VA Receives 18 “Energy Star” Awards

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was honored today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for its achievements in energy efficiency.   

"Thanks to the leadership and initiative of our employees, VA serves as a model for all federal agencies in energy efficiency," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi.  "The medical centers honored today will save VA millions over the years."

The award, called Energy Star^â, is given to buildings with energy performance in the top 25 percent of their peers, using an Internet based tool called Portfolio Manager.  This tool enables the performance of individual buildings to be objectively assessed and tracked continually.  This information provides building managers and owners with an invaluable resource to effectively manage energy use within their building.

The medical centers recognized are in the top 25 percent in energy performance among all hospitals in the United States.   This evaluation involved over 150 VA medical centers with approximately 150 million square feet of hospital space.       

Medical facilities are one of the most energy intensive building types, using energy at twice the rate of office space and three times the rate of schools.  

In the federal sector, there are more than 200 hospitals in the United States, which represent approximately 13 percent of the energy used in all federal buildings.    

This year's awardees are listed below:

Hunter Holmes McGuire                 VA Puget Sound 
VA Medical Center                              Healthcare System    
Richmond, VA                                      Seattle, WA

Boise                                                 Central Arkansas
VA Medical Center                           Veterans Health Care System
Boise, ID                                            Little Rock, AR                                    

Louis A. Johnson                             Northern Arizona
VA Medical Center                              VA Medical Center
Clarksburg, WV                                     Prescott, AZ

Philadelphia                                        Pittsburgh
VA Medical Center                              VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA                                   Pittsburgh, PA

Wilmington                                         Portland
VA Medical Center                              VA Medical Center
Wilmington, DE                                    Portland, OR

Southern Arizona                           Connecticut
VA Medical Center                            VA Medical Center
Tucson, AZ                                          West Haven, CT

Palo Alto                                           New Mexico
VA Medical Center                           VA Healthcare System
Palo Alto, CA                                     Albuquerque, NM 

Boston                                              Fargo VA Medical Center
VA Boston Healthcare System       Regional Office Center
Jamaica Plain, MA                           Fargo, ND

Fort Harrison
VA Medical Center
Fort Harrison, MT

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