Savings estimates for the Energy Star® voluntary labeling program

Energy Star® is a voluntary labeling program designed to identify and promote energy-efficient products. Operated jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), Energy Star labels exist for more than 20 products, spanning office equipment, residential heating and cooling equipment, new homes, commercial and residential lighting, home electronics, and major appliances. We present estimates of the energy, dollar and carbon savings already achieved by the program and provide savings forecasts for several market penetration scenarios for the period 2001–2010. The target market penetration forecast represents our best estimate of future Energy Star savings. It is based on realistic market penetration goals for each of the products. We also provide a forecast under the assumption of 100% market penetration; that is, we assume that all purchasers buy Energy Star-compliant products instead of standard efficiency products throughout the analysis period. Finally, we assess the sensitivity of our target penetration case forecasts to greater or lesser marketing success by EPA and DOE, lower-than-expected future energy prices, and higher or lower rates of carbon emissions by electricity generators.