Energy Star Policy, Rebates, and Gateway Approval

For years, the University of California has required that new purchases of eligible appliances and equipment be ENERGY STAR (or WaterSense) certified, in alignment with the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Products earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting energy efficiency requirements established by the EPA based on guiding principles such as:

• Product categories must contribute significant energy savings nationwide.
• Certified products must deliver the features and performance demanded by consumers, in addition to increased energy efficiency.
• If the certified product costs more than a conventional, less-efficient counterpart, purchasers will recover their investment in increased energy efficiency through utility bill savings, within a reasonable period of time.

The UC’s Energy Star Policy is now included on pg. 8 of the companion Sustainable Procurement Guidelines document to the UC Sustainable Practices Policy, along with all other University-recognized product ecolabels. As stated in the policy, "ENERGY STAR® and WaterSense® certified products are required across all applicable product categories where price comparable (based on a total cost of ownership assessment) and consistent with the needs of University researchers, faculty, and staff."

Recognizing the significant environmental benefits of ENERGY STAR products, UCSB’s student-supported Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) now offers up to $4,000 in Equipment Rebates to departments willing to upgrade old, inefficient equipment with new ENERGY STAR replacements. In order to improve our campus compliance with this important energy policy, a new Energy Manager ad-hoc approval step has been created after Equipment Management in Gateway. ENERGY STAR eligible equipment over $5,000 is now routed to the Energy Manager for approval before continuing along the workflow. This process will add no more than 24-48 hours to the requisition approval process and aims to improve UCSB’s energy efficiency while adding visibility to other potential rebate-eligible equipment.