Document ID: EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0033-0208
Agency: epa
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2021-12-08T05:00Z

Eligibility:	Brand Owner of ENERGY STAR certified products. 

            Please note that the prerequisite for any product brand owner award is compliance with the requirements outlined in the applicable ENERGY STAR Partner Commitments, Product Specification, and Brand Book requirements. Applications will be screened for such compliance, including proper logo and label use. Additionally, please read the separate General Instructions for all applicants.

Description:	This award recognizes organizations that have demonstrated leadership in the energy efficiency of products directly leveraging ENERGY STAR to further market uptake and advance energy efficiency and related greenhouse gas emission reduction objectives. Recipients of awards in this category distinguish themselves through their innovation in designing and promoting products with superior energy efficiency, training employees, and educating their customers about the benefit of energy efficiency using the ENERGY STAR brand, tools, strategies and resources to do so. 
            ENERGY STAR recognizes that each organization excels in specific areas. Partners may describe specific activities beyond the scope of the criteria listed below but should not omit any data or information required by the application.

            For organizations that have been recognized with ENERGY STAR Awards in past years, the award evaluation committee will assess applicants not only on their ability to sustain successful strategies from prior years, but also new achievements in 2020. Applicants are encouraged to respond accordingly in their narratives.

Criteria:	Criteria for evaluating applications for this award are listed below. Cumulative accomplishment statements may be included in the Accomplishments Narrative, but data specific to 2020 activities must also be provided. When highlighting cumulative accomplishments, please ensure that you include a timeframe (e.g., saved $300,000 in electricity costs in 2020 and more than $3 million since 2001).

                    PART 2:
Award Accomplishments Document
         (use the following information to create a Word or PDF file)
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Accomplishments Narrative

Our goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by helping consumers identify and select products that have earned the ENERGY STAR because of their superior energy efficiency. How are you helping to achieve that goal? Please write a narrative describing your company's activities and accomplishments specific to supporting ENERGY STAR's objective. Your narrative should:

       Be no more than five pages but may be accompanied by electronic samples of specific promotions, advertisements, or other activities your organization led in 2020.
       Use at least size 11 font.
       Provide a detailed description of your 2020 activities and accomplishments, demonstrating how you have met the required criteria.
       Be consistent with the outline below, to the extent the activities are relevant to your organization.
       Include all provided tables and their requested data points.
       Provide year-to-date figures for all requested data points. Figures requested for previous year should cover the same time period.
       Provide timeframes for any supplemental data on cumulative outcomes.
       Provide supporting materials that demonstrate your efforts and accomplishments in a single PDF.
Please organize supporting material with hyperlinks or in a single PDF file with references to section or page numbers so that it can be referenced easily in the application narrative.  Each applicant must submit at least one item in PART 3: Supporting Materials. (required) 

NOTE: To receive credit for efforts, applicants must supply all requested data points and descriptions in the Accomplishments Narrative. 

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Award Evaluation Criteria:
	
Reviewers will look for the following, as appropriate to your business:

 Effort to Further Energy Efficiency in Products

Please provide a detailed description of your efforts and accomplishments to further energy-efficiency in your products during 2020 that includes the following:
 Information concerning new ENERGY STAR models/option packages developed/certified in 2020, including a brief description of innovation in product design for energy efficiency. Provide specific examples, design drawings or diagrams, and savings delivered, where possible
 Description of engagement and leadership regarding the ENERGY STAR program, including participation in ENERGY STAR product specification development effort(s) and conduct/sharing of research and/or data that support specification development
 Activities that go above and beyond minimum labeling requirements (e.g., unique or highly prominent use of the logo on product or packaging in terms of size, location, etc. while still meeting the ENERGY STAR Brand Book requirements: www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=logos.pt_guidelines, inclusion of program messaging, digital graphics with widgets, and links back to energystar.gov with ENERGY STAR certification mark and on high profile pages on company website (see for program messaging and graphics:  https://www.energystar.gov/products/marketing_materials) Please provide examples.)
 Please provide the table with the requested data points below:
 (Note: Cut and paste this table into your Accomplishments document for editing)

Number of ENERGY STAR certified models (for windows, number of option packages also acceptable) * available in 2020

   Number of ENERGY STAR certified models (for windows number of option packages also acceptable) available in 2019

   Percentage change over previous year
                                   [Formula]
Percentage of eligible 2020 models that are ENERGY STAR certified

For window, door, or skylight manufacturers:

   Percentage of models ENERGY STAR qualified in standard version

   Percentage of models that can be upgraded to ENERGY STAR

Percentage of total sales (dollars) from ENERGY STAR certified models in 2020

   Percentage of total sales (dollars) from ENERGY STAR certified models in 2019

   Percentage change over previous year**
                                   [Formula]
  *Please provide a definition of "model" and/or "option packages"
**If you are unable to provide specific sales information, please indicate general year-over-year improvements, if applicable

Partners are asked to specify which, if any, data are sensitive and should be used for internal EPA purposes only. This information  will be used by EPA only for evaluation purposes and will be closely controlled. If requested under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), EPA will argue that the data is exempt.

