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Start the School Year with EPA’s Energy Star

Release Date: 09/02/2010
Contact Information: Dave Ryan, Ryan.dave@epa.gov, 202-564-7827, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is encouraging students and their parents to support the environment by shopping for back-to-school clothes and supplies at retail stores that have earned the Energy Star label. Energy Star saves Americans energy and helps them protect the environment by avoiding greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Star labeled stores have features that set them apart from typical stores, such as energy efficient lighting, registers that go to sleep when not in use, and store processes for shutting off equipment during closed hours. Energy Star labeled stores are independently verified to meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by EPA. Stores that have earned the Energy Star perform in the top 25 percent of stores nationwide, use at least 35 percent less energy and emit at least 35 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.

Through Energy Star, EPA works with nearly 150 retail companies across the country—including 40 of the Top 100 U.S. retailers—to help them manage energy use, lower utility bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Together, Energy Star partners, including Kohl’s Department Stores, JCPenney, Verizon Wireless, Staples, and Target, have more than 900 Energy Star labeled stores in 48 states, making it easy to shop green from coast to coast.

Families can also help protect the environment by choosing Energy Star qualified products such as computers and desk lamps. Energy Star qualified lamps use less energy mainly because they include compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), which use 75 percent less energy than regular incandescent light bulbs. Computers that have earned the Energy Star use up to 65 percent less energy than conventional models.

Of almost 5 million commercial buildings in the United States, retail buildings spend the most on energy and are responsible for the second-largest percentage of greenhouse gas emissions, spending more than $21 billion on energy and emitting nearly 150 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. If all the stores in the country reduced their energy use by just 10 percent, the U.S. would save more than $2 billion and help reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 15 million metric tons annually.

EPA’s online registry that lists all retail stores that have earned the Energy Star is updated daily.

Find stores nearby that have earned EPA’s Energy Star: http://www.energystar.gov/LabeledStores

Find stores that sell Energy Star qualified products: http://www.energystar.gov/StoreLocator