ENERGY STAR Upcoming Change in EPA Policy for Label Years

Starting on January 1, 2012, EPA will adopt a new policy for establishing the year that displays on the ENERGY STAR label and certificate.

Current Policy Currently, the year on your label is based on the 12-month period ending date listed on your Statement of Energy Performance (SEP).
New PolicyFor all label applications approved on or after January 1, 2012, the year on your label will be based on the year during which your label application is approved, regardless of the SEP period ending date.

Will the New Policy Affect You? For many buildings, the SEP ending date and approval date fall within the same calendar year, meaning the change in policy will go unnoticed. However, for buildings that apply near the end of the calendar year, the new approach may change the year that shows on the label. For example, suppose that a building applies for the ENERGY STAR with the SEP period ending 12/31/2011. Because the data is from December they will not be able to prepare the application until 2012. Therefore, this application will be received by EPA, reviewed, and approved within 2012. Under the current system, the label itself would have read 2011, corresponding with the date on the SEP. However, after the change, this label would read 2012, corresponding to the date of approval.

There are a couple of important notes to bear in mind:
•Eligibility to Apply – Your eligibility will still be determined on a 12-month basis, according to the period ending date on your SEP.
•Labels per year – Under the new system any individual building will only be permitted to earn one label per calendar year. If your building is approved on January 1, 2012, it cannot be approved again until January 1, 2013.
•Interim Year (2011) – Buildings that submit label applications near the end of 2010 will receive 2010 labels during the calendar year 2011. With the new approach, however, if these buildings re-apply for labels near the end of 2011, they will receive 2012 labels, thereby skipping the year 2011. EPA will work with these buildings to help them preserve the continuity of their label years.
•Deadline to Receive a 2011 Label – Any application approved in the calendar year 2012 (starting with January 1) will receive a 2012 label. Therefore, if you want a 2011 label you need to have your application postmarked by November 15, 2011. Submission by this date will ensure that your application can be reviewed and approved during 2011, provided that it is a complete application and that any problems are resolved by December 31, 2011.

Why Did EPA Make this Change? The purpose of this change is to align the year that displays on your label with the calendar year in which it was approved. This change will make it easier for you and EPA to communicate and celebrate your award with the public.

If you have any additional questions about this change please contact buildings@energystar.gov.