Overhaul of Energy Star product-certification process represents progress, but DOE and EPA have more to do
April 16, 2010 1:38 PM
Energy Star product certification was lacking.
According to Energy Star, last year the program saved Americans $17 billion on their utility bills and eliminated greenhouse-gas emissions equal to that produced by 30 million cars.
And in this time of cash for appliances rebates for Energy Star-qualified products, public awareness is high. More than three quarters of U.S. households recognize the Energy Star label, according to a survey from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and of those consumers, 73 percent went on to purchase an Energy Star-qualified product.
But at times, Energy Star hasn't shone as brightly as it should. We reported on some problems with the program in the October 2008 "Energy Star Has Lost Some Luster." That investigation covered Energy Star-qualified refrigerators and other products that used significantly more electricity in our energy-use tests than what was stated by the manufacturers. (Our energy-use tests are different from and, we believe, tougher than those mandated by the federal government.)
A year later, we reported that the Haier HUF138EA freezer used 70 percent more energy than stated on its EnergyGuide label, consumption that we believed exceeded the federal government's allowable energy use and would preclude it from qualifying for Energy Star.
The Energy Department and the EPA have moved to fix some Energy Star problems. For instance, In January, the DOE stripped the Energy Star from 20 LG and LG-made refrigerators. And In March, the agencies announced that they would spot-test the energy consumption for 200 different Energy Star-qualified appliances in six categories.
But those efforts didn't address the fact that the Energy Star product-certification process seemed to consist of an automated rubber stamp. A recently released audit by the Government Accountability Office revealed that 15 bogus products, including a gas-powered alarm clock, received Energy Star qualification without apparently raising an eyebrow among the folks who run the program.
Given the cachet that products earn by carrying the Energy Star and the resulting increased sales, you'd have thought that the 40,000 appliances and other products that carry the label would have faced a more stringent certification process. Manufacturers, who voluntarily participate in Energy Star, likely weren't complaining about the lax certification.
Responding to the scathing GAO audit, the Energy Department and EPA announced this week that they will undertake stronger oversight of the Energy Star certification process to ensure that only products that actually qualify get the Energy Star label, as we covered in "Energy Department, EPA Look to Restore Energy Star's Luster." For instance, manufacturers must now submit lab reports and energy-use test results from an approved, accredited lab for review and approval by the EPA. That agency will no longer rely on an automated approval process and will review and approve each application individually.
"The Department of Energy's decision is a significant victory for consumers," says Jim Guest, president of Consumers Unions, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org, and the Home & Garden blog. "Its move to improve the Energy Star program in critical ways, chiefly the new requirement that manufacturers submit independent certification to verify that their product will indeed meet consumers expectations, is a great marketplace advancement."
Updated test procedures could also prevent underreporting of energy consumption by manufacturers. Read our latest review of refrigerators, which identified significant energy-use discrepancies with the Maytag MSD2578VE[W] side-by-side, the Viking Professional VCSB542 built-in, and the Blomberg BRFB1450 bottom freezer.
And as the DOE updates its energy standards and test procedures, Energy Star needs to be sure the qualifying bar isn't set too low. Energy Star was conceived to distinguish the most efficient products, but sometimes too many products in a category qualify. In "The Department's Management of the Energy Star Program," U.S. Department of Energy's Inspector General found that 90 percent of compact fluorescent lightbulbs receive the Energy Star.
The Energy Department and the EPA have moved to fix some Energy Star problems. For instance, In January, the DOE stripped the Energy Star from 20 LG and LG-made refrigerators. And In March, the agencies announced that they would spot-test the energy consumption for 200 different Energy Star-qualified appliances in six categories.
But those efforts didn't address the fact that the Energy Star product-certification process seemed to consist of an automated rubber stamp. A recently released audit by the Government Accountability Office revealed that 15 bogus products, including a gas-powered alarm clock, received Energy Star qualification without apparently raising an eyebrow among the folks who run the program.
Given the cachet that products earn by carrying the Energy Star and the resulting increased sales, you'd have thought that the 40,000 appliances and other products that carry the label would have faced a more stringent certification process. Manufacturers, who voluntarily participate in Energy Star, likely weren't complaining about the lax certification.
Responding to the scathing GAO audit, the Energy Department and EPA announced this week that they will undertake stronger oversight of the Energy Star certification process to ensure that only products that actually qualify get the Energy Star label, as we covered in "Energy Department, EPA Look to Restore Energy Star's Luster." For instance, manufacturers must now submit lab reports and energy-use test results from an approved, accredited lab for review and approval by the EPA. That agency will no longer rely on an automated approval process and will review and approve each application individually.
"The Department of Energy's decision is a significant victory for consumers," says Jim Guest, president of Consumers Unions, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, ConsumerReports.org, and the Home & Garden blog. "Its move to improve the Energy Star program in critical ways, chiefly the new requirement that manufacturers submit independent certification to verify that their product will indeed meet consumers expectations, is a great marketplace advancement."
"If executed as described in the press release, it looks like this is a significant change to the process, which appears to address many of the issues we've raised in the past," Gregory H. Friedman, the Energy Department inspector general, told The New York Times.
Even as product certification is being bolstered, some energy-use issues remain. The Energy Department must keep energy-use tests and standards for appliances relevant to the changing marketplace, a point our Deputy Technical Director Mark Connelly made before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources in March 2009. "Third-party testing is good, but if the test procedures don't reflect real-world use, they'll only confirm 'savings' the consumer is unlikely to see," said Connelly.Updated test procedures could also prevent underreporting of energy consumption by manufacturers. Read our latest review of refrigerators, which identified significant energy-use discrepancies with the Maytag MSD2578VE[W] side-by-side, the Viking Professional VCSB542 built-in, and the Blomberg BRFB1450 bottom freezer.
And as the DOE updates its energy standards and test procedures, Energy Star needs to be sure the qualifying bar isn't set too low. Energy Star was conceived to distinguish the most efficient products, but sometimes too many products in a category qualify. In "The Department's Management of the Energy Star Program," U.S. Department of Energy's Inspector General found that 90 percent of compact fluorescent lightbulbs receive the Energy Star.
Clearly the DOE and EPA are making strides to improve Energy Star. Here's hoping the agencies keep up the work so the program can fully realize the goals of helping the environment and saving you money.
—Daniel DiClerico & Steven H. Saltzman
Essential information: Follow our coverage of Energy Star, cash for appliances, and other related news at Twitter.com/CRHomegarden
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