ENERGY STAR® OVERVIEW OF 

2007 ACHIEVEMENTS 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY FIGHTS CLIMATE CHANGE AND GROWS THE ECONOMY 

Global climate change has emerged as one of the world’s most significant environmental challenges. As the 

effects of climate change begin to manifest themselves, businesses, consumers, and organizations are looking 

for real solutions available today. Energy efficiency is a very effective strategy for reducing greenhouse gas 

emissions right now at little or negative cost. Since 1992, the ENERGY STAR program has worked to dismantle 

identifiable and pervasive market barriers stifling investment in energy efficiency and bring practical solutions to 

the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. 

The more than 12,000 organizations partnering with ENERGY STAR over the past 15 years have captured 

environmental benefits and more. The ever-growing number of products, practices, and policies offered through 

the ENERGY STAR program has enabled American families, businesses, and organizations to save money on their 

energy bills, hedge against volatility in energy markets, improve energy security, and grow the economy. 

Americans have enjoyed these benefits while experiencing the quality, comfort, and performance they expect 

from their products, homes, buildings, and industrial facilities. 

The ENERGY STAR program plays a vital role as a credible, objective source of information and tools that 

homeowners and businesses can use to make well-informed decisions for themselves and the environment. 

As a result, the program benefits have grown steadily since 1992 and are poised to continue well into the future. 

This document provides a brief overview of the key achievements in 2007 based on partner actions. A more 

detailed summary of 2007 achievements and plans for the future will be provided in an Annual Report published 

in the fall of 2008. 

RESULTS FOR 2007 

2007 was the most successful year to date for the ENERGY STAR program. Americans, with the help of ENERGY 

STAR, prevented 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 alone––equivalent to the annual 

emissions from 27 million vehicles––and saved more than $16 billion on their utility bills (see Fig. 1). 

Savings are on track to nearly double again in 10 years as more households, businesses, and organizations rely 

on ENERGY STAR for guidance on investing in energy-efficient products, practices, and policies. The 2007 

ENERGY STAR results represent about one-third of the total greenhouse gas emissions reductions from U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) climate change programs. 

FIG. 1. Since 2000, ENERGY STAR Benefits Have More Than Doubled 
 

Purchased Since 1992 

ENERGY STAR PARTNERS 

Across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, 

businesses and institutions are realizing that they can do well by 

doing good. A diverse set of public and private organizations across 

the country are joining forces with EPA and the U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) through ENERGY STAR to protect the environment, 

while bringing the value of energy efficiency to their customers, the 

public, and themselves. The more than 12,000 ENERGY STAR 

partners include: 

About 2,000 manufacturers using the ENERGY STAR to label and 

differentiate more than 40,000 individual product models, many of 

which carry the brands that today’s consumers prefer. 

More than 1,000 retail partners bringing ENERGY STAR qualifying 

products and educational information to their customers. 

Over 5,000 builder partners constructing new homes in every state 

and the District of Columbia that qualify as ENERGY STAR—saving 

homeowners money while maintaining high levels of comfort. 

More than 3,000 private businesses, public sector organizations, 

and industrial facilities investing in energy efficiency and reducing 

energy use in their buildings. 

More than 40 states, 550 utilities, and many other energy 

efficiency program sponsors nationwide leveraging ENERGY STAR 

to improve the efficiency of commercial buildings and homes. 

Hundreds of energy service providers, home energy raters, 

financial institutions, architects, and building engineers making 

energy efficiency more widely available through ENERGY STAR— 

providing additional value to their customers. 

The efforts of these partners and EPA have resulted in steady 

growth of consumer awareness of the ENERGY STAR label. By the 

end of 2007, more than 70% of the American public could identify the 

ENERGY STAR label. The influence of the label is growing in tandem. 

One in three households knowingly purchased an ENERGY STAR 

qualified product in 2007, and more than 70% of those households 

credited the label as an important factor in their decision. 

FIG. 2. More Than 2.5 Billion ENERGY STAR Qualified Products 

ENERGY STAR FOR THE HOME 

The American public trusts ENERGY STAR as the national symbol for 

energy efficiency to guide their purchasing decisions, save them 

money, and protect the environment. By looking to ENERGY STAR for 

best practices and products, households can reduce their energy use 

and save up to 30%, or $600 annually, on their utility bills,1 while reducing 

the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. 

Highlights for 2007 

Americans purchased about 500 million ENERGY STAR qualified 

products in 2007 across more than 50 product categories for a 

cumulative total of more than 2.5 billion products (see Fig. 2). These 

categories—including appliances, heating and cooling equipment, 

consumer electronics, office equipment, and lighting—offer 

consumer savings of as much as 90% relative to standard models. 

EPA raised the bar on outreach efforts in 2007. The ENERGY STAR 

Change a Light, Change the World campaign “hit the road” with a 

national bus tour—stopping in 10 cities for 16 events—with a 

message for Americans: “Join the fight against global warming.” 

The bus tour collected more than 1 million pledges to change an 

incandescent bulb to an ENERGY STAR qualified compact 

fluorescent light bulb. Combined media efforts through a variety of 

channels totaled nearly 160 million impressions. 

