# Presentation: 826884

## Promoting the ENERGY STAR Symbol in Canada

- Anne Wilkins
- Office of Energy Efficiency
- Natural Resources Canada

## ENERGY STAR in Canada

- Administrative agreement signed between US EPA and US DOE and Natural Resources Canada in May 2001
- Agreement included the promotion by Canada of 13 products, in five categories: appliances; heating and cooling; office equipment; home electronics; lighting and signage.
- Amendment letter submitted by Natural Resources Canada to US EPA and US DOE to add an additional nine products.

## List of products for which there are Energy Star specifications in Canada harmonized with the U.S.:

- Home Appliances:
- Bottled water coolers; clothes washers; dishwashers; refrigerators
- Heating and cooling:
- Air-source heat pumps; resid. Boilers; central and room air conditioners; dehumidifiers; gas furnaces; programmable thermostats;
- Consumer electronics:
- Audio products; DVD; TV; TV-VCR; VCRs
- Office equipment
- Computers; monitors; MFD; photocopiers; printers and fax machines; scanners; mailing machines

## Will be adding the following products as of June 2002:

- Ground source heat pumps
- Ventilation fans
- Compact fluorescent lights
- Traffic signals
- Cordless telephones \ answering machines
- Set Top Boxes
- Commercial clothes washers
- Distribution transformers
- Solid Door Refrigerators and Freezers
- Windows and Doors

## Setting a context for Energy Star in Canada:  Accelerated Standards Action Program

- ASAP part of the Gvt of Canada’s Climate Change Action Plan 2000 – large cross-sectoral initiative designed to help Canada meet its GHG reduction objectives.
- Climate change Action Plan 2000 expected to take us at least one-third of the way towards our Kyoto target.  Next series of measures to be developed in Fall after Canada-wide stakeholders consultations
- ASAP designed to stimulate the demand for more energy efficient products as more stringent energy efficiency standards are introduced.
- Energy Star one of several initiatives in ASAP as part of market transformation initiatives

## ASAP Program Elements

- Branding Energy Star as a symbol consumers should ask for when seeking energy efficient products
- Piloting financial incentives.  First year will be to generate interest in Energy Star as a brand.
- Outreach \ Accelerated Replacement of older equipment to more energy efficient and influence stock efficiency
- Procurement \ Institutional Purchasing activities in all levels of government

## Shifting the Marketplace

**Efficiency**

**Products**

- Minimum
- Standard t1

**Illegal products **

**EnerGuide and EnergyStar labels promote consumer preference for more efficient products**

## Survey Says: .......

- In the absence of any government advertising or promotion, an omnibus survey, which polled 1,000 Canadians revealed that:
- 13% of Canadians can identify the Energy Star symbol without any prompting
- 26% of Canadians, when prompted, can identify the Energy Star symbol
- Canadians have most commonly mentioned Computer equipment as the place where they’ve more often seen the symbol.

## Bringing Energy Star into Canada:  What we’ve encountered in the development of the program in the last year.   

- Issue of harmonization of levels and test specification
- Participation in the development/revision/commentary of the test specification
- Official bilingualism
- Competing priorities
- National Pride

**Notes:**
Point number 1:
Typically, for many products with common manufacturers and dealers, Canada’s energy efficiency levels and test methods are harmonized with the U.S.;  
However, there have been several products that are currently regulated for energy efficiency, where the U.S. Department of Energy issued rulings to either upgrade the levels or modify the test methods,  in time frames that could not enable Canada to follow through quickly enough and modify the Regulations (law) – for example room air conditioners and most recently dishwashers.  So, as much as we try to establish a level playing field between both countries, it can be difficult and challenging.

Some climate dependent products pose some challenges when establishing a level that works for both countries (example: windows and doors).
Test standard for products that are regulated or to be regulated may pose a barrier to the acceptance of an Energy Star specification and level
Bilingualism:  Canada has an Official Bilingualism Act, which requires that all material developed by the federal government be provided in both official languages – this was and still is an issue regarding the use and promotion of the Energy Star symbol in Canada.

