EPA’s ENERGY STAR – Driving Efficiency Through Partnership for Nearly 30 Years

By John Godfrey, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs

Nearly 30 years ago, the EPA introduced Energy Star –a groundbreaking program to identify and promote energy-efficient products. Since that time, it has grown and developed into something far more impactful than simply product labels. At Samsung, our relationship with the EPA and ENERGY STAR has been a partnership that has pushed us, the EPA and the industry forward – and has led to new, better and more efficient products. On this Energy Star day, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on that evolution.

By setting high standards, ENERGY STAR has pushed us to innovate, and we’ve responded. We now offer 303 base models that are ENERGY STAR certified. 100% of our tablets, notebooks, front-load washers and dishwashers, 81% of our refrigerators, 60% of our top-load washers and 49% of our dryers carry ENERGY STAR labels. As a result, every washer produced at our South Carolina manufacturing facility is ENERGY STAR certified.

By offering a trusted brand and label, ENERGY STAR has not only pushed us to pursue efficiency and sustainability – it has also validated the strategy by driving consumers to purchase those energy efficient products. And if sales of efficient products were the sole metric of success, the program would be an undeniable success.

But the EPA didn’t stop there. The program long ago recognized the value of not just labeling products, but also rewarding those companies that truly commit to pushing the program, driving efficiency and reducing climate impact.

At Samsung, meeting the standards was never enough. We worked with the EPA to tighten the standards for appliances and devices and we collaborated with the EPA to develop standards for ENERGY STAR Tenant Space programs – helping ENERGY STAR to drive efficiency in new and different ways. We currently operate in certified buildings in New York, Washington, DC, South Carolina and Texas.

In response, we’ve be honored with 18 EPA Energy Star awards since 2009, 8 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence awards since 2013, and an ENERGY STAR Corporate Commitment Award in 2021 (the first awarded in nine years). Not only do these awards recognize the efforts of our colleagues whose sleepless nights make efficiency gains possible, but they create an incentive for companies like Samsung to do more and not just stop at today’s standards.

The potent combination of marketing clout, healthy pressure and honest recognition have made the ENERGY STAR program what it is today – a program that has changed, for the better, how companies and consumers consider energy efficiency in their buying process, whether it’s home appliances, smart devices or even real estate. And for that, we should all be grateful.