EPA's ENERGY STAR product labeling is
an important part of the overall national effort to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions by helping consumers save money and
protect the environment through the purchase and use of high
quality energy efficient products and practices. ENERGY STAR is a
voluntary government-backed program dedicated to helping
individuals protect the environment. ENERGY STAR product labeling
currently covers 63 different product categories and EPA expects to
add additional product categories in the future as well as
increased number of revisions of existing specification to assure
that the label remains relevant as a differentiator of efficient
products within each category. The program has undergone some
program changes since the last ICR was approved. The program has
evolved to the point where continuing to rely on a supplier's
declaration that a product meets the ENERGY STAR criteria is
insufficient. EPA has determined it necessary to shift the ENERGY
STAR program from a self-certification program to an enhanced
qualification and verification process with all testing being done
in EPA recognized, accredited labs and partners participating in
product specific certification programs. EPA is also strengthening
the conformity assessment procedures to better ensure that products
bearing the ENERGY STAR label in fact meet the ENERGY STAR
criteria. Partners are still asked to sign a Partnership Agreement
supplying company contact information, but now Partners are now
asked to obtain third party certification prior to labeling
products as ENERGY STAR rather than self declare their product
meets ENERGY STAR efficiency criteria. EPA recognized Certification
Bodies are now the entities to provide EPA with lists of certified
products that meet the prescribed efficiency criteria. EPA then, in
turn, via the ENERGY STAR web site provides the relevant
information to consumers in an easy-to-use format so that they will
know which products to purchase in order to save energy. As part of
the Partnership commitment, Partners are asked to submit annual
unit shipment data for their ENERGY STAR qualifying products to
better track market penetration of the program as well as ensure
the program provides continued benefits to Partners.
EPA estimates a total annual
respondent burden in this ICR will decrease from the previously
approved ICR. Based on the change in qualification process,
Partners no longer need to report to EPA directly on the efficiency
attributes of the products seeking ENERGY STAR qualification, but
instead , partners will provide the appropriate certification body
the test results for an accredited /recognized lab. The
certification body will then provide EPA, on a regular basis, with
a list of qualified models with the appropriate data elements that
EPA will post on our web site - so it looks essentially the same as
now to the end consumer. The eventual removal of partners reporting
directly to EPA and EPA reviewing the data has had a significant
reduction on the burden associated with the agency costs and well
as respondent cost. This change has not reduced the respondent's
burden but has shifted the burden from EPA (and the government) to
a third party certifying organization. In the case of the
Partnership Agreement, the number of anticipated responses has
increased dramatically from the previous ICR. For Partnership
Agreements, EPA revised the number of responses based on the
experience of the past year which has shown an increasing number of
revisions to existing specifications as well a new specifications
and thus new partners joining. Plus, increase in the brand
continues to promote an increase in the number of companies
becoming ENERGY STAR partners for existing product categories. EPA
has put significant investment in working with partners to increase
their responses to the request for Unit Shipment data. The number
of responses for the Unit Shipment Data collection activity
increased dramatically from the previous ICR approval. With new
product categories required to provide this data, this has
significant increased both the respondent's and agency burden. For
Partner of the Year applications, EPA revised the number of
responses from the previous ICR approval based on the experience of
the past two years in which there was a significant increase in the
number of Partner of the Year applications submitted. There has
been no significant change in the number of hours per response
since the last renewal. With the increase in number of applicants
and the static hours per response has yielded a significant
increase in total burden..
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 5900-33 Supply List of Third Party Certified Product Information
ICR summary 2013 update.xlsx
2078ss05.docx
Supply List of Third Party Certified Product Information