ENERGY STAR® OVERVIEW OF 

2009 ACHIEVEMENTS 

ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROTECTS OUR ENVIRONMENT AND GROWS OUR ECONOMY 

Climate change continues to be one of the most important environmental challenges facing the global community. 

Despite the recent economic downturn, consumers, businesses, and organizations continue to rise to this challenge 

by investing in energy-efficient technologies and practices. Improving the efficiency of the nation’s buildings, 

homes, and industries is the fastest, most cost-effective solution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the near 

term and combating global climate change in the long term. The more we invest in energy efficiency, the greater the 

down payment we make in a sustainable environment for future generations. These investments not only reduce 

costs and protect the environment, they also help address volatile energy prices, strengthen energy security, create 

new jobs, and spur economic growth. 

The government’s ENERGY STAR program advances the adoption of energy efficiency across the residential, 

commercial, and industrial sectors of the U.S. economy. By using unbiased information, market-based partnerships, 

objective measurement tools, and consumer outreach, the program identifies and dismantles market barriers. Since 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched ENERGY STAR in 1992, the program has transformed the 

marketplace by providing trusted, unbiased information to homeowners, businesses, and consumers on reliable, 

cost-effective, efficient products, services, and practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

As of 2009, more than 17,000 organizations have partnered with ENERGY STAR to realize significant environmental 

and economic benefits. This document provides a brief overview of key ENERGY STAR achievements in 2009. A 

more comprehensive summary of the program’s accomplishments will be available later in 2010. 

RESUlTS FOR 2009 

2009 marked another year of impressive growth and continued success for the ENERGY STAR program. Americans, 

with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented 45 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions last year alone–– 

equivalent to the annual emissions from 30 million vehicles (see Fig. 1)—and saved nearly $17 billion on their utility 

bills. These savings are expected to grow substantially in the years ahead as consumers and businesses continue 

to reap the benefits of their investments and look to ENERGY STAR for guidance on investing in additional energyefficient products, practices, and policies. 

ENERGY STAR PARTNERS 

Across the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, businesses, institutions, organizations, and consumers 

continue to address global climate change by adopting energy-efficient products and practices. A diverse set of 

public and private organizations nationwide 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. ENERGY STAR partners include: 

	 Nearly 3,000 manufacturers using the ENERGY STAR to label and differentiate more than 40,000 individual 

product models. 

	 More than 1,500 retail partners bringing ENERGY STAR qualified products and educational information to their 

customers. 

	 Over 8,500 builder partners constructing new homes that qualify as ENERGY STAR in every state and the District 

of Columbia—saving homeowners money while improving comfort. 

Fig. 1. ENERGY STAR Benefits Continue To Grow 
*Compact fluorescent bulbs are not included in the number of ENERGY STAR qualified products purchased.

   

3.0 

	 More than 3,600 private businesses, public sector 

organizations, and industrial facilities investing in energy 

efficiency and reducing energy use in their buildings and 

facilities. 

	 More than 45 states, 700 utilities, and many other energy 

efficiency program sponsors nationwide leveraging ENERGY 

STAR to improve the efficiency of commercial buildings 

and homes. 

	 Thousands 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 collective efforts of these partners and the government have 

resulted in steady growth of consumer awareness of the ENERGY 

STAR label. By the end of 2009, more than 75% of the American 

public could identify the ENERGY STAR label. Over one in three 

households knowingly purchased an ENERGY STAR qualified 

product and 80% of those households credited the label as an 

important factor in their decision. 

ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS 

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 products, Americans know they can save on utility bills, 

while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to 

climate change. 

Highlights for 2009 

Qualified Products. Americans purchased over 300 million 

ENERGY STAR qualified products in 2009 across more than 

60 product categories for a cumulative total of about 3 billion 

products since 2000 (see Fig. 2). The categories—including 

appliances, heating and cooling equipment, consumer 

electronics, office equipment, lighting fixtures, and more—offer 

consumer savings of as much as 75% relative to standard 

models. 

Fig. 2. About 3 Billion ENERGY STAR Qualified Products 

Purchased Since 2000
�

2.5 

2.0 

1.5 

1.0 

0.5 

0 

HVAC and Other  Lighting*  Home Office Equipment 

Appliances  Home Electronics  Office Equipment 

*Compact fluorescent bulbs are not included in the number of ENERGY STAR qualified 

products purchased. 

ENERGY STAR Product Specifications—New and Revised. 

In 2009, EPA expanded the suite of commercial food service 

products to include griddles, ovens, and glass door refrigerators 

and freezers. The efficiency bar was raised for qualified solid 

door refrigerators and freezers and displays, TVs, and audio/ 

video equipment. The suite of qualified IT equipment was 

expanded to include professional displays, commercial audio/ 

video products, and computer servers. EPA developed new 

verification testing requirements for computers and ventilating 

fans and refined the requirements for geothermal heat pumps. 