2. Training Efforts
Please provide a detailed description of your efforts and accomplishments related to training during 2020 that includes the following:
 Integration of ENERGY STAR into your organization's sales force and employee training. Provide scope, description of efforts, measures of impact, and examples (e.g., training manuals, new employee packets, presentations, etc.).
 Cooperation with distributors, retailers, or utility/state/regional partners to increase ENERGY STAR information in retail/distributor product knowledge training. Provide scope, description of efforts, measures of impact and examples (e.g., collateral, e-mails, screen shots of web-based, video, manuals, newsletters, presentations, ENERGY STAR specification summary sheets, etc.).
 Collaboration with EPA in the development of training activities.
 Note: Please make sure the examples include training materials that feature ENERGY STAR certified equipment and explicitly mention ENERGY STAR and offer additional information about the ENERGY STAR program.
   
(Cut and paste this table into your Accomplishments document for editing)
Number of existing employees reached through internal training
                                                                               
   Percentage of existing employees reached
                                                                               
Number of new employees reached through internal training
                                                                               
   Percentage of new employees reached
                                                                               
Number of distributor or retailer locations trained
                                                                               
   Percentage of distributor or retailer locations trained
                                                                               
   Number of distributor or retailer employees trained (total)
                                                                               
   Average percentage of distributor or retailer employees trained at each location
                                                                               

3. Marketing and Communications Efforts

 Please provide a detailed description of your product marketing and communications efforts and accomplishments in 2020. 
   
We are looking for your own ENERGY STAR certified marketing/advertising/communications initiatives along with participation in EPA coordinated efforts such as the ENERGY STAR certified product promotions, Earth Day, ENERGY STAR Day or holiday. 

   
   
 For each effort, provide the following:
   
 Description of the effort, such as training, product promotion / sales, Web, media outreach, events, etc.
 Specific tactics used, such as online / digital media, in-store activities (signage / events), advertising, public relations, social media, direct mail, etc. 
 Intended audience for the marketing/communications effort, such as internal or external and demographics
 Dates and location of activity(ies)
 Data on the impact of the effort, such as:
 Quantity of materials/efforts
 Frequency of efforts
 Reach/Impressions, click-thru-rate, video view rates, etc.
 Web data - such as number of pageviews, unique visitors, or average view times
 Brief description of any co-marketing efforts with retailers and other partners/stakeholders
 Graphic examples of materials to demonstrate the integration of ENERGY STAR branding and messaging. These may be included as part of the PDF of supporting materials described above.
   
To be considered, marketing and communications materials must include the correct use of the ENERGY STAR brand (and marks) and association with energy efficiency and environmental protection. (Messaging that focuses on energy efficiency alone will not be considered.) Also, materials must include links to energystar.gov through reference in materials or links from promotional landing pages.
      
Special consideration will be given to partners that integrate links to ENERGY STAR tools as part of their marketing campaigns, including:
      
 Ways to Save Tips web service
 Choose a Light Guide
 Water Heater Replacement Guide
 Heating and Cooling Guide
      
All are available on our Marketing Materials page here.
      

Note:  In addition to the three priority areas outlined above, EPA will also consider cross-cutting efforts that have been incorporated into company practices, such as:
 
    Participation in additional ENERGY STAR and EPA programs, including:
 ENERGY STAR Buildings
 ENERGY STAR Industrial Partnership 
 EPA's Green Power Partnership
 EPA's SmartWay
 EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program
 EPA's WaterSense
    Commitment to organization-wide facility energy efficiency improvements
    Organizational procurement practices of energy efficient and/or ENERGY STAR certified products
    Outline company efforts to reduce GHG emissions on site (e.g., recycling programs, solar, Bike to Work initiatives, electric vehicle charging stations, etc.)
    Outline company efforts to reduce GHG emissions in the value chain of its products (i.e., manufacturing processes for products)
    Offering recycling of products and/or packaging or developing in-house recycling programs  
    Participation in the development of data tools, such as QPX and Product Finder. (Where applicable for your product category)
    Commitment to protecting the integrity of the ENERGY STAR brand through continuous improvement, enhanced quality assurance, reporting logo violations, or other practices.

                 Prepare/Gather Remaining Documents for Upload
PART 3: Supporting Materials (at least one required, as described in the Application Instructions above)

PART 4: Organization's High-Resolution Logo (required)
ENERGY STAR[(R)]  is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions.