STAR Portfolio
Manager launched; by 2011, nearly
40% of the commercial marketplace
had benchmarked in ENERGY STAR
Portfolio Manager, representing the
largest inventory of commercial
building performance data worldwide.
2005: First ENERGY
STAR Change a Light
Day held nationwide; by
2012, nearly 3 million
Americans have pledged
to Change the World with
ENERGY STAR.
2001: First Home Performance with
ENERGY STAR program launched;
by 2012, more than 150,000 families
have improved their homes using
a comprehensive, whole-house
approach to energy efficiency.
2009: Energy information became transparent with
the signing of the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan by
the Mayor of New York City requiring large buildings
to track and report energy use with ENERGY STAR
Portfolio Manager; by 2012, more than two dozen
federal, state, and local policies and campaigns use
ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager.
2010: 25% of all single-
family homes built in
America in 2010 earned
EPA's ENERGY STAR.
2011: New ENERGY STAR
requirements for televisions took
effect, projected sales reached
approximately 40 million, and
average screen size increased
to 50 inches; despite dramatic
growth, TV electricity use was
36 billion kWh/year less than
it might have been without
ENERGY STAR.
2012: Over the past 20 years,
Americans, with help from ENERGY
STAR, have saved nearly $230
billion on utility bills and prevented
more than 1.7 billion metric tons of
greenhouse gas emissions.
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'ENERGY STAR is more than a label awarded
for energy efficiency. It is a partnership among
government, business, and consumers, united
in the pursuit of a common goal—to protect our
environment for future generations."
Christine Todd Whitman
EPA Administrator, 2001 - 2003
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Powerful partnerships.
Remarkable results.
A broad range of nearly 20,000 partners across
every sector of the economy drive the ENERGY
STAR program's success—from manufactur-
ers and trade associations, to retailers and
efficiency program providers, to home builders
and small businesses.
From the first ENERGY STAR qualified computer
in 1992, ENERGY STAR has grown to represent
products in more than 60 different categories,
with more than 5 billion sold over the past 20
years. Over one million new homes and tens
of thousands of facilities proudly carry EPA's
ENERGY STAR certification, use dramatically
less energy, and are responsible for substan-
tially less greenhouse gas emissions than their
peers. Families and companies across America
are improving the energy efficiency of their
homes and businesses with help from ENERGY
STAR in ways that cost less and help the
environment.
This success is possible because ENERGY STAR
continues to deliver on its promise to America
of cost-effective, relevant, and high-quality
energy efficiency solutions.
It's a partnership that works.
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Consumers and companies trying to navigate increasingly complex
environmental and economic decisions have come to rely on ENERGY
STAR to help them make informed choices that lead to cost-effective
energy savings. EPA will continue to safeguard the values that
brought ENERGY STAR to this remarkable point in history, yet adapt
as needed to the changing world in which we live. Together with our
partners, we will create and deliver innovative offerings that bring
even greater value to consumers and businesses.
A future bright with promise
We as a society must also must build a larger action-oriented ethos
around protecting the environment through energy efficiency; for
all of the technology innovations that are possible, we still must
encourage greater changes in our behavior and be more conscious of
how we use energy—and how much we use. Together, we can help
America preserve our climate and strengthen our economy at the
same time.
We believe the future is bright. We will embrace the possibilities and
rise to the challenges that lie ahead and soar to even greater heights.
Thank you for 20 remarkable years of partnership, promise, and
progress. We look forward to continuing the journey with you.
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Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,
committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
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&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Air and Radiation
(6202J)EPA430-F-12-009
March 2012
Recycled/Recyclable—Printed on Recyclable
Paper (Minimum 50% Post-Consumer Content)
Learn more about the
20th Anniversary of ENERGY STAR at
www.energystar.gov/20th
ENERGY STAR® is a U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency Program helping businesses
and individuals fight climate change through
superior energy efficiency.
C E L E B R AT
ENERGYSTAR
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