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EPA Recognizes Manchester High School West on Energy Reduction Efforts

Release Date: 12/09/2011
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine, 617-918-1027

(Boston, Mass.— Dec. 9, 2011)  At a student assembly today with over 700 Manchester High School West students and an additional 700 watching live from classrooms, EPA congratulated the school’s accomplishments in reducing energy use and their involvement in the ENERGY STAR Battle of the Buildings. Out of the eleven New England buildings that entered the competition, Manchester West had the second largest reduction in energy use and was the top New England School in the Competition.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and costs more than $100 billion per year. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.

This year, the Battle of the Buildings competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a head-to-head battle to save energy, reduce costs, and protect people's health and the environment.  The competition tracked their monthly energy consumption using the EPA ENERGY STAR online tool from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.

The competitors saved a combined total of more than 240 million kBtus (thousand British thermal units) of energy and $5.2 million on utility bills annually by improving their operations and maintenance and upgrading equipment and technology. This is equivalent to the average amount of electricity used by more than 3,600 homes annually.

At Manchester West specifically, energy use was cut by 16 % saving almost $75 thousand /year on utility bills. The green house gas emissions reduced by this school was the equivalent of taking 31 cars off the road, and the electricity used by almost 14 homes per year.

Energy Star was started by EPA in 1992 as a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.  Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 products as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.  Last year alone, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved $18 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 33 million vehicles.

More Information:  Energy Star “Battle of the Buildings” challenge: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=buildingcontest.index

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