Privacy, Security, and Disclaimers

Home Energy Saver Privacy Policy - Controlled Document - Version 2.1 Approved June 25, 2010

Summary

When you utilize this site, you agree to Berkeley Lab's Privacy and Security Policies, Disclaimers, and Terms of Use as well as the specific policies of this site.

On your visit, we collect only limited information about your interaction with our site unless you choose to provide additional information to us.  By using our site, you agree to have this information utilized by Berkeley Lab and its affiliates (described below) in the course of providing, securing, and improving this service, as well as to further our research into energy efficiency and related areas.

This site can be used without providing any information other then that stored and collected automatically about your computer and the pages you visit.  However, the use of the Home Energy Saver calculator requires a zip code. Optionally, you may also choose to provide us with more specific personal information such as your  address or characteristics of your home, appliances, and other energy using equipment.  While we strive to protect this information, we cannot guarantee that it will never be compromised or disclosed.

Similarly, while we strive to provide you with up-to-date and accurate information on this site, we can't warrant this information, and we cannot accept liability for your reliance on it.

This summary is designed to provide you with a subset of the most important elements of this document.  Please read the entire document for additional information.

Information We Collect Automatically

Information Collected and Stored Automatically: If you do nothing during your visit but browse through the Web site, read pages or download information, we will gather and store certain information about your visit automatically. This information does not identify you personally. We automatically collect and store information concerning your visit such as:

• The Internet domain (for example, "xcompany.com" if you use a private Internet access account, or "yourschool.edu" if you connect from a university's domain);
• Your IP address (an IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you are surfing the Web) from which you access our Web site.
• The type of browser and operating system used to access our site;
• The date and time you access our site;
• The pages you visit; and
• If you linked to our Web site from another Web site, the address of that Web site.

We use this information to help us make our site more useful to visitors, and to learn about the number of visitors to our site and the types of technology our visitors use.  We also use this information to help us detect anomalies and malicious behavior.  This information can be shared with Berkeley Lab employees to help secure these systems, as well as the Department of Energy and law enforcement where authorized.  Similar automatically collected information may also be  collected and retained by the infrastructure and service providers for this site, subject to their privacy policies.  In both cases, this information may be shared with requesting parties in response to a subpoena or other legal request.

Information That You Voluntarily Provide

We do not collect personal information unless you choose to provide it to us. If you provide us with personal information, for example your address, we use that information to provide better information to you through the Home Energy Saver, as well as to further our research.

While we strive to protect your personal information, our Laboratory conducts open fundamental research and cannot guarantee or warrant that your information will never be compromised or disclosed.  

How Information is Used

The information you provide on this site is used to provide the service to you, to improve the service, and to conduct and support research by Berkeley Lab researchers and their collaborators.  

Information Protection

For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this University of California computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. If such monitoring reveals evidence of possible abuse or criminal activity, such evidence may be provided to appropriate law enforcement officials. We may also share this information with other affiliated institutions in order to help secure other systems and networks. Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on this server are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under California and Federal law.  

Sharing of Information

We may share the information you choose to provide to us with our research collaborators and our partners who help to provide this service.  We may share the information you provide to us with the Department of Energy and other Federal Agencies.  Information you share with us may also be covered by California and Federal laws that provide for mandatory disclosure under certain circumstances, such as subpoenas and records requests.

Links to Other Sites

This site may have links to other web sites.  Once you go to another site, you are subject to the privacy policy of the new site. It is always a good idea to read the Privacy Policy of any Web site that you visit.

Interaction with Children

This Web site may offer educational content to children under 13. No personally identifiable information is collected from them unless voluntarily submitted as a request for information or services. 

Copyright

Materials on our websites not specifically noted otherwise are © 2010 The Regents of the University of California.  Requests to reproduce, modify, or distribute materials on our websites should be directed to emills -at- lbl.gov  The Regents of the University of California reserve all rights to these materials unless a different license is explicitly designated.

Because of the nature of our contract, the US Government is granted for itself and others acting on its behalf a paid-up, nonexclusive, irrevocable worldwide license in these documents to reproduce, prepare derivative works, and perform publicly and display publicly by or on behalf of the Government for all information produced under the Prime Contract, subject to its provisions.

When you contribute materials to this website, you grant the University of California an irrevocable license to display and modify the content.

Disclaimers and Terms

Warranty Disclaimer. WITH REGARD TO THE HOME ENERGY SAVER SOFTWARE AND WEBSITE(S), THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (THROUGH LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY), THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, AND THEIR EMPLOYEES: (1) DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, (2) DO NOT ASSUME ANY LEGAL LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY, COMPLETENESS, OR USEFULNESS OF THE SOFTWARE OR DATA, OR ANY DERIVATIVE WORKS THEREOF, (3) DO NOT REPRESENT THAT USE OF THE SOFTWARE, THE INFORMATION ON THIS WEBSITE, OR THE WEBSITE WOULD NOT INFRINGE PRIVATELY OWNED RIGHTS, (4) DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL FUNCTION UNINTERRUPTED, THAT IT IS ERROR-FREE OR THAT ANY ERRORS WILL BE CORRECTED.
Limitation of Liability. WITH REGARD TO THE HOME ENERGY SAVER SOFTWARE AND THIS WEBSITE, IN NO EVENT WILL THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (THROUGH LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY), OR THEIR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OF ANY KIND OR NATURE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS OR LOSS OF DATA, FOR ANY REASON WHATSOEVER, WHETHER SUCH LIABILITY IS ASSERTED ON THE BASIS OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR STRICT LIABILITY), OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (THROUGH LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY), OR THEIR LICENSORS HAS BEEN WARNED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH LOSS OR DAMAGES.

 
This website and related content were prepared as an account of or to expedite work sponsored at least in part by the United States Government. While we strive to provide correct information, neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor The Regents of the University of California, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights.

Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by its trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof, or The Regents of the University of California.  Use of the Laboratory or University’s name for endorsements is prohibited.

The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof or The Regents of the University of California.  Neither Berkeley Lab nor its employees are agents of the US Government.

Berkeley Lab web pages link to many other websites.  Such links do not constitute an endorsement of the content or company and we are not responsible for the content of such links.

Accessibility

The University of California and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory endeavor to make information available to all interested parties.  If you encounter information which you cannot access with assistive technology, please contact us at emills -at- lbl.gov  and we will work with you to see if such information can be provided in an appropriate way.