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EPA’s Energy Star Leaders Drive Greater Energy Efficiency

Release Date: 02/22/2011
Contact Information: Stacy Kika, [email protected], 202-564-0906, 202-564-4355

WASHINGTON – Thousands of buildings across the country are saving energy while reducing harmful air pollutants and protecting the health of Americans with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program. EPA recognized 74 leading Energy Star organizations for their achievements in energy efficiency across their entire building portfolios in 2010, 50 of which were recognized as first time Energy Star Leaders. Through their commitment to superior energy management, these organizations together have prevented the equivalent of more than 460,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually and saved more than $100 million a year.

To be an Energy Star Leader, an organization must meet one of two energy efficiency improvement milestones. The first milestone requires a 10 percent improvement in energy performance across the entire building portfolio, and subsequent recognition is given for each 10 percent improvement thereafter. The second milestone, known as “top performer,” requires the buildings in an organization’s portfolio, on average, to perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide.

Two organizations have taken Energy Star Leaders to new heights, becoming the first to improve energy efficiency across their building portfolios by 40 and 50 percent. These organizations are Blue Mountain School District in Pennsylvania and DeKalb County Central Unified School District in Indiana, respectively.

The complete list of Energy Star Leaders includes more than 150 school districts, commercial real estate companies, healthcare systems, supermarket operators, hotel managers, and government organizations. These organizations represent more than 6,790 buildings covering nearly 540 million square feet across 36 states and the District of Columbia.

List of Energy Star Leaders as of December 31, 2010: http://www.energystar.gov/2010_Leaders_list.pdf

More about Energy Star Leaders: http://www.energystar.gov/leaders