Federal Energy Management Program
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) strives to reduce the cost and environmental impact of the Federal Government. FEMP-qualified products are those among the highest 25% of equivalent products for energy efficiency. ENERGY STAR® qualified and FEMP-qualified products have been found to be life-cycle cost effective in a normal usage application and currently cover 62 types of products.
As declared by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct) as well as the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA), Federal buyers are required to specify and purchase products that are ENERGY STAR qualified or, in categories with no ENERGY STAR label, FEMP-qualified products. In 1992 the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) introduced the voluntary ENERGY STAR labeling system to identify and promote energy efficient products. Working with more than 7,000 public and private sector organizations, ENERGY STAR improves the energy performance of homes, businesses, office equipment and lighting.
As the nature of the ARRA is to sustain America’s economy and environment in the long run, agencies using Federal funds are expected to continue following previous legislation aimed at policing the use of energy. $113.5 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package is allocated to investment in clean energy and sustainability throughout 2009 and 2010. This includes state and local investments in energy efficiency and sustainable renovations and repairs to federal buildings. Many studies have shown that investments in sustainable technology, green building, renewable energy and other green initiatives have a major impact on the nation’s economy.
ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the US government.