DOE Gives ENERGY STAR Update

ENERGY STAR® Program Manager Rich Karney gave a brief update on the status of the ENERGY STAR criteria changes during the Regulatory Affairs and Marketing Committee meeting.

Currently, DOE is awaiting comments from stakeholders. The deadline for submission is November 14.

“We’re hoping to announce the criteria early in 2009 with the effective date being nine months later,” said Karney. “We’re estimating October 2009.”

The criteria changes are to be rolled out in two phases. According to Karney, the new criteria will contain the following elements:

• five climate zones
• minimum energy performance trade offs in the northern zones
• IGU certification recertification requirement - to go into effect when implemented by NFRC
• Separate criteria for swinging entry doors

Karney also noted that DOE is reviewing the possibility of including trade offs in the south.