DOE added integral LED lamps to the collection of qualified 

products and revised the specifications for windows, doors, and 

skylights. 

Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR Campaign. This 

national campaign challenged Americans to pledge to make 

energy-efficient choices at home and at work that help reduce 

greenhouse gas emissions. With a new focus on youth and 

families, the 2009 campaign helped over 1,300 clubs or schools 

develop community service projects related to energy efficiency. 

Additionally, the campaign traveled to five cities with an 

energy-efficient exhibit house, garnered nearly 8 million media 

impressions, and generated nearly 200,000 pledges. 

ENERGY STAR FOR THE HOME 

Whether making energy-saving improvements to their existing 

home or looking for an energy-efficient new home, Americans 

rely on ENERGY STAR as a trusted source of information, comfort, 

and savings. Through ENERGY STAR, EPA offers best practices 

and products that consumers can use to reduce household 

energy use, save on their utility bills, and improve comfort. 

Highlights for 2009 

One Million New Homes Have Earned the ENERGY STAR. In 

2009, EPA announced that 1 million ENERGY STAR qualified 

homes have been built in the United States, a significant 

milestone since the program began offering the label for homes 

in 1995. More than 100,000 new homes were constructed to meet 

ENERGY STAR guidelines in 2009 (see Fig. 3). 

Home Improvement. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR 

(HPwES), EPA’s flagship whole-house retrofit program, continued 

to grow in 2009 with over 23,000 homes improved through locally 

sponsored programs across the country. This brings the total 

number of homes improved through HPwES to more than 75,000. 

Seven new sponsors are starting HPwES programs—bringing 

the total number of programs to more than 30 across 28 states. 

Home Energy Performance Tools. More than 110,000 consumers 

used EPA’s online Home Energy Yardstick to compare their 

homes’ energy use to others across the country. Over 66,000 

homeowners used the interactive ENERGY STAR Home Advisor 

to see customized recommendations for improving the energy 

efficiency of their homes. 

Affordable Housing. More than 5,000 ENERGY STAR qualified 

homes were built using public funding in 2009. This includes 

homes built using funds from the federal Community 

Development Block Grant program, which experienced a 30% 

increase in the number of ENERGY STAR qualified homes built 

over 2008. More than 40 state housing finance agencies (HFAs) 

now give preference to projects that include ENERGY STAR 

products and/or residential new construction practices, while at 

least eight state HFAs require all new homes funded with lowincome housing tax credits to be ENERGY STAR qualified. 

Units Purchased (Billions) 
Energy Efficiency Financing. EPA launched an innovative 

ENERGY STAR Mortgage pilot program in 2009 to promote energy 

efficiency financing among homeowners and homebuyers. The 

pilot offers affordable financing to consumers buying an ENERGY 

STAR qualified home. It also offers financing for homeowners 

making improvements, either through participation in a HPwES 

program or a Weatherization Assistance Program, which are 

expected to cut home energy use by at least 20%. The pilot 

program is underway in Maine and Colorado, which collectively 

have provided over 150 ENERGY STAR Mortgages. 

ENERGY STAR FOR BUSINESS 

Through the ENERGY STAR program, EPA delivers tools and 

resources to commercial and industrial partners to help them 

reduce energy use and provides recognition opportunities to 

highlight partners’ energy efficiency efforts. 

Highlights for 2009 

Tracking Energy Performance. The energy performance of more 

than 130,000 buildings—representing nearly 17 billion square 

feet or 23% of the total market—has been assessed using EPA’s 

ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager (see Fig. 4). This includes 87% 

of inpatient healthcare facilities; 55% of offices (including banks); 

35% of education facilities; 29% of supermarkets/convenience 

stores; and 26% of hotels, residence halls, and long-term care 

facilities. 

Buildings Earn the ENERGY STAR. Almost 3,900 buildings 

earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR in 2009—more than in any other 

year. The ENERGY STAR label, which recognizes buildings that 

perform in the top 25% of the market, was extended to houses 

of worship resulting in the first worship facilities to earn this 

recognition. Overall, more than 8,700 buildings—representing 

almost 1.6 billion square feet—and over 50 plants have now been 

recognized for top performance. 

