efficiencies of appliances performing the same applications and identifying which are the most efficient ones.

The ENERGY STAR program entails defining and labeling cost-effective products that are more efficient than standard. It covers a wide range of products including home appliances, heating and cooling equipment, home electronics, office equipment commercial appliances, lighting, windows, etc. DOE/EERE is responsible for the ENERGY STAR labeling for most of the home appliances (e.g., refrigerators, clothes washers, dishwashers and room air conditioners), residential windows, compact fluorescent lamps and solid-state lamps. EPA is responsible for the ENERGY STAR labels for heating and cooling equipment, home electronics, office equipment commercial appliances, and certain types of lighting. In those cases where there is a choice of fuels, EPA addresses the issue using source energy measurements to define the more efficient products.

The ENERGY STAR program extends well beyond the DOE/EERE appliance standards program in that it evaluates more appliances and includes both residential and commercial construction.