Through the ENERGY STAR Leaders program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizes organizations for energy efficiency achievements across their entire portfolio of commercial buildings.
Annual recognition is offered in two categories:
- Portfolio-wide Improvement, awarded in increments of 10 percent
- Top Performance, awarded to organizations whose entire portfolio averages in the top 25% of energy performance nationwide
If you want to feel a little Minnesota pride, take a look at how many times Minnesota pops up on this list (you can even read a small case study on each of the highlighted buildings).
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that nearly half of the organizations recognized as Energy Star Leaders have improved the energy efficiency of their building portfolios by 20 percent or more. Last year, President Obama announced a nationwide call to action to improve the energy performance in buildings across the nation by 20 percent by 2020.
EPA’s Energy Star program has helped these 90 leading organizations achieve the President’s goal by providing them with a proven energy management strategy, which includes a focus on ongoing performance measurement and whole-building improvement. Energy Star Leaders have cumulatively saved more than $150 million on utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use of nearly 95,000 homes.
Thanks to Cheryal Lee Hills, Executive Director for Region Five Development Commission, for suggesting this story. This content is from an EPA news release from February 22, 2012.