More Buildings Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR. In 2009, 

nearly 100 commercial building design projects achieved 

Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR, for a total of 230. These 

buildings will be constructed with the intent of earning the 

ENERGY STAR once built and operational, at which point the 

Fig. 3. More Than 1 Million Homes Nationwide Bear 

the ENERGY STAR label 

Number of Homes

Building Space Square Footage (Billions) 

actual energy use will be verified and the loop from design to 

performance closed. 

leaders in Saving Energy. More than 100 partners have 

been recognized as ENERGY STAR Leaders for reducing the 

energy use in their buildings by as much as 40% or achieving 

top-performing portfolios, as verified through EPA’s energy 

performance scale. These Leaders, about 80% of which are 

school districts, manage nearly 390 million square feet across 

more than 5,600 facilities. In 2009, almost 60 organizations— 

including the first two to qualify for a 40% reduction—earned 

recognition, the most ever in a single year. 

Portfolio Manager Expansion. To assist federal government 

building users in meeting sustainability tracking and reporting 

requirements, a Sustainability Checklist was added to EPA’s 

Portfolio Manager. Users can now also track and account for 

onsite renewables and renewable energy certificates. 

local and State Government Initiatives. In 2009, local and state 

governments leveraged ENERGY STAR in creating voluntary 

campaigns and enacting legislation to promote energy efficiency 

and protect the environment. The City of Louisville launched 

the second annual Kilowatt Crackdown, a contest to promote 

building energy efficiency improvements. Other governments 

also demonstrated their commitment to energy efficiency with 

ENERGY STAR through their own campaigns—Chicago’s Green 

Office Challenge, San Francisco’s 24x7 Energy Challenge, 

Portland’s Office Energy Showdown, and Lt. Governor’s ENERGY 

STAR School Challenges in Wisconsin and New Mexico. The 

State of Washington and New York City enacted legislation 

requiring public and privately owned commercial buildings to be 

benchmarked using Portfolio Manager, joining Washington, DC, 

Austin, TX, West Chester, PA, and the State of California. 

ENERGY STAR for Industry. EPA’s Industrial Focuses provide 

industry-specific energy management tools and resources. In 

2009, the Industrial Focuses continued to make strides in energy 

efficiency and added Metal Casting to the suite for a total of 17 

focuses. Four new energy performance indicators (EPIs) were 

issued—for the juice, potato products, flat glass, and container 

glass industries—to enable energy managers and corporate 

executives to evaluate the energy efficiency of their plants 

relative to that of the industry. 

Fig. 4. Steady Growth in Building Space Benchmarked 

and labeled (Sq. Ft. in Billions) 

18 

16 

14 

12 

10 

8 

6 

4 

2 

0 

Sq. Ft. Benchmarked  Sq. Ft. Labeled Cumulative Homes Built Annual Homes Built

*Reflects transition to more stringent specification and slow down in U.S. housing starts.	� *2001-2008 includes only buildings eligible to receive an ENERGY STAR energy performance 

score. 2009 includes those buildings as well as buildings eligible to receive an EUI (Energy 

Use Intensity). 
 

 

 

ENERGY STAR® AWARD WINNERS 

SUSTAINED EXCEllENCE Merck & Co., Inc. 

Whitehouse Station, NJ 

Whirlpool Corporation 

Benton Harbor, MI 

Jones Lang LaSalle 

Chicago, IL 

ComEd 

Chicago, IL 

3M 

St. Paul, MN 

Advantage IQ, Inc. 

Spokane, WA 

Nashville Area Habitat 

for Humanity 

Nashville, TN 

National Grid 

Winton/Flair Custom Homes 

El Paso, TX 

Wisconsin Focus on Energy 

Madison, WI 

Kennedy Associates 

Seattle, WA 

Kimberly-Clark Corporation 

Dallas, TX 

Community Housing Partners 

Christiansburg, VA 

Continental Refrigerator 

Bensalem, PA 

APS (Arizona Public Service) 

Phoenix, AZ 

ArcelorMittal 

Chicago, IL 

Austin Energy 

Austin, TX 

Building Owners and Managers 

Association (BOMA) 

International 

Washington, DC 

CalPortland Company 

Glendora, CA 

CB Richard Ellis 

Los Angeles, CA 

CenterPoint Energy 

Houston, TX 

Council Rock School District 

Newtown, PA 

Energy Inspectors 

Las Vegas, NV 

Energy Trust of Oregon 

Portland, OR 

Food Lion, LLC 

Salisbury, NC 

Ford Motor Company 

Dearborn, MI 

GE Appliances & Lighting 

Louisville, KY 

Giant Eagle Incorporated 

Pittsburgh, PA 

Gorell Enterprises, Inc. 

Indiana, PA 

Gresham-Barlow School District 

Gresham, OR 

Hines 

Houston, TX 

ITW Food Equipment Group -

North America 

Troy, OH 

Ivey Residential, LLC 

Evans, GA 

J. C. Penney Company, Inc. 

Plano, TX 

The Joint Management Committee 

representing Massachusetts 

New Homes with ENERGY STAR 

Lexington, MA 

Lowe’s Companies, Inc. 

