ENERGY STAR News:
Business and Industry Edition

Spring 2008

Choose an article

• 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award Winners Announced
• Record Number of Buildings Earn ENERGY STAR Label in 2007
• Taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge to New Places
• State and Local Governments Turn to ENERGY STAR Tools and Resources
• ENERGY STAR Service Provider Helps New York's K-12 Schools Reduce Energy Use
• California Builds on Its Success with ENERGY STAR

2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award Winners Announced

Commercial and Industrial Partners Help Commemorate ENERGY STAR's Most Successful Year

On April 1, 2008 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) presented the 2008 ENERGY STAR Awards to organizations for their outstanding accomplishments in reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. This year's winners are a diverse set of organizations reflecting the breadth of more than 12,000 ENERGY STAR partners and include organizations from the commercial real estate, health care, industrial, hospitality, retail, energy services, and public sectors. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, prevented 40 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 alone.

2008 ENERGY STAR Commercial and Industrial Award Winners by Category

Sustained Excellence:

3M
Advantage IQ, Inc.
California Portland Cement Company
Food Lion, LLC
Ford Motor Company
Giant Eagle, Inc.
Marriott International Inc.
Merck & Co., Inc.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
New York State Energy and Research Development Authority
PepsiCo
Raytheon Company
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
Transwestern
USAA Real Estate Company
Wisconsin Focus on Energy

Partner of the Year – Energy Management:

Allergan, Inc.
ArcelorMittal USA
CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
Council Rock School District
Gresham-Barlow School District
J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
Providence Health & Services
Simon Property Group
The Dow Chemical Company
TIAA-CREF

Partner of the Year – Service Product Provider

TRC Energy Services

Excellence in ENERGY STAR Program Delivery

Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International
Pacific Gas and Electric Company

Please visit the ENERGY STAR Web site to read the report, “Profiles in Leadership: 2008 ENERGY STAR Award Winners.”

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Record Number of Buildings Earn ENERGY STAR Label in 2007

Number of Buildings Earning ENERGY STAR Label up by 25% in 2007

Finding energy-efficient schools, supermarkets, offices, and other facilities throughout the country has become even easier. The number of commercial buildings and manufacturing plants to earn the ENERGY STAR for superior energy efficiency is up by more than 25 percent in the past year, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions reduced has reached an all-time high of more than 25 billion pounds.

By the end of 2007, nearly 4,100 buildings and manufacturing plants had earned the ENERGY STAR, with the addition of more than 1,400 in 2007 alone. Buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR include about 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 K-12 schools, and 250 hotels.

Altogether, these award-winning commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have saved nearly $1.5 billion annually on their energy bills. Because they use less energy, facilities that earn the ENERGY STAR help fight global warming by reducing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. These buildings have prevented emissions equivalent to those produced from a year’s worth of electricity for more than 1.5 million American homes. In particular, commercial buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR use nearly 40 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide, significantly reducing their carbon footprint.

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of the nation’s total energy consumption and the resulting greenhouse gas emissions. For more than a decade, EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strategic energy management practices. Today, there are ENERGY STAR qualified facilities in every state across the country, as well as in the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

To learn more about ENERGY STAR buildings and facilities, visit http://www.energystar.gov/buildings, and to find 2007 ENERGY STAR buildings and industrial facilities in your area, visit http://www.energystar.gov/LabeledList.

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Taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge to New Places

ENERGY STAR Challenge Partners Reducing Energy Use by 10% or More

Commercial and industrial facilities use about $200 billion worth of energy each year and are responsible for about 45 percent of our national emissions of greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming. As a national call to action, the ENERGY STAR Challenge encourages organizations and individuals to do their part to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial facilities by 10 percent or more. By the end of 2007, nearly 800 organizations and individuals had joined the ENERGY STAR Challenge. Below are highlights from two new organizations participating in the ENERGY STAR Challenge: Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant and the City of Albuquerque, NM.

The Moccasin Bend Wastewater Treatment Plant in Chattanooga, TN, is the first wastewater treatment facility in the country to join the ENERGY STAR Challenge. Wastewater treatment plants and drinking water systems spend about $4 billion per year on energy. Reducing the energy use of drinking water systems and wastewater treatment plants by just 10 percent could save about $400 million and 7.5 billion kWh annually. Moccasin Bend plans to install solar panels, make energy-efficient lighting upgrades, and reduce the facility’s use of natural gas.

Also taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge is the City of Albuquerque, NM. In 2005, the mayor of Albuquerque mandated that all city buildings adhere to strict green building standards. EPA’s online Portfolio Manager tool helps facility managers fulfill this requirement by tracking energy use and highlighting where additional improvements can be made. With the help of EPA, the City of Albuquerque is better able to achieve its ambitious goals, 10 percent at a time.

To learn more about the ENERGY STAR Challenge, please visit the ENERGY STAR Web site at www.energystar.gov/challenge.

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State and Local Governments Turn to ENERGY STAR Tools and Resources

New Laws Mandate Use of Target Finder and Portfolio Manager for Commercial and Government Buildings

State and local governments across the country are taking bold steps to protect the climate and lower energy costs by adopting policies that use ENERGY STAR tools and resources to improve the energy performance of commercial buildings.

Energy use in commercial buildings is responsible for nearly half of all U.S. carbon dioxide emissions. Facing rising energy costs and the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, states and localities are using ENERGY STAR tools such as Target Finder to set whole building energy performance targets in building designs and Portfolio Manager to track energy use, energy costs, and carbon emissions in existing buildings.

