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Energy Star is an energy conservation program led by the US government, primarily aimed at consumer electronics products. The Energy Star program was launched in 1992 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE) with the aim of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.   This program is voluntary, and Energy Star standards typically save 20-30% more energy than federal standards in the United States. The earliest products that cooperated with this plan were mainly information appliances such as computers, and gradually extended to motors, office equipment, lighting, home appliances, and so on. Later on, it also expanded to buildings. The US Environmental Protection Agency actively promoted the Energy Star Building Program in 1996, with the EPA assisting voluntary participants in evaluating the energy usage of their buildings (including lighting, air conditioning, office equipment, etc.), planning energy efficiency improvement action plans for the building, and tracking subsequent operations. Therefore, the Energy Star logo can also be found in some residential or commercial buildings that introduce new environmental concepts.

Current situation of development

  The products now included in this certification scope have reached more than 30 categories, such as household appliances, heating/cooling equipment, electronic products, lighting products, etc. Currently, the most widely produced products in the Chinese market are lighting products, including energy-saving lamps (CFL), lighting fixtures (RLF), traffic signal lights, and exit indicator lights.

Applicable product scope

Computer and office equipment: such as monitors, printers, fax machines, copiers, all-in-one machines, etc;

Household appliances and similar household products, such as refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines, televisions, video recorders, etc;

Heating and cooling equipment: heat pumps, boilers, central air conditioning, etc;

Large commercial buildings and newly constructed housing, doors and windows, etc;

Industrial and commercial products, such as transformers, power supplies, etc;

Lighting: such as household lighting fixtures, etc;

Commercial food equipment: such as commercial ice cream machines, commercial dishwashers, etc;

Other commercial products: vending machines, channel signage, etc.

At present, the products targeted include fluorescent lamps, decorative light strings, LED lighting fixtures, power adapters, switch power supplies, ceiling fan lights, consumer audiovisual products, battery charging devices, printers, household appliances, and various other products.

Test content

The testing content included in Energy Star:

Safety EMI、 Surge, noise (non Energy Star energy efficiency testing project) Light performance and energy efficiency testing project:

1. Light efficiency, luminous flux

2. Color temperature, color deviation, color rendering index

3. Light intensity distribution, regional light flux distribution

4. Non-uniformity of chromaticity space

5. Switching cycle

6. Luminous flux maintenance rate

7. Chromaticity maintenance rate

8. Size

9. Electrical parameters

Energy Star Residential Plan

The Energy Star Residential Program of the US Environmental Protection Agency is a nationwide volunteer program aimed at building a new type of residential building that improves energy efficiency by 30%. Qualified Energy Star residences must undergo third-party verification to confirm that the builder has appropriately adopted measures to improve energy efficiency. As long as the Energy Star logo can be seen, buyers of residential properties who are not experts can still make purchasing decisions with confidence. Generally speaking, Energy Star residences are 30% more energy-efficient than those built according to universal energy standards, while also protecting the environment and saving energy expenses for residents. The construction of Energy Star homes is not only beneficial to buyers, but also to builders, mortgage companies, and other organizations in the housing industry, so home builders across the United States support the Energy Star housing program.

Residential buildings are usually newly constructed because building a building that complies with energy-saving regulations is much simpler than renovating an existing one. Although upgrading and renovating residential buildings to obtain the Energy Star logo costs a lot, it can greatly reduce energy consumption expenses, so energy-saving renovation of existing residential buildings is still a good suggestion. When replacing air conditioning equipment, electrical equipment, or lighting equipment, one should also consider purchasing products with the Energy Star logo, which can further improve the energy-saving effect of residential buildings.

The Energy Star Residential Program uses the Residential Energy Evaluation System (HERS) to determine the energy efficiency score of residential properties. New and existing residential buildings must meet the same energy-saving standards in order to obtain the Energy Star logo. In order to obtain the HERS assessment or seek ways to obtain the Energy Star logo, it is also necessary to consult a local qualified residential energy assessment agency to compare the model residence (which has the same size and shape as the assessed residence and meets the minimum requirements of energy regulations). The HERS assessment system objectively and standardly evaluates the energy efficiency of the residence. The HERS assessment score ranges from 0 to 100. The score for a model residence is 80 points. Compared with the model residence, every 5% reduction in energy consumption is equivalent to an increase of one point in HERS. The lowest HERS assessment value for Energy Star residential buildings is 86. HERS assessment includes on-site inspection of residential properties. This test includes a hair dryer door test and a pipeline leak test. The results of these tests, along with other information about the residence, are input into a simulated computer program to calculate HERS scores and estimate annual energy costs.

