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OMB Control No: 2060-0586	ICR Reference No: 200910-2060-009
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 200605-2060-008
Agency/Subagency: EPA/OAR	Agency Tracking No: 2193.02
Title: Energy Star Program in the Residential Sector (Renewal)
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR: No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved with change	Conclusion Date: 02/02/2010
Retrieve Notice of Action (NOA)	Date Received in OIRA: 10/26/2009
Terms of Clearance: The collection of information is approved for three years.

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	02/28/2013	36 Months From Approved	02/28/2010
Responses	141,511	0	110,847
Time Burden (Hours)	180,958	0	175,449
Cost Burden (Dollars)	17,439	0	128,000

Abstract: ENERGY STAR is a voluntary energy efficiency labeling program aimed at forming public-private partnerships that prevent air pollution rather than control it after its creation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced ENERGY STAR in 1992 to label energy efficient computers. Since then, EPA and the Department of Energy (DOE) have expanded the ENERGY STAR Program to promote energy efficiency in over 60 product categories such as office equipment and consumer electronics, and in commercial and residential buildings. President Obama has made energy efficiency a key element of his effort to address energy independence and reliability and climate change. Increased energy efficiency through ENERGY STAR provides cost savings to businesses and consumers, reduces greenhouse gas emissions from power plants, and increases U.S. energy security and reliability. This ICR renewal examines information collection activities under the ENERGY STAR Program within the new home and existing home sectors. ENERGY STAR is part of EPA's Climate Protection Partnerships Division (CPPD) within the Office of Air and Radiation (OAR). EPA announced ENERGY STAR for New Homes in 1995 as part of its effort to promote energy efficient new home construction within the residential sector. EPA rolled out an existing homes initiative in 1999 to promote cost-effective energy efficiency retrofits. The first activity was a consumer Web site and a home energy benchmarking tool called the Home Energy Yardstick. Then in 2001, EPA launched Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. And in 2008, EPA launched an ENERGY STAR HVAC Quality Installation program. These efforts promote home envelope improvements, (i.e. proper installation of adequate insulation, air sealing of holes and gaps into the home, and installation of energy efficient windows) proper installation of high efficiency heating and cooling equipment and duct sealing and repair.

Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 42 USC 7403 Name of Law: Clean Air Act

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	74 FR 25733	05/29/2009
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	74 FR 54993	10/26/2009
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate
Annual Number of Responses	141,511	110,847	43,513	-12,849
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	180,958	175,449	23,223	-17,714
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	17,439	128,000	9,444	-120,005

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: Yes

Burden Increase Due to: Miscellaneous Actions

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: This is the first ICR renewal for the ENERGY STAR Program in the Residential Sector. The burden estimates contained in this ICR renewal differ from those contained in the previous ICR submitted three years ago due to changes in ENERGY STAR's residential programs. Specifically, the burden has increased by 5,509 hours per year, from 175,449 hours in the previous ICR to 180,958 hours in this ICR. EPA has added new partnership categories (e.g., HVAC Quality Installation Partners) that have collection activities associated with them. In addition, EPA has moved more of its data collection activities to Web-based tools and forms, reducing the use of paper-based collection methods. Also, EPA has added new evaluation activities to this ICR renewal. EPA believes the burden in this ICR renewal is justified in light of the many benefits to participants, the public and the environment. Homes earning the ENERGY STAR label have been verified to be energy efficient, making it easier for consumers to identify and purchase homes that are energy efficient. Compared to a standard home, an ENERGY STAR qualified home uses substantially less energy for heating, cooling, and water heating. In 2008 the national average annual utility bill savings was estimated to be $384 per home. In 2008 alone there were over 120,000 new homes earning the ENERGY STAR label, almost 17 percent of all new homes permitted in the U.S that year. These homes are estimated to have provided homeowners around $42 million in annual utility bill savings. This savings becomes even greater when you consider that a person lives in the same home an average of 7 to 8 years. In 2008, the cumulative number of ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes "in the ground" is estimated to have saved U.S. homeowners $258 million in utility bills, more than 1,500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, 155 million therms of natural gas, and over 1.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide that each year - the equivalent of having removed over a third of a million cars from the road. Additional savings on household maintenance can also be substantial. More than 17,000 homes have been improved through state and locally sponsored Home Performance with ENERGY STAR programs. This whole-house retrofit initiative is bringing new opportunities to achieve energy savings and reduce peak loads across the U.S. Also, there are many state and local energy-efficiency sponsorship programs that provide rebates and other financial incentives to home builders that offset the verification costs associated with qualifying a home for the ENERGY STAR label. In addition, EPA's ENERGY STAR Programs are an important part of the overall effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Obama has made ENERGY STAR a key element of his National Energy Policy and his climate change initiative, which emphasizes the use of market-based, voluntary partnerships with industry. ENERGY STAR is a voluntary, market-based program aimed at preventing pollution rather than controlling it after its creation. ENERGY STAR focuses on reducing utility-generated emissions by reducing the demand for energy via voluntary commitments by a wide range of organizations, public and private.

Annual Cost to Federal Government: $351,364

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? Uncollected

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

Agency Contact: Brian Ng 202 343-9162 ng.brian@epa.gov

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