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Battle of the Green Buildings - 8:33 AM
ENERGY STAR 2011 Building Competition Heats Up as US Buildings Compete
The federal ENERGY STAR recently announced the launch their second 2011 National Building Competition, an exciting event that is sure to spur on innovation, creative thinking, and local involvement in the quest to see who can demonstrate the biggest energy efficiency improvements. This year’s competition will challenge building owners, managers, and employees of 245 buildings nationwide to see how can cut their energy use the most with a friendly competition.
The ENERGY STAR competition will also help to highlight just how much energy commercial buildings use in the US by involving buildings of all shapes and sizes, including stores, schools, museums, hotels, and more, some of which are more than 100 years old. Approximately 20% of both the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions goes to powering commercial buildings at a cost of more than $100 billion annually. The competition success stories should prove yet again the financial gains achieved through higher-performing buildings.
EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson had this to say about the event: “I am excited to see so many companies joining our Battle of the Buildings competition and finding new ways to improve their energy efficiency. We’re harnessing our nation's innovative capacity to save money on electric bills, create a cleaner environment and protect the health of American families.”
The finalists, which have until mid-July to complete their work, will be required to submit Statements of Energy Performance (SEPs) on their utility data for the entire competition period. These SEPs must be signed and stamped by a professional engineer or licensed architect. The winner will be announced in November as the building with the largest percentage reduction in energy use.
