EnergyStar is a program started by the
EPA back in the late
80s or early
90s as it became obvious that
electronics were sucking up more and more of the resources of the
power grid, which in turn resulted in more
pollution as more power was generated. Typically EnergyStar-certified devices have
sleep and/or low-power
modes. Most computer
monitors since the mid-90s have been EnergyStar compliant. Although its origin was a move to protect the
environment, the
power-saver features are usually marketed to
consumers as cost-savings.
EnergyStar should not be confused with the Swedish MPRII magnetic field emission standards which are an orthogonal set of requirements that most manufacturers also comply with.