Underwriters Lab Named Accredited Third-Party Certification Body for ENERGY STAR
Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. announced that the organization has earned approval as a third-party certification body for the federal ENERGY STAR® energy efficiency program. Effective January 1, 2011, ENERGY STAR will require that any product seeking program participation have their energy performance validated by a third-party certifier prior to product labeling and undergo post-market verification testing to validate continuing energy performance.
"UL is committed to supporting the EPA and the Department of Energy in strengthening ENERGY STAR’s reputation for energy performance," said Stephen Wenc, president of UL Environment. "Accredited third-party validation improves the integrity of claims made under the program’s umbrella, giving consumers further confidence in the validity of energy efficiency claims."
ENERGY STAR, established in 1992 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants through more efficient use of energy, is intended to help consumers identify and purchase energy-efficient products. Products meeting published efficiency levels earn the right to display the distinctive ENERGY STAR mark. According to the EPA, the use of ENERGY STAR products saved U.S. consumers $17 billion in energy costs in 2009.
UL’s Environmental Services Business, UL Environment, will provide an additional, optional Mark, called the Energy Efficiency Certification (EEC) Mark, displaying the UL leaf and the words "energy verified," to products which complete the program. This Mark will act as a complement to the ENERGY STAR Logo.
UL is one of the first laboratories to earn recognition by the EPA as an approved certification body. Recognized certification bodies are required to comply with ISO/IEC 17025 for testing, calibrations and sampling, as well as be accredited to ISO/IEC Guide 65 for bodies operating product certification systems.