Energy saving window usage

Energy Star residential buildings are equipped with high-performance energy-saving windows to improve their energy efficiency. A quieter indoor environment - multi-layer glass and sealed window frames block external noise; Prevent curtains, furniture, and flooring from fading - energy-saving windows are covered with a low reflectivity coating that can block 98% of ultraviolet rays; Reduce usage costs - energy-saving windows reduce heat loss in winter and prevent heat absorption in summer for residential buildings; Quality improvement - Energy saving windows are made of high-quality materials, which are easy to use and provide additional protection for users. Windows occupy approximately 10-25% of the exterior wall area of residential buildings, and depending on the climate conditions in different regions, they require 25-50% energy consumption for heating and cooling the room. Therefore, when building a new residential building, it is crucial to consider using energy-saving windows.

Heating and cooling equipment

Energy Star residential buildings are equipped with heating and cooling equipment of appropriate power and high efficiency. In the process of residential construction, by paying appropriate attention to the sealing of air ducts, the insulation performance of residential buildings, and the installation of energy-saving windows, the power of heating and cooling equipment in Energy Star residential buildings is usually lower than that of residential buildings built according to general energy specifications.

Reduce usage costs - heating and cooling equipment do not need to be overloaded;

Reduce maintenance issues - heating and cooling equipment always operates in optimal condition;

A quieter home environment - no need to constantly and frequently switch on and off high-power devices.

The lack of tightness in air and ventilation ducts means that heating and cooling equipment in ordinary residential buildings need to increase power to quickly meet their requirements for heating and cooling. But this high-power device has significant drawbacks: ① it cannot operate for a long time to achieve its most efficient operating level; ② When the system cannot operate for a long time to remove moisture from the air, it leads to the problem of damp houses; ③ High power devices often crash quickly due to frequent startup. Tight air and ventilation ducts reduce the demand for air conditioning gas heating and cooling in residential areas, thereby avoiding the use of high-power equipment.

Improvement of thermal insulation performance

Compared to houses built according to universal energy standards, Energy Star residences have significantly improved insulation performance. The improvement of thermal insulation performance not only prevents excessive cold and heat leakage, but also maintains a constant temperature between rooms.

Improved comfort - maintaining a constant temperature throughout the entire residence and between rooms.

Reduce usage costs - HAVC devices compensate for minimal heat and cold exchange in residential areas during winter and summer.

In order to effectively maintain the temperature of the residence, continuous insulation layers indoors and outdoors are necessary. The laying of the insulation layer must be free of cracks, curls, or compression. Energy Star residences must also pay attention to insulation measures around obstacles such as pipelines, wires, and exits.

seal properly

Compared to residential buildings built according to general energy standards, Energy Star residences require much higher levels of pipe sealing for sealed conduits. Sealed conduits are crucial for energy conservation and maintaining residential comfort.

More sustainable comfort - allocate to each room

Significantly improve indoor air quality - reduce the inhalation of dust and other pollutants from the outside of the room.

Reduce usage costs - reduce the need for air conditioning gas in the room. In a typical American residence, air leakage from ducts reaches 20-30%, which means spending a lot of unnecessary money to make the room warm or cool. The duct system should be kept sealed and tested locally to reduce air conditioning gas leakage.

Energy saving renovation

The owners of built houses can use the assessment tool based on the Internet - Energy Star Housing Benchmark to compare with the annual energy consumption of similar houses in their country. This tool helps owners of completed homes understand whether their homes meet energy-saving requirements and whether they should upgrade their energy-saving measures to improve energy efficiency. On the Energy Star website, this tool can also help owners of completed homes quickly decide which residential renovation method to choose to improve energy efficiency.

The Energy Star Residential Program also provides a "Residential Renovation Toolbox" to help existing residential buildings undergo energy-saving renovations. The annual energy expenditure of a typical household is over 1400 yuan, which can be reduced by 30% with the help of the "Residential Renovation Toolbox". When repairing, rebuilding or improving existing homes, the energy-saving measures in the "Residential Renovation Toolbox" can help homeowners improve the energy efficiency, value and comfort of their homes, and protect the ecological environment by reducing energy consumption. For homeowners, the 'Housing Renovation Toolbox' makes home renovation and repair projects easier.