Optimize Your Energy Performance

Commercial buildings are a major contributor to the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions. In light of increasing energy costs and growing public concern over climate change, many organizations are rising to the challenge of reducing the energy consumption of their properties – and, consequently, their greenhouse gas emissions. Energy consumption is one of the most manageable operating expenses in a commercial building, and ENERGY STAR provides effective low-risk, high-return strategies that can help you to optimize your properties’ energy and financial performance.

By partnering with ENERGY STAR, property owners and operators can improve energy performance, save money, and reduce their carbon footprint across the full range of commercial building types.

• Commercial Real Estate: Increased energy efficiency in commercial real estate organizations can reduce operating expenses and increase property asset value. For example, a 10 percent decrease in energy consumption can lead to a 1.5 percent increase in net operating income (NOI). Additionally, an increase in energy efficiency contributes to increased employee productivity and health, and enhances the comfort of the tenants.  

• Government: Government agencies spend more than $10 billion a year on energy to provide public services and meet constituent needs — while grappling with tightening budgets. Yet nearly one-third of the energy used to run typical government buildings goes to waste. EPA provides local and state governments, as well as federal agencies, a proven energy management strategy and no-cost tools to save energy and money and demonstrate their environmental leadership.

• Healthcare: Although 67 percent of ­­­healthcare facilities’ Chief Executive Officers cite financial challenges as their highest concern (in an industry where organizations spend over $8.3 billion on energy each year), ENERGY STAR partners have found that energy efficiency projects can, in fact, lead to savings. For example, one partner has seen $1.77 million in annual savings since it began implementing rigorous energy efficiency projects in 2003. Additionally, EPA studies have shown that each dollar a hospital saves in energy costs is comparable to generating new revenues of twenty dollars.

• Hospitality: According to the latest survey from the Energy Information Administration, the lodging industry spends almost $7.5 billion per year on energy. A 10 percent reduction in energy consumption across the industry would be the equivalent of taking almost one million cars off the road for one year. At the individual property level, a 10 percent reduction could have the same financial effect as increasing the average daily room rate (ADR) by $0.83 in limited-service hotels and by $2.45 in full-service hotels. One partner saved $6 million and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 tons in one year!

• Retail: The retail industry includes three types of buildings: retail stores, restaurants, and supermarkets. As in other space types, all three of these can achieve savings from a 10 percent reduction in energy consumption:
  • An average full-line discount retailer can boost net profit margins by as much as 1.55 percent and sales per square foot by $25
  • An average limited service restaurant can boost net profit margins by as much as 4 percent and sales per square foot by $17
  • An average supermarket can boost net profit margins by as much as 16 percent and sales per square foot by $44

• K-12 School Districts: American school districts spend $6 billion on energy costs every year, which is more than textbooks and computers combined. However, ENERGY STAR partners have achieved savings after implementing energy efficient practices and technology. As a result, top performing ENERGY STAR labeled schools cost forty cents per square foot less to operate than the average performers.

As seen across these building types, a strategic approach to energy efficiency can result in greater profitability and competitiveness, a cleaner and healthier environment, and the ability to demonstrate to stakeholders and the American public that your organization is committed to meaningful “green” practices. ENERGY STAR’s proven resources for cost-effective energy efficiency and climate protection can help organizations to integrate a profit-enhancing energy performance program into their operations and management practices. Visit the ENERGY STAR Web site to learn more about benchmarking and tracking energy consumption, to locate various sector partners, to review ENERGY STAR publications, and to learn about ENERGY STAR labeled properties in your area.

The Challenge

ENERGY STAR encourages its partners to accept and promote the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more. To support this initiative, ENERGY STAR has developed the Challenge Toolkit, which includes facts sheets, co-brandable posters and PSAs, sample Web text, press release templates, and much more. In addition to using ENERGY STAR’s extensive tools and resources, such as Portfolio Manager, to identify, prioritize, and implement energy efficiency best practices, the Challenge provides the framework for sharing your commitment and your achievements to the public and throughout your organization.

Tools and Resources

Getting Started

To learn about the importance of energy efficiency, and to explore the range of ENERGY STAR’s offerings, start with the helpful resources listed below.

Assess and Manage Energy Use of Existing Buildings

Benchmarking a building’s energy performance allows a building owner or manager to track a building’s energy consumption and improvements in energy efficiency over time. Use ENERGY STAR’s benchmarking tool, Portfolio Manager, and the other resources below to measure a building’s energy use.

• Facility Energy Assessment Matrix
• Building Upgrade Manual

Trainings

ENERGY STAR offers free online trainings to help you improve the energy performance of your organization. Available as live web conferences, pre-recorded trainings, and self-guided presentations, these trainings cover topics that support the ENERGY STAR Guidelines for Energy Management.

• Register for Upcoming Live Trainings
• Introduction to ENERGY STAR, Tools and Resources
• Assessing Performance — Energy Performance Benchmarking
• Creating and Implementing Action Plans
• Financing Strategies
• Recognizing Achievements

New Building Designs

Energy efficiency can and should be incorporated into your new facility from the very beginning of the design phase. Use Target Finder to assess the predicted energy performance of your design, to inform your design choices, and to help your new buildings receive recognition as “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.”

• Target Finder
• New Building Design Guidance

• ”Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR”

Purchasing and Procurement of ENERGY STAR-Qualified Products

Energy efficient products can help reduce a building’s energy load, and are a valuable component of a building’s energy performance. Listed below are categories of ENERGY STAR qualified products that may be of interest to all building types.

Measure Financial Results

Use the following calculators to assess the financial returns from energy efficiency projects.

• Financial Value Calculator
• Building Upgrade Value Calculator
• Cash Flow Opportunity Calculator

Help From the Experts

Use the directories below to find skilled ENERGY STAR contacts to help enhance energy management planning and implementation.

• Service and Product Provider Directory
• Find a Professional Engineer (PE)
• Directory of Energy Efficiency Programs

Recognition and Awards

EPA recognition for successes in energy management can help your organization maintain momentum and support for communicating energy efficiency achievements internally and with the public.    

Communicate Achievements

Use the resources below to highlight your using cost-effective approaches to achieve significant improvements in energy efficiency.

• Challenge Toolkit
• Building Profiles and Leaders' Stories
• ENERGY STAR Publications
• ENERGY STAR National Campaigns