Distinguish Your Organization: Become an ENERGY STAR Leader

Owning a building that achieves top energy performance is a sign of good management, but owning a portfolio of buildings that achieves continuous improvement in energy performance demonstrates superior management and environmental leadership. Those ENERGY STAR partners who demonstrate continuous improvement organization-wide, not just in individual buildings, qualify for recognition as ENERGY STAR Leaders.

Review the information below to learn how your organization can become an ENERGY STAR Leader!

• How will becoming an ENERGY STAR Leader distinguish my organization?
• Who is eligible to become an ENERGY STAR Leader?
• How do I apply for ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition?
• Where can I find more detailed instructions about setting up and managing a Leaders account in Portfolio Manager?

How will becoming an ENERGY STAR Leader distinguish my organization?

Improved efficiency reduces pressure on our nation's power systems, helps businesses, governments, and other organizations save money, and protects our environment. These important benefits are why EPA, in partnership with leading associations and state and local governments, is encouraging building owners across the country to become ENERGY STAR Leaders. If, for example, the energy efficiency in every commercial and industrial building nationwide improved by 10%, Americans would save about $20 billion on energy costs each year¹ while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 30 million vehicles².

An ENERGY STAR Leaders designation helps you leverage your management success, as organizations with strong energy management often outperform their competitors by as much as 10%. Associations, financial analysts, and other stakeholders can use the Leaders designation as an objective way to distinguish leading organizations from their peers. In addition, with more than 68% of U.S. households recognizing ENERGY STAR as the national symbol for protecting the environment through energy efficiency³, ENERGY STAR Leaders can promote their energy efficiency improvements to customers and clients.

EPA promotes ENERGY STAR Leaders by allowing visitors to the ENERGY STAR website easy access to the list of Leaders in the ENERGY STAR Partner database. Each year, EPA recognizes a new group of ENERGY STAR Leaders for their accomplishments in improving the energy efficiency of their buildings.

Who is eligible to become an ENERGY STAR Leader?

Based on Portfolio Manager results, ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition is provided for the following achievements:

• Portfolio-wide energy efficiency improvements of 10%, 20%, 30% (or more) reductions in normalized energy use;
• An average rating of 75 or better portfolio-wide. Partners who meet this goal are recognized as Top Performers.

NOTE: On February 1, 2007, the criteria for ENERGY STAR Leaders portfolio-wide improvement recognition changed from 10, 20, or 30 point increases to reductions in normalized energy use of 10%, 20%, 30% or more. Learn more about the changes.

To be eligible for recognition as an ENERGY STAR Leader, a business or organization must:

• Be an ENERGY STAR Partner. If your organization is not currently a partner, join ENERGY STAR today to learn more about the importance of superior energy management and gain access to the many free tools and resources available to ENERGY STAR Partners;
• Own two or more facilities that are eligible to receive a rating using EPA's national energy performance rating system found in Portfolio Manager; and
• Have total ratable space comprising at least half of the total square footage owned.

How do I apply for ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition?

• Join ENERGY STAR (if you are not already a Partner), and create an ENERGY STAR Leader's account in Portfolio Manager.
• Enter data for all buildings (including buildings eligible and ineligible to receive a rating). Portfolio Manager will aggregate the individual building data and determine the adjusted percent energy reduction across your portfolio of buildings. For those buildings eligible for a rating, the system will determine the average energy performance rating between 1 and 100 for the portfolio.
• Demonstrate improvement by reducing your portfolio's normalized energy use by 10%, 20%, 30% or more, and/or, achieve an average energy performance rating of 75 or better across your entire portfolio of buildings eligible for a rating.
• Apply for ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition as you achieve each milestone.

Where can I find more detailed instructions about setting up and managing a Leaders account in Portfolio Manager?

See the Help function within Portfolio Manager for more detailed information on how to establish and manage your Leaders account, and how to apply for ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition for your achievements.

Be a Leader — Change our environment for the better.