January 2014

With the many innovations that have come up in the recent past, the focus on energy consumption and its effects on the environment have become concerns for many. Environmental conservation is fundamental to any government or a state’s economic development. The Energy Star Program deals with energy-efficient appliances. The government-backed program identifies and labels the appliances that meet the required energy efficiency standards. Its origin can be traced back to the year 1992, when it was still under the umbrella of the U.S Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the sole role of identifying and promoting products that were energy-efficient.

This was viewed as a way of ensuring that consumers and businesses gain access to energy-efficient products and by extension take care of the environment. The program has since expanded tremendously with government backing to cover not only heavy factory and industry appliances, but also existing homes and new buildings. Such appliances are labeled by the energy star program and given a specific energy rating. Consumers make their purchases based on such ratings. These energy star rating symbols serve as a guide on whether or not a given appliance or building meets the required energy efficiency standards.

What Benefits Can It Have On The Environment?

Pollution of the environment to a larger extent originates from poor utilization of the available sources of energy. Depletion of the ozone layer resulting in the greenhouse effect is largely due to environmental pollution. Greenhouse gas emissions often arise as a result of energy consumption in homes, industries, and commercial buildings. By reducing energy consumption and increasing energy security, the program manages to reduce pollution. It uses various avenues to communicate to the consumers and owners of buildings the required energy efficiency standards. Such standards have been researched over the years and discovered to have the potential to conserve the environment by a significant degree.

How It Helps Save on Energy Costs

There is an increasing demand for high quality and energy-efficient buildings for use by homeowners and commercial buildings. The energy star program helps in identifying defects in homes that could otherwise result in energy loss through leakages. An energy star qualified home makes use of relatively low energy as compared to standard constructions. They often have more effective insulation, high performance windows, and efficient duct systems, which ensure efficiency in your heating and cooling equipment. Consequently, you tend to spend less on the less energy that you end up using in your home.