5900-34 Product Brand Owner

Partner of the Year Award Application – Product Brand Owner

ENERGY STAR Awards

2025 ENERGY STAR® Awards

Applications due: November 14, 2024

Instructions

Please read the separate General Instructions for all applicants before beginning this application.

Eligibility

To be considered for this award, the product brand owner applicant must be a current brand owner partner in compliance with the requirements outlined in the applicable ENERGY STAR Partner Commitments, Product Specification(s), and ENERGY STAR Brand Book. Applications will be screened for compliance.

Description

The Partner of the Year Award for Product Brand Owners recognizes organizations that demonstrate leadership in energy efficiency of products, and strongly amplify ENERGY STAR messaging and objectives. Award recipients in this category are recognized due to their innovation in designing and promoting products with superior energy efficiency, training employees, and educating consumers about the benefits of energy efficiency using the ENERGY STAR brand.

Applicants may describe activities related to ENERGY STAR beyond the scope of the criteria listed below if they wish EPA to consider the information for award purposes. The award evaluation committee will prioritize new achievements in 2024 while also assessing return applicants on sustained successful performance.

Criteria

Criteria for evaluating applications are listed in this section. Accomplishments should focus on 2024 activities, but cumulative activities may also be described. When highlighting cumulative accomplishments, please ensure you include a timeframe (e.g., saved $300,000 in electricity costs in 2024 and more than $3 million since 2001).

Logo: Organization’s High-Resolution Logo (required)

Please upload your organization’s logo into MESA when you apply.

Part 1: Accomplishments (Required)

Applicants filling out the PART 1: Accomplishments section should:

• Provide descriptions of 2024 activities and accomplishments that demonstrate how you meet the required criteria, to the extent they are relevant to your organization.

• Use at least size 11 font (default setting is 11pt in text form).

• Include all data requested.

• Provide examples through links and images within this document in the space provided after each question. This may include specific examples of promotions, advertisements, or other activities led by your organization in 2024. Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

We will no longer accept additional attachments.

• Please title your single application document as follows “Company name_2024_ES_Brand Owner_Application”. It should not exceed 50 pages. We will only review this document. No other uploaded documents will be considered for the award.

Award Evaluation Criteria:

Please address the following prompts as relevant to your organization. The prompts will cover: 1) Improving Energy Efficiency in Products, 2) Marketing and Communications, 3) Training Efforts, and 4) Additional Considerations (optional).

1. Improving Energy Efficiency in Products

Describe your efforts and accomplishments related to improving energy efficiency in your products in 2024.

1a) Please describe new ENERGY STAR models/option packages developed or certified in 2024, and/or innovations in product design for energy efficiency. Provide descriptions of the new product or design improvement, potential benefits, and potential savings delivered in text box below.

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Provide pictures, diagrams, or data related to new innovations or designs in the allocated spaces below. Insert your best examples below. To add pictures, click the image icon and insert image from file. Do not copy/paste image or drag-and-drop.

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

1b) Please populate information in the appropriate table below. Table 1.2 should only be completed by partners with certified Windows, Doors, or Skylights products. (Note: The information in these tables will be used for evaluation purposes and in promotional materials. If you have concerns about this, please let us know.)

Table 1.1: ENERGY STAR product offerings (for all categories except Windows, Doors, and Skylights):

ENERGY STAR Product Offerings	2023/2024 Products
Number of ENERGY STAR certified models available in 2024	Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of ENERGY STAR certified models available in 2023	Click or tap here to enter text.
Total sales (dollars) from ENERGY STAR certified models in 2024*	Click or tap here to enter text.
Total sales (dollars) from ENERGY STAR certified models in 2023*	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percentage change over previous year*	Click or tap here to enter text.

*If you are unable to provide specific sales information, please indicate general year-over-year improvements, if applicable

WDS applicants should include examples of ENERGY STAR and NFRC labeling on products and use of spine labels for retail in Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials. Applicants may add door or skylight ENERGY STAR offerings in the same column with a note (e.g., “XX windows / YY doors / ZZ skylights”).

Table 1.2: ENERGY STAR window product offerings (for Windows, Doors, and Skylights only):

ENERGY STAR Window Product Offerings	2024 Windows / Doors / Skylights
Total number of residential window product lines (not options) manufactured in 2024 (ENERGY STAR and non-ENERGY STAR)	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percent of residential window product lines in 2024 that have at least one option that is ENERGY STAR certified	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percent of residential window product lines in 2024 that have at least one option that is ENERGY STAR certified in the Northern Zone	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percent of residential window product lines in 2024 that have at least one option that is ENERGY STAR certified in the Southern Zone	Click or tap here to enter text.

1c) Provide any examples of technical engagement and leadership within the ENERGY STAR program, including participation in ENERGY STAR product specification development, test method development, tool development, or other sharing/collaboration involving technical data that supported ENERGY STAR. Please also describe any examples of leadership in protecting the integrity of the ENERGY STAR brand through continuous improvement, enhanced quality assurance, reporting logo violations, or other practices.

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2. Marketing and Communication Efforts

Describe your efforts and accomplishments related to improving energy efficiency in your products in 2024.

2a) Please describe your efforts and key achievements in marketing and communications of ENERGY STAR certified products and program messaging in 2024 (not including any references ENERGY STAR Awards), including details about:

1. Description of each effort such as promotions, sales efforts, media outreach, web efforts, events, etc…

Which of the following ENERGY STAR campaigns did your organization participate in during 2024?

