It includes 75 product categories, millions of certified items and billions in energy savings; yet, despite being one of the most recognizable symbols in American homes and businesses, the blue ENERGY STAR© label and the process behind it remain widely misunderstood. As a leader of a certification body that works directly with ENERGY STAR, I’d like to clarify what this program does—what it doesn’t do—and why it should serve as a model for public-private partnership.
The ENERGY STAR program encompasses an impressive range of product categories for residential use alone, spanning everything from refrigerators and heat pumps to televisions and building products like the doors, windows and skylights that the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) certifies. But what many people don’t realize is that ENERGY STAR does not directly conduct the testing and certification work. Certification bodies across numerous industries oversee the technical process, while ENERGY STAR establishes the standard threshold and coordinates the overall program.
With ENERGY STAR-certified fenestration products, consumers get NFRC-certified products that have met ENERGY STAR’s performance requirements. Manufacturers obtain NFRC certification through our rigorous testing and verification processes. Once their products are NFRC-certified, they can work through our FenStar system to demonstrate their products meet ENERGY STAR performance thresholds.
The same principle applies across all product categories. This two-step process ensures that every product bearing the ENERGY STAR label has been thoroughly tested and verified by independent laboratories and certification bodies.
Another common misconception is that taxpayers fund ENERGY STAR product certification. In reality, manufacturers cover every aspect of getting their products certified. They pay for testing costs, certification fees and the administrative work required to earn the blue label. Furthermore, the certification bodies receive no government funding. NFRC operates as an independent nonprofit organization, and our door, window and skylight certification services are entirely financed by the manufacturers who participate in our programs.
The government’s role serves a different function. The ENERGY STAR budget supports coordination, research and standard-setting activities. It funds the work of determining appropriate performance levels for certification, ensuring standards advance alongside technological improvements, and collecting market data to assess program effectiveness. That market research gauges how ENERGY STAR products are performing in the market, which is invaluable competitive intelligence for manufacturers.
ENERGY STAR clearly demonstrates how government and private enterprise can collaborate effectively. Government facilitates coordination across industries, funds research to establish standards, supports global competitiveness and provides consumers with reliable performance information. Private industry handles all certification work and covers the associated costs. Consumers benefit from reliable performance information and clear labeling that simplifies the selection of efficient products. The program encourages innovation without mandates, improves product performance without regulation, and helps consumers make informed decisions without restricting choices.
ENERGY STAR operates on a voluntary incentive model rather than regulatory mandates. When ENERGY STAR releases new, more stringent requirements, manufacturers who are technology leaders work to meet them. They invest in research, develop improved technologies, and create products that perform at higher levels.
The beauty of this approach and process lies in how it drives continuous innovation and creates a positive cycle of improvement. As industry leaders meet these new standards, their innovations become more cost-effective and accessible over time. Other manufacturers adopt these improvements, and the entire industry advances toward better performance. Products that once set the bar for peak efficiency become the foundation for the next generation of standards. It’s an ongoing improvement process that has significantly enhanced product performance across various categories. Without it, I believe we risk missing out on future advancements.
The fenestration industry has gained significantly from this partnership. Our products demonstrate substantially better efficiency than they did decades ago, not because of regulatory requirements, but because ENERGY STAR created incentives for continuous improvement. Manufacturers compete to meet and exceed standards, consumers receive better products and energy consumption decreases.
By creating market incentives that align business interests with consumer needs, ENERGY STAR has revolutionized energy efficiency across entire industries. Rather than rushing to discard what isn’t broken, we should focus on understanding and protecting what works for both manufacturers and consumers.
Deb Callahan is the CEO of the National Fenestration Rating Council. This blog first appeared on Door and Window Market website.