Target Finder is an online tool that helps architects and building owners set realistic energy goals and receive an EPA rating for their design’s estimated energy use. A building project can achieve “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR” by earning a rating of 75 or higher (out of a possible 100) in Target Finder. Portfolio Manager is an interactive energy management tool that allows building owners to benchmark energy consumption and receive the ENERGY STAR label for superior energy performance.

By mandating the use of these cost-free tools, state and local governments are demonstrating a strong commitment to climate protection and fiscal responsibility.

Borough of West Chester, PA  
A city ordinance requires that new commercial construction shall be “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR" and be benchmarked annually in EPA’s Portfolio Manager.

City of Denver, CO
Executive Order 123 requires that all applicable new city building construction and major renovations will be “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR" and requires benchmarking in Portfolio Manager for existing and future city-owned and operated buildings.

District of Columbia
The Green Building Act of 2006 requires new District-owned buildings to be “Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR" and also requires benchmarking in Portfolio Manager for District-owned buildings.

State of Minnesota
The Next Generation Energy Act of 2007 sets a state goal of earning ENERGY STAR labels for 1,000 commercial buildings by the end of 2010.

State of Ohio
Executive Order 2007-02 establishes that the State of Ohio will use Portfolio Manager as the benchmarking tool for all state-owned facilities.

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ENERGY STAR Service Provider Helps New York's K-12 Schools Reduce Energy Use

TRC Energy Services Helps 658 Schools Attended by More than 350,000 Students

The nation’s 17,450 school districts spend more than $6 billion on energy annually—more than they spend on computers and textbooks combined. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA’s) Energy Smart Schools Program assists New York’s school administrators and facility managers in improving the energy efficiency—and reducing energy expenses—of K-12 schools.

TRC Energy Services, an ENERGY STAR Service and Product Provider (SPP) partner, has provided comprehensive energy management support to 658 schools in 140 districts in New York through the Energy Smart Schools Program. TRC works with school administrators to train hundreds of building engineers and facilities staff to maintain and improve school buildings, providing a safe, healthy, and energy-efficient environment for learning.
Further, TRC developed a variety of specialized tools to promote energy management and planning. More than 15 percent of New York State public schools have taken advantage of these benchmarking and modeling tools, and have achieved significant results by implementing recommended improvements.

TRC’s work with the Energy Smart Schools Program has helped schools realize immediate financial savings. Participating schools have lowered their energy consumption by an average of 19 percent and have saved $3,800 per school in utility costs each year. Financial savings not only free up resources to provide the best education for children but also provide capital to invest in further cost-saving energy upgrades that can contribute to an enhanced learning environment.

The Energy Smart Schools Program has earned a number of accolades, including the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy’s 2007 “Exemplary Program” award, and ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition for eight school districts. The program has also helped 92 school buildings qualify for the prestigious ENERGY STAR label for superior energy performance.

Please visit the ENERGY STAR Web site to learn more about TRC Energy Services and other ENERGY STAR Partners.

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California Builds on Its Success with ENERGY STAR

California Becomes First State to Mandate Disclosure of Energy Use at Time of Building Transaction

California has long led the nation in energy efficiency and environmental protection. Now it is the first state to mandate disclosure of commercial buildings’ energy use to prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders, and it is requiring building owners to use the ENERGY STAR online tool, Portfolio Manager, to get the job done. A new California law, Assembly Bill 1103, requires all commercial building owners or operators to disclose their buildings’ benchmarking data and Portfolio Manager performance rating to prospective buyers, lessees of entire buildings, or lenders starting in 2010. The state also has broken new ground by requiring all state-owned buildings to be benchmarked with Portfolio Manager.

Having seen the impressive results that several private sector organizations experienced through benchmarking their energy use, the Governor of California issued Executive Order S-20-04 in December 2004. This executive order called for a number of green building and energy efficiency measures, and required benchmarking of all state-owned buildings by 2007. State officials worked with utilities to facilitate electronic transfer of energy data into Portfolio Manager. During this process, the state learned from the private sector’s benchmarking success and engaged leaders from the Real Estate Industry Leadership Council, a group that includes several past ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award winners, such as Arden Realty, USAA Realty, and Hines.

The success of the governor’s benchmarking initiative helped launch an ambitious statewide effort that culminated in the passage of the new bill. The actual legislation outlines a two-stage process. First, it mandates that, by 2009, utilities make energy data available by request to all commercial customers in a format compatible with Portfolio Manager. Then, by 2010, building owners must disclose Portfolio Manager benchmarking data and ratings to prospective buyers, lessees, or lenders. Pacific Gas and Electric, a 2008 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award winner, helped the state put this legislation into action by helping to develop automated transfer of benchmarking data.

California’s action is a significant step forward because it brings buildings’ energy performance directly into decisions about buying, leasing, and financing, and increases the market’s awareness of buildings’ energy performance. The legislation also makes it easier for building owners and operators to compare their buildings’ performance to that of similar facilities, and manage their buildings’ energy costs over time. EPA will continue to work with California utilities and other stakeholders to help ensure the successful implementation of the new bill.

California’s wide-ranging participation in the ENERGY STAR program also includes participation in 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. Nearly 8,000 California buildings have been benchmarked using Portfolio Manager, and approximately 1,000 buildings have earned the ENERGY STAR label.

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