Despite a downturn in the new housing market in 2007, over 

120,000 new homes were constructed to meet ENERGY STAR 

guidelines, bringing the total number of ENERGY STAR qualified 

homes to almost 840,000 (see Fig. 3). Owners of these homes are 

saving more than $200 million annually on their utility bills. 

Over 38,000 homeowners are enjoying greater comfort in their 

homes thanks to state and locally sponsored Home Performance 

with ENERGY STAR programs. In 2007, four new sponsors 

launched Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, for a total of 

20 programs, bringing the benefits of this comprehensive wholehouse approach to more families across the country. 

More than 7,700 ENERGY STAR qualified homes were built using 

public funding in FY 2007, guaranteeing that families most in need 

will save money on their utility bills. EPA worked with 21 state 

housing finance agencies (HFAs) to promote ENERGY STAR 

products and homes in their funding criteria for housing projects. 

More than 30 HFAs give preference to projects that include 

ENERGY STAR products and guidelines, while four states require 

all new homes funded with housing tax credits to be ENERGY 

STAR qualified. 

EPA released the Home Energy Advisor, an interactive Web-based 

tool that offers homeowners personalized recommendations on 

how to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. In addition, 

two pilot programs for ENERGY STAR HVAC Proper Installation 

were successfully completed in 2007, setting the stage for the 

program debut in 2008. 

EPA added digital TV adapters and decorative light strings to the 

suite of ENERGY STAR product categories for the home. EPA also 

updated the ENERGY STAR specifications for roof products and 

residential light fixtures. Work was completed on an internationally 

approved, technology-neutral testing procedure for TVs in “on 

mode,” paving the way for a new, comprehensive ENERGY STAR 

specification. 

1 Average household utility bill is approximately $1,900 per year. 
 

ENERGY STAR FOR BUSINESS 

Through the ENERGY STAR program, EPA continued to provide its 

commercial and industrial partners of all sizes with tools and 

guidance on assessing current energy use and developing concrete 

action plans that would lead to significant energy reductions. These 

efforts resulted in exponential program growth in 2007. 

Highlights for 2007 

EPA continued to promote the ENERGY STAR Challenge, which 

calls on U.S. businesses and institutions to reduce energy use 

by 10% or more. As a result, almost 800 organizations and 

individuals—including more than 150 local governments—have 

now joined the Challenge. Influential local government associations 

supported the Challenge, such as the National Association of 

Counties (NACo) and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. 

Key organizations stepped up their efforts to promote ENERGY 

STAR in 2007. The Building Owners and Managers Association 

(BOMA) International announced its 7-Point Challenge to achieve a 

30% improvement in its members’ portfolios using EPA’s Portfolio 

Manager. CoStar, the leading information service provider to 

U.S. commercial real estate properties, integrated ENERGY STAR 

information into its Web site and building research. 

EPA’s energy performance rating system experienced tremendous 

growth and was expanded to include retail space in 2007. Building 

owners and operators have now used the system to rate the energy 

efficiency of more than 62,000 buildings—more than double the 

number since the end of 2006. These buildings represent more 

than 7.5 billion square feet (see Fig. 4), including 55% of hospital 

space (acute care), 52% of supermarket space, 31% of office 

building space, 24% of school space, and 24% of hotel space 

across the country. 

In addition, more buildings than ever qualified for the ENERGY 

STAR label in 2007, bringing the total to more than 4,000 buildings 

representing over 740 million square feet. Recognized for their 

superior energy and environmental performance, these buildings 

use about 35% less energy, on average, than typical buildings; 

almost 500 use 50% less energy. 

FIG. 3. 840,000 Homes Nationwide Bear the ENERGY STAR Label 

EPA recognized more than 50 partners as ENERGY STAR Leaders 

for meeting important energy saving milestones across their 

entire building portfolio. These Leaders represent more than 

4,500 facilities and more than 260 million square feet. 

Automated Benchmarking Services (ABS), which facilitates 

building benchmarking across a portfolio of buildings through 

third-party servers, grew more than 400% to service about 

30,000 buildings. Service and Product Providers helped rate over 

32,000 buildings—most of them through ABS—and assisted close 

to 500 client buildings in achieving at least a 10 point energy 

performance improvement in 2007. 

35 building projects achieved Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR 

in 2007. Kinard Junior High in Poudre, CO, became the first building 

to achieve Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR that went on to 

earn the ENERGY STAR label in 2007 based on demonstrated, 

operating performance. 

In 2007, vigorous activity continued for ENERGY STAR’s industrial 

partners, including those in the key focus industries of motor 

vehicles, cement, wet corn milling, food processing, glass, 

pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, petroleum refining, and pulp 

& paper. EPA released first drafts of plant energy performance 

rating tools for petrochemical plants, four different kinds of food 

processing plants, and three types of glass manufacturing plants. 

Almost 40 plants have now earned the ENERGY STAR label for 

superior energy performance. 