Mooresville, NC 

Waltham, MA 

New York State Energy Research 

and Development Authority 

(NYSERDA) 

Albany, NY 

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 

New York, NY 

Northwest Energy 

Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) 

Portland, OR 

Oncor 

Dallas, TX 

OSRAM SYLVANIA Inc. 

Danvers, MA 

Pacific Gas and Electric Company 

(PG&E) 

San Francisco, CA 

Pella Corporation 

Pella, IA 

PepsiCo, Inc. 

Purchase, NY 

ProVia Door 

Sugarcreek, OH 

Raytheon Company 

Waltham, MA 

Rocky Mountain Power, Inc. 

Salt Lake City, UT 

SENERCON 

El Paso, TX 

Servidyne 

Atlanta, GA 

Southern California Edison 

Company 

Rosemead, CA 

Southern Energy Management 

Morrisville, NC 

Sponsors of Northeast Energy 

Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) 

Lexington, MA 

TIAA-CREF 

New York, NY 

Toyota Motor Engineering & 

Manufacturing North America, 

Inc. 

Erlanger, KY 

TRANSWESTERN 

Houston, TX 

USAA Real Estate Company 

San Antonio, TX 

PARTNER OF THE YEAR 

Advanced Energy 

Raleigh, NC 

Andersen Corporation 

Bayport, MN 

Bosch Home Appliances 

Huntington Beach, CA 

Canon U.S.A., Inc. 

Lake Success, NY 

CEMEX USA 

Houston, TX 

Colorado Governor’s Energy 

Office 

Denver, CO 

Energy Diagnostics Inc. 

Valparaiso, IN 

Energy Education 

Dallas, TX 

EnergyLogic 

Berthoud, CO 

Environments For Living/Masco 

Home Services 

Daytona Beach, FL 

Evergreen Public Schools 

Vancouver, WA 

FetterGroup 

Louisville, KY 

Frostbusters & Coolth Co. 

Grand Junction, CO 

Gainesville Regional Utilities 

(GRU) 

Gainesville, FL 

Georgia Power 

Atlanta, GA 

Good Earth Lighting, Inc. 

Wheeling, IL 

Hanesbrands Inc. 

Winston-Salem, NC 

HEI Hotels & Resorts 

Norwalk, CT 

Home Energy Defense 

Lincoln, NE 

JELD-WEN, inc. 

Klamath Falls, OR 

Johnson Controls, Inc. 

Milwaukee, WI 

Kohl’s Department Stores 

Menomonee Falls, WI 

Long Island Power Authority 

(LIPA) 

Uniondale, NY 

Loudoun County Public Schools 

Ashburn, VA 

Louisville-Jefferson County 

Metro Government 

Louisville, KY 

Manitowoc Foodservice 

New Port Richey, FL 

New Mexico Gas Company 

Albuquerque, NM 

Nissan North America, Inc. 

Franklin, TN 

Panasonic Home & Environment 

Company 

Secaucus, NJ 

Public Service Company of New 

Mexico (PNM) 

Albuquerque, NM 

Public Service Company of 

Oklahoma (PSO) 

Tulsa, OK 

Puget Sound Energy 

Bellevue, WA 

Questar Gas Company 

Salt Lake City, UT 

Saint-Gobain 

Valley Forge, PA 

Sears Holdings Corporation 

Hoffman Estates, IL 

Sunoco, Inc. 

Philadelphia, PA 

Technical Consumer Products, 

Inc. 

Aurora, OH 

AWARDS FOR 

EXCEllENCE 

Actus Lend Lease, LLC 

Nashville, TN 

City of Topeka Department 

of Housing & Neighborhood 

Development 

Topeka, KS 

DIRECTV, Inc. 

El Segundo, CA 

HearthStone Homes, Inc. 

Omaha, NE 

Houston Habitat for Humanity 

Houston, TX 

KB Home 

Los Angeles, CA 

M/I Homes 

Columbus, OH 

Menards 

Eau Claire, WI 

Metro Lighting 

St. Louis, MO 

Nationwide Marketing Group 

Winston-Salem, NC 

On Top of the World 

Communities, Inc. 

Ocala, FL 

PK Management, LLC 

Richmond Heights, OH 

Richmond American Homes 

Denver, CO 

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Suwon, South Korea 

Sharp Electronics Corporation 

Mahwah, NJ 

Southern California Gas 

Company 

Los Angeles, CA 

Southern Minnesota Municipal 

Power Agency (SMMPA) 

Rochester, MN 

For more information, visit www.energystar.gov 

All values and figures for 2009 are preliminary as of March 1, 2010. Source for all figures: EPA Climate Protection Partnerships Division