Point number 2: US Estar program consultants sometimes forget us and we are not adequately notified on test method development and or updates.  So we are sometimes 

## Bringing Energy Star into Canada has not been without its problems!

- Most challenging issue was, and is:  Bilingualism and Canada’s Official Bilingualism Act
- Had developed a bilingual tag line under the English-only Energy Star registered mark:

## Acceptability testing of a unilingual symbol in Canada

- Our Government Advertising Commmittee asked us to:
- assess the level of acceptability of the Gvt of Canada’s association with an existing international symbol which includes a unilingual component; and
- test the interpretation of “high efficiency” (proposed as tagline to the EnergyStar symbol) and to test for perceived links between high efficiency and the environment.

**Notes:**
Focus groups testing the advertising with bilingual tag:
the unilingual English trademark raised no negative reaction among consumers; that there was no evidence to suggest backlash from French Canada would result from the GoC promotion of the Energy Star symbol; the word “international” is key for communications association of GoC with Energy Star and should be made a part of the communications strategy.  If Energy Star is promoted as an international symbol and program, GoC would be positively associated with global effort on the environment; and

.the bilingual tagline was seen more in terms of appliance performance than in terms of energy consumption; more effort is required to ensure that consumers see the link between energy consumption and environmental issues.

## Results of advertising focus testing revealed:

- The unilingual trademark raised no negative reaction amongst French-speaking Canadians – though the word « international » is key and needs to be integrated into the communications strategy.
- The bilingual tag line was seen more in terms of product performance than energy consumption.
- Recommendation was that:   ads by the government use the unilingual tag line only; position it within context of an international initiative that the Gvt of Canada is bringing to the attention of Canadians to help in reducing GHG emissions; that ads encourage Canadians to seek energy efficient products.

**Notes:**
Revealed that we would be ‘missing the boat’ if we didn’t promote the Energy Star symbol as other countries around the world are doing.

## Energy Star in Canada

- Energy Star positioned in promotional material as a symbol that consumers should seek for identifying the most energy efficient products
- Canada-wide promotional campaign promoting the recognition of this symbol will kick start in the Fall – after a series of focus testing of newest ad concepts
- Many retailers and manufacturers of appliances now using ENERGY STAR as a launch pad for their promotional activities, with NRCan participating
- Several promotions in retail environment now underway

**Notes:**
Retailers info:

Initiative with BC Hydro and major appliance retailers across Canada – sales person incentive of $15.00 for every Energy Star qualifying appliance sold; designed to pay for the extra time salesperson take to explain Energy Star;  in a three-month period, sold approximately 8,000 Energy Star qualified appliances in British Columbia, about 15% more than what would have been sold otherwise.

Sears Canada using Energy Star in appliances section of their stores; 
British Columbia Hydro; 
Yukon Energy Solutions Centre; 
ational campaign at major retail stores across Canada:  Sears, Whirlpool; other retailers coming on board

## Other noteworthy activities

- Energy efficient lighting symposium / set up of a Steering Committee for Lighting
- Energy Star activities in HVAC Sector i.e. high efficiency gas furnaces with energy efficient blower motor
- House in Order

## Promotion of ENERGY STAR in Canada

- Web site (www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar)
- Advertising, co-ops and promotional activities
- Marketing initiatives to directly to manufacturers and retailers
- Development of agreements with organizations to promote Energy Star internally and externally
- Incentives
- Sales person training
- Procurement initiative

**Notes:**
With our goal to put the most energy efficient products in people's homes and offices, the program's focus is primarily toward the  (supply) and the consumer (demand).  
- ongoing consultation with key contacts in all levels of governments with emphasis on identifying needs and barriers and collaborative ventures to promoting and buying high e.e. equipment and helping in identifying clauses where government standing offers for products such as office equipment to require ENERGY STAR-labelled products.  
-developing promotion schedule with a focus on training, workshops and other forums for government awareness such as booths and presentations.
-Addition of ENERGY STAR and energy-efficient product selection information onto Green Procurement Websites, now already avail. to gvt employees and procurement officials. 
- looking into opportunities with Housing Authorities at the fed, provincial/terr and muni levels to include ENERGY STAR specifications in contracting processes as well as awareness and training material and workshops.
-developing tools to help procurement officials choose and purchase products that are "top in class" in terms of energy efficiency such as calculator including a user's guide and purchasing guide.
-refrigerator replacement and removal pilot project in the Yukon’s diesel-electric and hydro-electric communities.  ( remove, decommission and recycle 500 refrigerators, that are ten years or older and in working condition, and replace them with ENERGY STAR)
This initiative will help in the design of future similar initiatives aimed at northern and remote communities.) 

## The Appliance EnerGuide Labels and the Energy Star symbol

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