EPA added commercial dishwashers and icemakers to the suite 

of ENERGY STAR commercial product categories. Due to the 

successful transformation of the market to highly efficient traffic 

lights and transformers, EPA sunsetted these specifications in 2007. 

EPA completed a report to Congress on energy use in U.S. data 

centers, showing the potential to save up to $4 billion in electricity 

costs by improving the efficiency of equipment and operations. 

FIG. 4. Commercial Building Rating and Labeling Activity 

Gains Momentum 
ENERGY STAR® 

AWARD WINNERS 

SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE 

3M 

St. Paul, MN 

Advantage IQ, Inc. 

Spokane, WA 

Austin Energy 

Austin, TX 

California Portland Cement 

Company 

Glendora, CA 

CenterPoint Energy 

Houston, TX 

Food Lion, LLC 

Salisbury, NC 

Ford Motor Company 

Dearborn, MI 

GE Consumer & Industrial 

Louisville, KY 

Giant Eagle, Inc. 

Pittsburgh, PA 

Gorell Enterprises, Inc. 

Indiana, PA 

Marriott International Inc. 

Bethesda, MD 

Merck & Co., Inc. 

Whitehouse Station, NJ 

Nevada ENERGY STAR Partners 

Las Vegas, NV 

New York State Energy Research 

and Development Authority 

Albany, NY 

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 

New York, NY 

Northeast ENERGY STAR Products 

Initiative 

Lexington, MA 

Oncor Electric Delivery 

Dallas, TX 

OSRAM SYLVANIA 

Danvers, MA 

PepsiCo 

Purchase, NY 

ProVia Door 

Sugarcreek, OH 

Raytheon Company 

Waltham, MA 

Sea Gull Lighting Products, LLC 

Riverside, NJ 

Southern California Edison 

Rosemead, CA 

Toyota Motor Engineering & 

Manufacturing North America, Inc. 

Erlanger, KY 

Transwestern 

Houston, TX 

USAA Real Estate Company 

San Antonio, TX 

Whirlpool Corporation 

Benton Harbor, MI 

Wisconsin Focus on Energy 

Madison, WI 

PARTNER OF THE YEAR 

Allergan, Inc. 

Irvine, CA 

ArcelorMittal USA 

Chicago, IL 

Arizona Public Service (APS) 

Phoenix, AZ 

Building Owners and Managers 

Association (BOMA) International 

Washington, DC 

CB Richard Ellis, Inc. 

Los Angeles, CA 

Colorado Springs Utilities 

Colorado Springs, CO 

Council Rock School District 

Newtown, PA 

Energy Inspectors 

Las Vegas, NV 

Environmental Building Solutions 

Matthews, NC 

Gresham-Barlow School District 

Gresham, OR 

ITW Food Equipment Group, 

North America 

Troy, OH 

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. 

Plano, TX 

Lithonia Lighting, an Acuity Brands 

Company 

Conyers, GA 

National Grid 

Westborough, MA 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company 

San Francisco, CA 

Pella Corporation 

Pella, IA 

Providence Health & Services 

Seattle, WA 

Rocky Mountain Power 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Seattle Lighting 

DestinationLighting.com 

Seattle, WA 

Simon Property Group 

Indianapolis, IN 

Southern Energy Management 

Raleigh, NC 

Southwest Energy Conservation, LLC 

El Paso, TX 

The Dow Chemical Company 

Midland, MI 

The Joint Management Committee 

representing Massachusetts 

New Homes with ENERGY STAR 

Massachusetts 

TIAA-CREF 

New York, NY 

TRC Energy Services 

Windsor, CT 

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 

Best Buy Co., Inc. 

Richfield, MN 

Bosch Home Appliances 

Huntington Beach, CA 

Canon USA, Inc. 

Lake Success, NY 

Efficiency Vermont 

Burlington, VT 

Energy Trust of Oregon, Inc. 

Portland, OR 

Forest City Stapleton 

Denver, CO 

Georgia Power 

Atlanta, GA 

Haven Properties 

Alpharetta, GA 

Ideal Homebuilders 

Lexington, KY 

Ivey Residential 

Evans, GA 

Long Island Power Authority 

Uniondale, NY 

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 

Mooresville, NC 

Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity 

Nashville, TN 

Nationwide Marketing Group 

Winston-Salem, NC 

Nevada Power & Sierra Pacific 

Power ENERGY STAR Lighting 

and Appliance Program 

Reno, NV 

NJBPU, New Jersey’s Clean 

Energy Program 

Newark, NJ 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company 

San Francisco, CA 

The Home Depot 

Atlanta, GA 

Utah Division of Housing and 

Community Development 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Virgin Islands Water and Power 

Authority 

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands 

Winton/Flair Custom Homes 

El Paso, TX 

SPECIAL RECOGNITION 

3M’s Optical Systems Division 

St. Paul, MN 

Lennar Homes—Bay Area, California 

San Ramon, CA 

Menards 

Eau Claire, WI 

For more information, visit www.energystar.gov 

All values and figures for 2007 are preliminary as of March 1, 2008. Source for all figures: EPA Climate Protection Partnerships Division