Buildings earning Energy Star certification rise 50% in 2007
-- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 2/28/2008 7:12:00 AM
Last year, more than 1,400 commercial buildings and plants earned the Energy Star certification--a rise of more than 50%. More than 4,100 buildings now have the Energy Star label, with Energy Star buildings in every state.
Energy Star buildings include about 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 K-12 schools, and 250 hotels. Also, more than 185 banks, financial centers, hospitals, courthouses, warehouses, dormitories, and--for the first time--big-box retail buildings earned the Energy Star. More than 35 manufacturing plants such as cement, auto assembly, corn refining, and petroleum refining also are being recognized.
In total, these award-winning commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have saved nearly $1.5 billion annually in lower energy bills and prevented carbon dioxide emissions equal to the emissions associated with electricity use of more than 1.5 million American homes for a year, relative to typical buildings. Commercial buildings that have earned the Energy Star use nearly 40% less energy than average buildings and emit 35% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, offering a significantly smaller carbon footprint. About 500 Energy Star buildings use 50% less energy than average buildings. Many of these buildings excel due to good energy management practices such as routine energy efficiency benchmarking.
"From a historic office tower in the Big Apple to a small manufacturing plant in America's heartland, EPA is pleased to see so many organizations offering high-efficiency Energy Star buildings and facilities," said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation.
Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. In 2006, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $14 billion on their energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 25 million vehicles.
To find Energy Star buildings and industrial facilities in your area, visit http://www.energystar.gov/LabeledList
