The ENERGY STAR Challenge Help to Build a Better World – 10% at A Time

Why is Energy Efficiency in Buildings Important? The buildings in which we work, shop, and learn use electricity and natural gas costing about $80 billion annually, and constituting about 20% of national emissions of greenhouse gases. Buildings owners may realize significant cost savings while helping to protect the environment.

Superior Management = Superior Energy Performance Analysis of 4,000 buildings in terms of energy use: Top performing buildings use 3 to 4 times less energy per square foot than the worst performers. Energy performance varies greatly across similar building space types, but neither age of facility nor technologies installed are deciding factors in performance

What is the ENERGY STAR Challenge? A call to action issued by EPA in March 2005 to building owners and managers to improve energy efficiency by 10% or more across their entire portfolio of buildings. To achieve these improvements EPA encourages building owners and operators to make financially-attractive energy efficiency improvements through proven methods such as low-cost building tune-ups, lighting upgrades, and replacing old equipment.

Taking the ENERGY STAR Challenge Can Help Through the Challenge, EPA encourages building owners and managers to improve energy efficiency across entire building portfolios – not just in individual buildings. Owners of two or more buildings that achieve energy savings of 10% or more may be recognized by EPA as ENERGY STAR Leaders. EPA estimates that if each building owner met the Challenge, by 2015 Americans would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15 million vehicles while saving about $10 billion.

How is [Insert Organization name] promoting the ENERGY STAR Challenge? [List Challenge-related activities your organization is undertaking for your members/constituents, such as –Providing information on how to improve energy efficiency (including directing them to ENERGY STAR tools and resources), and –Recognizing their achievements.]

How can you participate? Building owners and operators take the Challenge by following these important steps: 1.Determine how much energy your buildings and facilities are using Enter energy data into Portfolio Manager, EPA’s energy performance rating tool ( 2.Establish efficiency improvement goals 3.Make energy efficiency improvements 4.Receive recognition

How does EPA recognize organizations for energy efficiency improvements? ENERGY STAR Leaders –Organizations that achieve energy efficiency improvements of 10% or more across their entire building portfolio, and/or –Organizations with a portfolio-wide average energy performance rating of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1 – 100 scale. –Recognition includes organization being highlighted on the ENERGY STAR Web site and listed in an EPA press release each October issued as part of Energy Awareness Month. –For a complete list of ENERGY STAR Leaders go to and select “Leaders” from the right-side column.

How does EPA recognize organizations for energy efficiency improvements? ENERGY STAR Label –For individual buildings that perform in the top 25% for energy performance, as evidenced by achieving a rating of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1 – 100 scale. –Recognized with a building plaque, listing on ENERGY STAR Web site, opportunity to write a Building Profile case study. –For a complete list of ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings go to ldingSearch. ldingSearch ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year –Organizations that demonstrate superior performance in energy management. –Crystal award, recognition at annual awards dinner, special logo, inclusion in press release and public service announcement. –For information on POY go to

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