From the Energy Star website:

“Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills.”

A common theme to posts on this blog are the two major points outlined in the excerpt above: saving money and cutting back on environmental impact.

What exactly is Energy Star?  It is basically a set of energy standards created by the Environmental Protection Agency for certain appliances.  Their target numbers for efficiency are multipule percentage points better than that of the same non-Energy Star equipment, and although efficient models have a higher purchase price than their non-efficient siblings, many have the potential to pay for themselves over their lifetime.

Let’s look at water-using appliances as examples.  A qualified washing machine can save more than $500 over its lifetime, also saving energy and water.  Standards compliant diswashers use at a minimum 40% less energy and they too save water.  These are some pretty hefty advantages for things that we use all of the time.

Here’s a fast fact from the Energy Star website: Since 2000, Energy Star benefits have more than doubled.

With Energy Star’s benefits come some pressing questions.  One of which is why don’t we just make Energy Star the standard accross all appliances and stop selling antiquated and inefficient technology?  Of course there would be a greater cost involved, but the government–or big business–could create some sort of incentive system to offset that cost.  If the crisis is just around the corner, this seems like the prudent thing to do.

Aside from the home initiative, standards are also available for buildings and businesses.  Still, with all of this exposure, Energy Star is still only at a recognition rate of 40% in the American public.  Even if the program needs some small tweaks, it could save more with wider audience.