Improving efficiency in federal buildings is critical to reducing energy costs, saving taxpayer dollars, and easing government’s impact on the environment. GSA is meeting top energy performance standards for 325 of our owned buildings through the EPA’s Energy Star program, and we are measuring energy use in our inventory with the program’s free online tool, Portfolio Manager. The Energy Star program is assisting GSA in managing energy use and furthering our efforts to use energy more efficiently in all federal buildings.
Energy Star labeled buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than average buildings. GSA has 149 buildings that have achieved an Energy Star label, and we have an additional 176 buildings that are eligible. More buildings will be submitted to receive the Energy Star label as our efforts to make our entire portfolio more sustainable continue.
Through the program, information on a building’s energy use and water consumption is entered into EPA’s Portfolio Manager. Based on the information provided, Portfolio Manager generates a national performance rating based on a percentile scale of 1-100. Buildings that are rated at a score of 75 or higher are eligible to achieve the Energy Star label. The rating system allows insight into a building’s performance and ways that it can be improved. Knowing the Energy Star rating of a property and how it compares with other properties on a percentile basis is fundamental to the development of an energy management plan. It enables our building managers to monitor progress and gauge the impact of new equipment and operational changes aimed at reducing energy use.
In 2009, President Obama issued Executive Order 13514 for federal agencies to lead by example in their environmental, energy, and economic performance. GSA has been working to make our portfolio of federal buildings more energy efficient to meet the goals of this Executive Order, which will save on energy costs. We’re making existing federal buildings more sustainable through various ways, including the Energy Star program, USGBC’s LEED Volume for Operations and Maintenance program, Energy Savings Performance Contracts, advanced metering, and our own Green Proving Ground.
So far in 2012, GSA has had 24 buildings that have earned the Energy Star Label.
| Hawthorne Federal Building | Hawthorne | CA |
| Robert N. Giaimo Federal Building | New Haven | CT |
| Melvin Price Courthouse | Washington | DC |
| EPA East & West Buildings | Washington | DC |
| GSA NCR Regional Office Building | Washington | DC |
| Paul Simon Federal Building | Carbondale | IL |
| Metcalfe Federal Building | Chicago | IL |
| East St. Louis Federal Building | East St Louis | IL |
| Mt. Vernon Federal Building | Mount Vernon | IL |
| Peoria Federal Building Courthouse | Peoria | IL |
| Findley Federal Building | Springfield | IL |
| E. Ross Adair Federal Building Courthouse | Fort Wayne | IN |
| Lee Hamilton Federal Building Courthouse | New Albany | IN |
| Hale Boggs Federal Building Courthouse | New Orleans | LA |
| Martin Luther King, Jr Courthouse | Newark | NJ |
| Peter Rodino Federal Building | Newark | NJ |
| Pete Domenici Courthouse | Albuquerque | NM |
| MJ Dillon Courthouse | Buffalo | NY |
| Ted Weiss Federal Building | New York | NY |
| Varick Federal Building | New York | NY |
| Hanley Federal Building & Courthouse | Syracuse | NY |
| Bricker Federal Building | Columbus | OH |
| Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse | Columbus | OH |
| Tulsa Federal Building | Tulsa | OK |
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