The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started the ENERGY STAR program in 1992. Its label holds substantial weight when it comes to reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions without hindering its performance.
From residential dwellings to manufacturing plants, buildings can now earn ENERGY STAR Certifications just like products can.
Differentiating ENERGY STAR Certified vs. Qualified
Did you know that there is a difference between being ENERGY STAR Certified and ENERGY STAR Qualified?
According to ENERGY STAR, the old lingo was "ENERGY STAR qualified/compliant/rated” which some product manufacturers still say. However, they should be saying "ENERGY STAR certified products" as they are independently certified to ensure they satisfy ENERGY STAR’s requirements.
“ENERGY STAR certified products should never claim to be ‘EPA endorsed’ or ‘EPA approved’."
What Makes an ENERGY STAR Certified Building Unique
Not every building can boast the ENERGY STAR Certified status. However, every building can work to become ENERGY STAR Certified.
“ENERGY STAR certified buildings save energy, save money, and help protect the environment by generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical buildings. How? To be certified as ENERGY STAR, a building must meet strict energy performance standards set by EPA.
"Specifically, to be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification, a building must earn an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher, indicating that it performs better than at least 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. Through Portfolio Manager, EPA delivers 1 – 100 ENERGY STAR scores for many types of buildings. The ENERGY STAR score accounts for differences in operating conditions, regional weather data, and other important considerations” - ENERGY STAR
Do You Have What it Takes to Be ENERGY STAR Certified?
If your energy score is already at 75, you’re just a hop, skip away from getting certified. To get started, you can use ENERGY STAR’s Portfolio Manager to learn about the benchmarking and how your ENERGY STAR Score ranks from 1-100.
While only buildings with a 75+ score are qualified to apply for the ENERGY STAR Certification, you can use their Save Energy section to find out how you can reduce your energy consumption and improve your score.
Click the button below to download Eastern Architectural System windows and doors energy matrix to find their U-Factors which are all ENERGY STAR Certified.
