ENERGY STAR is a voluntary program developed in collaboration with industry to create a self-sustaining market for energy efficient products. The center piece of the program is the ENERGY STAR label, a registered certification label that helps consumers identify products that save energy, save money, and help protect the environment without sacrificing quality or performance. In order to protect the integrity of the label and enhance its effectiveness in the marketplace, EPA must ensure that products carrying the label meet appropriate program requirements.
Program participants submit signed Partnership Agreements indicating that they will adhere to logo-use guidelines and program requirements. Retail partners commit to selling, marketing and promoting ENERGY STAR certified products. Product brand owner partners, who are usually the manufacturer of the products, commit to having participating products certified to meet specified energy performance criteria based on a standard test method and EPA’s third party certification requirements. These requirements for ENERGY STAR product certification also include provisions for verifying the performance of certified products through verification testing.
Now, product information is recorded by Certification Bodies and shared with EPA using XML-based web services that validate and save the information in EPA’s database. With this new process of obtaining certified product data, certified model data is automatically updated daily on the ENERGY STAR website. To ensure continued product performance after initial certification, EPA requires Certification Bodies to conduct post-market verification testing of a sampling of ENERGY STAR certified products. Certification Bodies are required to share information with EPA on products subjected to this post-market testing twice a year and to immediately report any certified products that no longer meet the program requirements. This process allows EPA to monitor the ongoing performance of products and take necessary steps to maintain consumer confidence in the ENERGY STAR label and protect the investment of partners.
EPA has changed the ENERGY STAR program. EPA only collects certified product information from CBs to inform the list of ENERGY STAR certified models. The third-party CB must be recognized by EPA and testing must be performed in an EPA-recognized laboratory. The CB provides information about a certified product to EPA via an automated XML-based web service. The automated collection no longer relies on submission of any forms and is structured to ensure that accurate certification information on the ENERGY STAR website.
$566,573
No
No
No
No
No
Uncollected
Kirsten Hesla 202 564-2984
No
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form 5900-33 Third Party Certified Product Information
2078ss06.doc
Third Party Certified Product Information