UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCYWASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
OFFICE OF
AIR AND RADIATION

October 15, 2019
Dear ENERGY STAR® Computers Partner or Other Interested Stakeholder,
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to share the final Version 8.0 ENERGYSTAR Computer Specification. EPA would like to thank the many stakeholders who have invested timeand effort to contribute feedback that has informed this product specification process. These Version 8.0
requirements will take effect on July 15, 2020. This letter provides highlights of the new requirements andoutlines the transition process.
The Version 8.0 specification will recognize the top performing desktop computer and integrated desktop
products on the market. Notebooks and thin clients were not impacted by this specification revision as
criteria for these products were amended as part of Version 7.1. ENERGY STAR certified computers willuse, on average, approximately 50% less energy than standard desktop computers. If all desktop
computers sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified, the cost savings would grow to nearly$300 million each year and nearly 5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented,
equivalent to the emissions from nearly 500 thousand vehicles.
EPA has made some minor editorial changes to the final specification at the request of stakeholders. In
particular, EPA made more clear that thin clients and workstations are not subject to resume timerequirements and clarified that in order to obtain the ALLOWANCEProxy adder under Option 1, the desktop
computer must meet ECMA 393 full capability. These edits are intended to improve understanding of therequirements. EPA did receive comments on the final draft specification requesting additional leniency on
the criteria, particularly those for integrated desktops. EPA considered the requests, which included
requests for supplemental adders for touch screen capabilities, but found that performance and market
data did not support these changes and they worked against the Agency goals of delivering nationalenergy savings and recognizing leadership products. EPA has provided more detailed responses to theserequests in the accompanying comment response matrix.
Version 8.0 Transition Timeline and Next StepsEPA shares partners’ desire for a smooth transition from one ENERGY STAR specification to the next sothat consumer expectations are met and ENERGY STAR labeled products fully meet the newrequirements upon their effective date. With this in mind, EPA has established the following timeline.
•••

Effective immediately, manufacturers may elect to have their Certification Body (CB) certify
eligible products to the Version 8.0 requirements.
After March 2, 2020, CBs will be instructed to stop certifying new product submittals to Version
7.1. Note, however, that existing certifications to Version 7.1 will remain valid for the purposes ofENERGY STAR certification until July 15, 2020.
o Note that the ENERGY STAR test method has not changed substantially and therefore,
there will be little need for the retesting of products for Version 8.0. Only the very few
products with cyclical behavior, where the test method has changed, are expected toneed to be retested
Any computer manufactured as of July 15, 2020, must meet the Version 8.0 requirements to bear
the ENERGY STAR mark. All certifications of products to the Version 7.1 specification will beinvalid for purposes of ENERGY STAR and CBs will only submit product models certified toVersion 8.0 to EPA.

On behalf of the EPA, I would like to thank all stakeholders who provided feedback during thisspecification revisions process and I look forward to working with you as you certify and market yourENERGY STAR certified computers. Please contact me at Fogle.Ryan@epa.gov or 202-343-9153 orJohn Clinger, ICF, at John.Clinger@icf.com or (215) 967-9407 with questions or concerns regarding thespecification. For any test method questions, please contact Jeremy Dommu, U.S. Department of Energy,
Jeremy.Dommu@EE.Doe.Gov, or 202-586-9870. For any other Computer related questions, pleasecontact computers@energystar.gov. Thank you for your continued support of the ENERGY STAR
program.
Sincerely,

Ryan Fogle
EPA Manager, ENERGY STAR for IT and Data Center Products
Enclosures:
Final, Version 8.0 Specification
Final Draft, Comment Response Matrix
Final Version 8.0 Data Analysis Package