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Thursday, 28 April 2022

What is Energy Star?

Energy Star is an international program and standard designed to make consumer products more energy efficient.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the program in 1992 to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The program is not mandatory, and vendors who voluntarily comply with the program can label their qualified products with the Energy Star label. It was in computers and other information appliances, but later it was extended to motors, office equipment, lighting, and home appliances. After that, Energy Star extended to the area of architecture. Furthermore, The EPA started promoting the Energy Star buildings program in 1996. The EPA assists the volunteer in assessing building energy usage (including lighting, air conditioning, and office equipment), and they are working on the plans for the building energy efficiency improvement. They follow up on tracking tasks, So the Energy Star logo can also be found in homes and buildings that introduce a new concept of environmental protection.

Nowadays, Energy Star is widely involved in businesses and organizations, individual homes, utilities, and local governments.

Youtube Video: ENERGY STAR: The Simple Choice

The United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, New Zealand, and the European Union participate in the ENERGY Star program promoted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and have held the International Energy Star program meeting annually since 2001.

Energy Star is a symbol backed by the government for energy efficiency. It means reducing energy waste; it helps use less energy to do the same job and avoid unnecessary pollution in the process. Since 1992, Energy Star helped save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity for U.S. businesses and families, achieved 4 billion metric tons to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and avoided energy costs of more than $450 billion.

Here are the links to the post:

https://www.energystar.gov/about

https://www.epa.gov/energy/reduce-environmental-impact-your-energy-use

https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/impacts




Energy Star - Residential New Construction Program

 Energy Star for Residential New Construction Program

 

A home or apartment that can earn the Energy Star must meet the energy efficiency program requirements. The program requirements are set up by Energy Star's Residential New Construction Program.

Energy Star certified home and apartment needs at least 10% to save energy and achieve an average of 20% more efficiency, and the following complete building science package can support the homes and apartments to achieve the energy efficiency level: A Complete Water Management System; A complete Thermal Enclosure System; Energy-Efficient Lighting and Appliance and A Complete Heating and Cooling System.

An Energy Star recognized third-party to ensure homes and apartments meet program requirements. Then, the third-party rating company will be involved in the construction process and offer acknowledgment and equipment to make sure the home or apartment achieves the energy efficiency of the program requirement and earn the Energy Star label.

The Energy Star program requirement for energy efficiency has been constantly improved since 1995. The Energy Star program helps homeowners save energy costs by $410 million, reduce greenhouse gas reductions by nearly 4 million metric tons, and about 3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity saved in 2019.

Energy Star sign 
(Picture from Google images with CC licenses)

There has a success story of Energy Star from TIAA-CREF multifamily housing. TIAA-CREF invests in about 12,000 multifamily units and is one of the largest real estate investors in the U.S. TIAA-CREF joined the Energy Star program in 2002 and became the first financial services organization to receive a Sustained award winner and multiple-year Energy Star partner of the Year.

TIAA-CREF used a set of energy efficiency in more than 40 multifamily houses in 2008, and the strategies include: replacing appliances and equipment certified by Energy Star; reducing temperatures of hot tub and pool; In amenity areas and common areas using 7-day programmable thermostats; using Energy Star qualified CFLs and training staffs to use units more efficiently. TIAA-CREF save about $500,000 each year by reducing energy consumption by 9.1% from 2007 to 2009.


CFLs 
(Picture from Google images with CC licenses)

Continuous improvement is the first target by TIAA-CREF. The strategy is very important, especially in the real estate market, with any opportunity to increase income can help with business growth. Otherwise, TIAA-CREF can use the saved money to invest in more energy-efficient systems to reduce the cost of energy and make their multifamily houses more efficient and “green.”

Here are the links to the post:

https://www.energystar.gov/partner_resources/residential_new/about

https://www.energystar.gov/about/origins_mission/impacts

https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/energy-star-success-story-tiaa-cref-multifamily-housing 


Energy Star - Commercial Buildings

Energy Star for Commercial Buildings

Energy Star uses Portfolio Manager to benchmark buildings, and Portfolio Manager is a tool that can provide interactive resource management. It can benchmark energy for all types of buildings. About 25% of commercial buildings use Portfolio Manager in the U.S. It is also applied in Canada.

A commercial building can use Portfolio Manager to save in the following ways: Identify the best efficiency building and replicate it to other buildings; Benchmark to target improve efficiency for underperforming buildings; The build-in financial tool can compare the cost of energy efficiency and help make a future decision; It can help monitor the future energy efficiency to prevent snapback; It can generate energy efficiency report for analysis; Energy Star scores over 75 can get Energy Star certificate; Not only benchmark energy, but it also can use for track and measure materials, water use, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste.

When you use Portfolio Manager to help energy efficiency, the most important thing is that it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fight against climate change.

The success story of the commercial building of Energy Star is the logistic warehouse upgrade by landlord Liberty Property Trust and the tenant CEVA Logistics. Their warehouse rewards an Energy Star score of 93, a total area of 387,500 square feet, and saves energy costs by 16 cents per square foot, with about $200,000 saved every year. Their warehouses are in the top 25% of national wide, energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.


Warehouse lighting (Picture from Google images with CC licenses)

The big saving is easy, and the lighting takes 30% of total energy usage and 60% of electricity usage in a warehouse. CEVA and Liberty find a supplier to replace sensor high-bay T8 fluorescent lamps. The project’s total cost is $178,000 with an $81,900 utility rebate and the cost payback in 1.6 years with a 63% annual return.

The most important part is a collaboration by both parties to make a good decision. The landlord and tenant make energy-efficient together, save their cost, avoid energy waste, and reduce the building’s environmental impacts.

Here are the links to the post:

https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/benchmark?s=mega

https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/liberty-ceva-case-study


Conclusion and thinking

New Zealand is a country with an environmental theme, and kiwi is proud to protect the environment. Energy Star was introduced into New Zealand in July 2005, and it instead by the Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), provides another energy efficiency label to show a star rating of appliances. They are similar energy efficiency systems, and people can choose lower energy cost products to protect our environment and give our children a better environment in the future.

The landscape of New Zealand 
(Picture from Google images with CC licenses)

In conclusion, Energy Star is a simple and clear label showing energy efficiency products and properties. It is easy for people to know the energy efficiency of the building is different from other buildings. The Energy Star could call on people to support the Energy Star products and properties, and even the business to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to fight against climate change.

Here are the links to the post:

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/scrapping-of-energy-star-rating-a-disservice-to-kiwi-shoppers-green-party/EMU5NX6XSLLFUTPKDHSGWGQ35U/

https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0506/S00115/energy-star-label-to-help-energy-savings.htm?from-mobile=bottom-link-01