Inside Energy Star 7.0
Industry associations assist manufacturers with new reporting requirements
Energy Star, a voluntary labeling program administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, creates opportunities for residential window, door and skylight manufacturers. The Energy Star label is one of the most widely known consumer symbols, recognized by 90 percent of U.S. households.
Program partners follow eligibility, certification, labeling and reporting criteria to validate compliance and to help ensure Energy Star products perform. Industry associations closely monitor Energy Star revisions, representing members’ interests and providing comments for improvement. As Energy Star 6.0 gives way to 7.0, manufacturers must comply with version 7.0 requirements by Oct. 23, 2023.
Quick Look
Reporting requirements have changed
All Energy Star partners are required to report their total certified units shipped each calendar year. Previously, this reporting was produced by global consulting firm Ducker Carlisle, which conducts fenestration market research for the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance.
Effective this year, the required process for 2023 data reporting will change.
The Window and Door Manufacturers Association and FGIA are offering Energy Star partners that are members of either association an alternative to submitting their unit shipment data directly to the EPA’s contractor, global consulting firm ICF. A joint online portal is being developed to submit confidential data to Ducker Carlisle for aggregation. Only the total unit shipment data from all submittals for each product segment and each climate zone will be delivered to the EPA, along with a list of companies that submitted to verify compliance with the reporting requirement.
Energy Star partners will receive an announcement in early January 2024 with a March 1, 2024, submission deadline. Failure to submit data by the deadline will result in removal from the U.S. Energy Star website’s certified products and partner lists. Partners that still have not submitted unit shipment data by May 1, 2024, may no longer certify additional product models as being Energy Star compliant.
Start now, file once
To clarify changes in Energy Star 7.0 reporting mechanisms, FGIA and WDMA co-hosted a webinar by Energy Star Program Manager Doug Anderson, who manages the Energy Star Residential Window, Door and Skylight Program and the Energy Star Most Efficient Programs for residential windows, sliding glass doors, and skylights/tubular daylighting devices. He encouraged Energy Star partners to set up data collection systems for 2023 and beyond and recommended identifying a designated contact for data collection and My
Energy Star Account management.
Anderson offered insights on the Unit Shipment Data Submission Form:
- Currently, all Energy Star-labeled 6.0 and 7.0 products are counted the same. After Oct. 23, only Energy Star-labeled 7.0 products will be counted.
- Partners do not report shipments of products certified by another company, even if they are the original equipment manufacturer.
- Partners report where products are shipped by climate zone. Data is based on the product’s destination when it leaves the manufacturing facility and a directory of ZIP codes in each climate zone is being provided by the EPA.
- Even if a partner did not ship to a certain climate zone or did not make a certain product type, the form still must be completed and submitted; simply, enter a zero in the data field.
Anderson emphasized Energy Star partners must only submit data via one of two options—either directly to ICF or through the FGIA/WDMA online portal. In addition to the total Energy Star-certified units shipped, the EPA reporting form asks for the total for all units shipped to aid in calculating the program’s market share.
Version 7.0 in effect
Effective April 23, new product submittals will not be certified to Energy Star 6.0. However, existing Energy Star certifications will remain valid until Oct. 23. After this, they must meet version 7.0 to be Energy Star certified and labeled.
The FGIA continues to collaborate with its members and the EPA on the Energy Star program requirements. More information on the joint FGIA/WDMA data submittal portal for members will be available later this year.
