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Seattle Ranks 10th in Nation for Energy-Saving Buildings; Portland 18th

Release Date: 03/03/2009
Contact Information: Bob Drake, EPA Energy Star Program/Seattle 206-553-4803, drake.robert@epa.gov; Hanady Kader, EPA Public Affairs/Seattle 206-553-0454, kader.hanady@epa.gov

SEATTLE RANKS 10TH IN NATION FOR ENERGY-SAVING BUILDINGS

(Seattle, Wash.-– March 3, 2009) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a list of the top 25 cities with the highest number of Energy Star-labeled buildings in 2008. Seattle ranks 10th out of 25 metropolitan areas with 83 buildings acquiring the Energy Star label in 2008.

Energy Star is an EPA program for buildings that have made significant cuts to their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. There are a total of 144 Energy Star-certified buildings in Washington.

These buildings and plants are America’s energy all-stars—they save more, use less and help fight global warming. The Seattle area’s energy efficient buildings saved a total of $16.3 million in costs and resulted in emissions savings equivalent to the annual energy use of 14,400 households. Buildings that earn the Energy Star label use 35 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide.

The Energy Star buildings program can assist any building or plant owner or manager to evaluate, plan and implement significant cuts in energy use and costs.

Washington residents know to look for the Energy Star label when purchasing home appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators, but the same energy-saving label can also be applied to office buildings, hotels, schools, retail stores and manufacturing facilities. The qualified buildings for Washington can be found at the following link: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=labeled_buildings.showBuildingSearch

To learn more about Energy Star buildings and facilities: http://www.energystar.gov/buildings

See EPA's national press release below for additional information.

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PORTLAND RANKS 18TH IN NATION FOR ENERGY-SAVING BUILDINGS

(Portland, Ore. — March 3, 2009) The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a list of the top 25 cities with the highest number of Energy Star-labeled buildings in 2008. Portland ranked 18th place, tied with Charlotte, NC, with 45 Energy Star-labeled buildings in 2008.

Energy Star is an EPA program for buildings that have made significant cuts to their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. There are a total of 85 Energy Star-certified buildings in Oregon.

These buildings and plants are America’s energy all-stars—they save more, use less and help fight global warming. The Portland area’s energy efficient buildings saved a total of $8 million in costs and resulted in emissions savings equivalent to the annual energy use of 6,600 households. Buildings that earn the Energy Star label use 35 percent less energy than average buildings and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide.

The Energy Star buildings program can assist any building or plant owner or manager to evaluate, plan and implement significant cuts in energy use and costs.

Oregon residents know to look for the Energy Star label when purchasing home appliances like dishwashers and refrigerators, but the same energy-saving label can also be applied to office buildings, hotels, schools, retail stores and manufacturing facilities. The qualified buildings for Oregon can be found at the following link: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=labeled_buildings.showBuildingSearch

To learn more about Energy Star buildings and facilities: http://www.energystar.gov/buildings

See EPA's national press release below for additional information.

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EPA Unveils Top 25 U.S. Cities with the Most Energy Star Buildings

Contact: Enesta Jones, 202-564-7873/4355 / jones.enesta@epa.gov
(Washington, D.C. – March 3, 2009) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today released a list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the largest number of energy efficient buildings in 2008 that have earned EPA’s Energy Star.

The list is headed by Los Angeles, San Francisco, Houston, Washington, D.C., Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis-St Paul, Atlanta and Seattle.

“Energy Star buildings typically use 35 percent less energy and emit 35 percent less greenhouse gases than average buildings,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “EPA commends all of these cities and all of the others, as well as countless individuals, who are now using more energy efficient appliances and dwellings. They are saving energy, saving money and protecting our environment.”

In 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the Energy Star - EPA’s label for high efficiency - representing savings of more than $1 billion in utility bills and more than 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. These buildings include schools, hospitals, office buildings, courthouses, grocery stores, retail centers and auto assembly plants.

The total for Energy Star qualifying buildings and plants in America is now more than 6,200 with overall annual utility savings of more than $1.7 billion and the prevention of the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 2 million cars a year.

Energy use in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for nearly half of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and nearly half of energy consumption nationwide. For more than a decade, EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through this voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.

To view a list of Energy Star buildings and plants, including those in the 2008 Top 25 Cities: http://energystar.gov/buildinglist

To learn more about the Energy Star for buildings and plants:

http://energystar.gov/labeledbuildings