ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program
developed in collaboration with industry to create a
self-sustaining market for energy efficient products. The center
piece of the program is the ENERGY STAR label, a registered
certification label that helps consumers identify products that
save energy, save money, and help protect the environment without
sacrificing quality or performance. In order to protect the
integrity of the label and enhance its effectiveness in the
marketplace, EPA must ensure that products carrying the label meet
appropriate program requirements. Program participants submit
signed Partnership Agreements indicating that they will adhere to
logo-use guidelines and program requirements. Retail partners
commit to selling, marketing and promoting ENERGY STAR certified
products. Product brand owner partners, who are usually the
manufacturer of the products, commit to having participating
products certified to meet specified energy performance criteria
based on a standard test method and EPA’s third party certification
requirements. These requirements for ENERGY STAR product
certification also include provisions for verifying the performance
of certified products through verification testing. Now, product
information is recorded by Certification Bodies and shared with EPA
using XML-based web services that validate and save the information
in EPA’s database. With this new process of obtaining certified
product data, certified model data is automatically updated daily
on the ENERGY STAR website. To ensure continued product performance
after initial certification, EPA requires Certification Bodies to
conduct post-market verification testing of a sampling of ENERGY
STAR certified products. Certification Bodies are required to share
information with EPA on products subjected to this post-market
testing twice a year and to immediately report any certified
products that no longer meet the program requirements. This process
allows EPA to monitor the ongoing performance of products and take
necessary steps to maintain consumer confidence in the ENERGY STAR
label and protect the investment of partners.
EPA has changed the ENERGY STAR
program. EPA only collects certified product information from CBs
to inform the list of ENERGY STAR certified models. The third-party
CB must be recognized by EPA and testing must be performed in an
EPA-recognized laboratory. The CB provides information about a
certified product to EPA via an automated XML-based web service.
The automated collection no longer relies on submission of any
forms and is structured to ensure that accurate certification
information on the ENERGY STAR website.
$566,573
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Kirsten Hesla 202
564-2984
No
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 Third Party Certified Product Information
2078ss06.doc
Third Party Certified Product Information