News Releases from Region 08

Denver among Top Ten cities for ENERGY STAR certified buildings in 2017

Denver-area ranked ninth nationally with 265 of the most energy efficient buildings

DENVER-- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released its tenth-annual “Top Cities” list ranking Denver in ninth place among 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most ENERGY STAR certified buildings.  With 265 certified buildings, Denver earned a place in the top ten and has been on Energy Star’s Top Cities list for nine of the past ten years.  Overall, Colorado tallied 395 ENERGY STAR certified buildings representing energy savings of nearly three billion kBTUs and cost savings of more than $68 million. Los Angeles earned first place with more than 700 ENERGY STAR certified buildings, bumping Washington, D.C., into second place.

“Earning a spot in the ENERGY STAR Top Cities ranking demonstrates a city’s commitment to cutting building-related energy costs and reducing waste,” said Bill Wehrum, Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation at EPA. “With help from ENERGY STAR, city leaders and building owners are working together to strengthen their economies, foster competition, and create a healthier environment.”

To create the annual list, EPA tallies the number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings within each metropolitan area, as defined by the U.S. Census. These areas include the city itself as well as surrounding towns and suburbs. This year’s Top Cities are:

Rank    Metro Area                   Building Count

1          Los Angeles                  716

2          Washington, DC            661

3          Dallas                           468

4          Atlanta                          441

5          New York                      434

6          San Francisco               378

7          Chicago                        339

8          Phoenix                        303

9          Denver                          265

10         Houston                        247

11         Boston                         231

12         Riverside, Calif.             173

13         San Diego                    164

13         Seattle                          164

15         Philadelphia                  157

16         Tampa                          154

17         Austin                           130

18         San Jose                      129

19         Minneapolis                  116

20         Virginia Beach               109

21         Miami                           106

22         Sacramento                  100

23         Charlotte                       94

24         Louisville                      86

24         Indianapolis                  86

The Top Cities list shows how cities across America are embracing energy efficiency as a proven path to financial savings and a healthier environment. Commercial buildings are responsible for 19 percent of the nation’s energy use and cost American organizations and cities more than $100 billion per year in energy bills. By the end of 2017, more than 32,000 buildings across America had earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved more than $4.5 billion on energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of more than 3 million homes. 

Commercial buildings that apply for EPA’s ENERGY STAR must have their performance verified by a professional engineer or a registered architect. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings. Many types of commercial facilities can earn the ENERGY STAR, including office buildings, schools, hospitals, and retail stores.

About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations—including more than 40 percent of the Fortune 500®—rely on their partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to deliver cost-saving energy efficiency solutions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped save American families and businesses over $450 billion and over 3.5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity while also achieving broad emissions reductions – all through voluntary action.Join the millions already making a difference at energystar.gov. More background information about ENERGY STAR can be found at energystar.gov/about and energystar.gov/numbers.

More on ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including top small and mid-sized cities, as well as last year’s rankings: www.energystar.gov/topcities

Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildinglist

More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildingcertification