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.
Supply List of Third Party Certified Product Information