☐ Earth Day

☐ ENERGY STAR Day

☐ Holiday campaign

☐ Product-specific promotion

2. Specific tactics used for each effort, such as: on-line/digital media, in-store activities (signage/events), advertising, public relations, social medial, direct mails, etc….

3. Intended audience for each marketing/communications effort (such as internal/external demographics)

4. Dates and locations of activities and/or frequency of efforts

5. Examples of materials/efforts, reach (impression, click-thru-rates, video views, or other web data)

6. Descriptions of any co-marketing efforts with states, utilities, or the distribution channel.

Which of the following special activities did your organization participate in during 2024?

☐ Consumer education on ways to save energy with ENERGY STAR features

☐ Organization-led sales promotion for discounted/rebated/tax credited ENERGY STAR products

☐ Collaboration with retailer(s) for an ENERGY STAR advertising/promotional campaign

☐ Special outreach/promotions/donations or other work focused on energy equity

☐ Special outreach/promotions/donations or other work with community-based organizations

☐ Disaster recovery efforts/donations that involve improving energy savings/efficiency/resilience

☐ Use of ENERGY STAR to meet net zero 2050 goals or annual corporate GHG inventory disclosures

☐ Other

Supplement this information with links to examples and materials that demonstrate the integration of ENERGY STAR branding and messaging into your marketing and communications efforts using the space below.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Provide images or pictures of using the space below. Insert your best examples below. To add pictures, click the image icon and insert image from file. Do not copy/paste image or drag-and-drop.

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

2b) Please describe your efforts to promote your company’s ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year or Sustained Excellence recognition over the past year. Detail promotional efforts, use of graphics, advertising, detail on impressions and impact, press releases, and events in 2024 in text box below.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Provide images or pictures of using the space below. Insert your best examples below. To add pictures, click the image icon and insert image from file. Do not copy/paste image or drag-and-drop.

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

2c) How did your organization promote ENERGY STAR products on your website? Please detail the ENERGY STAR strategy for your website which may include:

☐ Landing page use

☐ Pages explaining the program

☐ Information on ENERGY STAR certified products

☐ ENERGY STAR filters to help consumers find products

☐ ENERGY STAR tools to help consumers find products

☐ Other

Provide details below with link(s) or descriptions as applicable.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Provide images or pictures using the space below. Insert your best examples below. To add pictures, click the image icon and insert image from file. Do not copy/paste image or drag-and-drop.

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

3. Training Efforts

How is training about ENERGY STAR products provided in your organization and how does it support a culture focused on energy efficiency?

3a) Provide information on the impact (numbers, percentages) of your training about the use and benefits of your ENERGY STAR products, or training on ENERGY STAR programs, tools and strategies provided by your organization in 2024:

Table 2.1: Training Impact of Employees and Dealers/Distributors/Retailers*

ENERGY STAR Trainings	2024 Trainings
Number of existing employees reached through internal training	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percentage (%) of existing employees reached	Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of new employees reached through internal training	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percentage (%) of new employees reached	Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of dealer/distributor/retailer locations trained	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percentage (%) of dealer/distributor/retailer locations trained	Click or tap here to enter text.
Number of dealer/distributor/retailer employees trained	Click or tap here to enter text.
Percentage (%) of dealer/distributor/retailer employees trained	Click or tap here to enter text.

*If you are unable to provide specific training numbers or percentages, please use your best estimates but identify them as such.

3b) Please describe key accomplishments in training about the use and benefits of your ENERGY STAR products in 2024. For each training accomplishment, please include information about the content and impact of the training e.g., topics, locations etc. Note any cooperation/collaboration in training with distributors, contractors/installers, retailers, or utility/state/regional partners to increase ENERGY STAR information in retail/distributor product knowledge training.

Provide example training materials used by your organization via hyperlinks in the space below.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Provide images or pictures using the space below. Insert your best examples below. To add pictures, click the image icon and insert image from file. Do not copy/paste image or drag-and-drop.

Click or tap here to enter text.

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Any additional materials should be added in the Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials section.

4. Additional Climate Activities (optional)

These are not primary application criteria. Brand owners may complete the section below for potential consideration.

4a) Indicate your company’s participation in other EPA or ENERGY STAR efforts:

☐ ENERGY STAR Buildings programs

☐ ENERGY STAR Industrial program

☐ EPA’s SmartWay

☐ WaterSense

☐ Green Power Partnership

☐ Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Programs

4b) Provide how many megatons of CO₂ your company avoided through the production of exclusively ENERGY STAR products in the last calendar year. You may use the EPA GHG Calculator: https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator or explain which tool your company uses. (Multiply the volume of ES sales by the energy saved per product, expressed in KWH avoided to get megatons of CO₂ avoided.)

Click or tap here to enter text.

4c) Provide details on how ENERGY STAR products factor into your company’s scope 1 or scope 3 NetZero 2050 greenhouse gas reduction goal. https://www.epa.gov/climateleadership/scopes-1-2-and-3-emissions-inventorying-and-guidance.

Click or tap here to enter text.

Part 2: Additional Supporting Materials

Include supporting images and links after your responses as applicable above or add them at the end of this document. All supporting documentation must be included in the same document as your Part 1 Accomplishments.

We will no longer accept additional attachments.

This may include marketing, communications, or training materials. Note that at least one supporting example is required, as described in the Application Instructions above.

Additional Supporting Materials Added by Applicant

Section unlocked to allow applicants to drop in additional information (e.g., images, links, text, etc.). Please be sure to identify and briefly describe each item included in this section.

OMB Control Number: 2060-0528

OMB Control Expiration Date: Pending Approval

EPA Form Number: 5900-34

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