Energy Star
Also known as: ENERGY STAR, energy star certification, energy efficiency certification
Energy Star is a voluntary energy efficiency certification programme created by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and run with the Department of Energy (DOE), which took over primary management in 2026.
Natural Resources Canada administers it in Canada. Products that earn the Energy Star label meet specified energy efficiency standards: they use less electricity than comparable products while maintaining full performance. The programme covers a wide range of products including computers, laptops, monitors, servers, data centres, printers, and commercial equipment. Many international markets recognise Energy Star certification alongside their own efficiency labels.
Energy Star, explained at three levels
At home
The Energy Star label on a device or appliance means it uses less electricity than the minimum required by US regulations: it is one of the more efficient products in its category. When you see the Energy Star logo on a laptop, monitor, or printer, it means the device has been tested and certified to use less energy than average. Buying Energy Star products is one of the simplest ways to reduce your electricity consumption without giving up features or performance.
At work
Energy Star certification is used by organizations as a procurement criterion for reducing IT energy consumption and meeting green procurement policies. Many government procurement frameworks in the US, Canada, and other markets require or prefer Energy Star certified IT equipment. Enterprise IT procurement specifications should include Energy Star certification as a baseline requirement for any product category where certification is available.
At home
Energy Star specifications are tiered by product category and set periodically by the EPA based on market analysis. To receive certification, a product must meet the minimum specification for its category: typically set at a level where only 25-30% of products in the market would qualify, incentivizing manufacturers to improve efficiency. As the market improves, EPA raises the specifications so that the certification continues to represent genuine efficiency leadership.
At work
For servers, Energy Star certification is based on standardized tests: limits on idle power, power supply efficiency at several load levels, and a performance-per-watt score from a benchmark tool, and the program reports that certified servers use roughly 30% less energy on average. Buildings, including data centres, are judged differently: the Energy Star score in Portfolio Manager compares a facility's actual metered energy use with similar buildings on a 1 to 100 scale, and a score of 75 or higher can earn certification.
At home
Energy Star's impact extends beyond individual product purchasing. The program's market transformation model (setting specifications that the top 25-30% of products can meet, then raising them over time) has driven ongoing efficiency improvement across product categories. Manufacturers compete on Energy Star compliance because it is a procurement criterion in many markets, creating market incentives for efficiency investment that exceed the direct impact of any individual buyer's decision.
At work
From a practitioner standpoint, Energy Star certification should be a baseline procurement requirement for all IT equipment categories where certification is available. Many organizations' green IT policies already require it; for those that don't, adding it to procurement specifications has negligible procurement complexity (nearly all major vendors offer certified products) and meaningful energy savings over the lifecycle of a large device fleet.
Real-world examples
At home
Sophie was buying a new monitor for home working and specifically filtered her search to show only Energy Star certified options. She chose a monitor rated 40% more efficient than the baseline: reducing her home office electricity consumption and qualifying for a green home working allowance from her employer.
At work
A university's IT procurement policy required Energy Star certification for all computer monitors, laptops, and printers purchased with university funds. The facilities team estimated that their 3,000 Energy Star certified monitors collectively saved approximately 150,000 kWh per year compared to the standard non-certified alternatives: roughly the yearly electricity use of 14 average Canadian homes.
Common confusions
- Energy Star certification does not mean a product is the most efficient available: it means the product is among the most efficient in its category at the time of certification. Some products significantly exceed the Energy Star threshold. For organizations making large purchases where energy consumption matters significantly, comparing actual energy consumption figures (available on the Energy Star product finder) is more useful than relying on the label alone.
- Energy Star certification covers a product's operational energy use, not its embodied carbon or end-of-life impact. A product with excellent Energy Star ratings may still have significant embodied carbon from its manufacturing process. For a complete environmental assessment, Energy Star ratings should be considered alongside lifecycle assessments and manufacturer sustainability reports.
- Energy Star is primarily a US programme, though internationally recognised. It is most relevant for products sold in the US and Canada, where Natural Resources Canada administers it. Elsewhere, look for national efficiency labels such as the EU Energy Label, Australia's Energy Rating, or Japan's Top Runner programme. These may have different specifications and product categories.
For analysts
In BA artefacts, Energy Star requirements surface in IT procurement policies and green IT governance. Include in procurement system requirements: 'Products in the following categories must hold a current Energy Star certification: desktop computers, laptops, monitors, printers, servers, and UPS systems. Procurement requests for non-certified products must be accompanied by a documented exception approved by the sustainability officer.' Tracking the Energy Star certification status of all IT assets in the asset register enables sustainability reporting on the energy efficiency of the device fleet.
History & origin
Energy Star was launched by the US EPA in 1992, initially focusing on computers and monitors. The programme expanded significantly in the mid-1990s to cover home appliances, HVAC equipment, and commercial buildings. The EU recognised Energy Star for office equipment from 2001 under an agreement with the US, and Canada joined the programme the same year through Natural Resources Canada. The programme is credited with saving consumers and businesses over $500 billion in energy costs since inception and avoiding billions of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. The EU-US agreement expired in 2018, and the EU now relies on its own Energy Label and ecodesign rules.