The Energy Star program – which is run by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and backed by the government – provides consumers like you with a way to make wise HVAC investments based on energy efficiency and fuel consumption. The Energy Star program started as a way to help American consumers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by labeling products that promise to deliver higher energy efficiency than base models.
Today, many qualifications exist as part of the Energy Star program to ensure that only the best heating and cooling equipment can qualify. These qualifications require equipment to:
- Contribute considerable energy savings in nationwide applications
- Deliver advanced features that enhance performance and convenience without degrading energy efficiency
- Provide energy savings that pay the consumer back for the additional investment required to purchase the product
- Undergo testing that verifies promised energy consumption and overall performance
Energy Star program qualifications are revised over the years to keep high-efficiency equipment set apart from the baseline models. The following situations can result in revised qualifications:
- 50 percent of products in a particular category can qualify for the Energy Star label.
- Federal minimums increase.
- Technological advances allow for even greater energy efficiency than before.
- Product availability is too low.
- Customers fail to see the energy savings they expect from investing in the product.
- Performance or quality issues arise.
To help you choose HVAC equipment that qualifies for support from the Energy Star program, be sure to examine the EnergyGuide label. This bright yellow label includes details about the product features, estimated yearly energy consumption and estimated operating cost. If the Energy Star logo is included on the EnergyGuide label, that means it’s among the most efficient units you can buy.
Now that you know more about the Energy Star program, it’s obvious where you should be putting your hard-earned cash. After all, this trusted, government-backed program was created to protect consumers and allow you to make better purchasing decisions.
For more information on worthwhile heating and cooling topics, please contact Around the Clock in Los Angeles today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Los Angeles, North Hollywood and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about tbe Energy Star program and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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