After audits faulting the program, the US government announced that it would substantially tighten the certification process for products bearing the label of EnergyStar, which is the stamp of approval for an energy-efficient product.
Over the past six months, both the Government Accountability Office and the Energy Department’s inspector general have issued reports detailing significant failings with the process.
The EnergyStar program is currently jointly managed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy. Under the new rules, the approval process will no longer be automated and a staff member will review each application.
The manufacturers will need to submit complete lab test results of the products before applying for EnergyStar certification. Meanwhile, the companies will be unable to paste the EnergyStar logo onto products that have not been approved yet.
According to the government, it is indicated that all the tests submitted by manufacturers will have to be from independent certified labs by the end of the year. Until now, that had been the case for only some categories of products like windows, doors and compact florescent lighting.