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More than Half of U.S. Commercial Building Space Now Eligible for ENERGY STAR
Release Date: 01/29/2004
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(01/29/04) EPA’s ENERGY STAR program is adding financial centers, bank branches, courthouses and dormitories to the list that already includes energy performance ratings for office buildings, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools and supermarkets. With these additions, EPA offers the ability to rate the energy use and earn the ENERGY STAR for 50 percent of U.S. commercial floor space. Expanding the program to cover more building types was one of the recommendations in the President’s National Energy Policy. Buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR label use about 40 percent less energy than average buildings, without compromising comfort. EPA recently expanded its ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, which houses the national energy performance rating system. The rating system, first available for office buildings beginning in 1999, now allows 10 types of buildings to measure and compare their energy performance to others nationwide. The rating system provides an energy performance rating on a scale of 1-100. Those earning 75 or greater are eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Eligible buildings include the following types: general administrative office buildings; courthouses; bank branches; financial centers; hotels and motels; supermarkets and grocery stores; acute care hospitals; K-12 schools; residence halls; and warehouses. Currently, more than 19,000 buildings have been rated nationwide, and more than 1,400 have earned the ENERGY STAR. By earning and displaying the ENERGY STAR plaque, organizations demonstrate their commitment to energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. For more information on the national energy performance rating system for buildings, go to: http://www.energystar.gov/benchmark .
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