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Seattle and Portland among the top cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings in the United States

Release Date: 04/11/2012
Contact Information: Barbara Larson, EPA Energy Star Program, 206-553-1981, larson.barbara@epa.gov; Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1203, brown.anthony@epa.gov

(Seattle – April 11, 2012) Today, EPA released the annual list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings for 2011. Among the list of top 25 cities, Seattle and Portland metropolitan areas rank 16^th and 23^rd.

By the end of 2011, the nearly 16,500 Energy Star certified buildings across America have helped save nearly $2.3 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual energy use of more than 1.5 million homes. These are real savings that are good for the bottom line and good for the environment.

EPA’s list of top cities with the most Energy Star certified buildings is based upon metropolitan areas as defined by the U.S. Census. To see what counties are covered in the metropolitan areas, please go to: http://www.census.gov/population/metro/files/lists/2009/List1.txt

Buildings that earn Energy Star certification must perform in the top 25 percent of buildings nationwide compared to similar buildings and be independently verified by a licensed professional engineer or registered architect each year.

The cumulative number of Energy Star certified buildings has increased by more than 30 percent compared to last year, representing more than 2.6 billion square feet of floor space nationwide.
Energy Star certified buildings are good for the environment and good for the bottom line:

• Energy Star certified office buildings cost $0.50 /sq ft less to operate than average office buildings (average $1.81 sq ft, worst $3.37 sq ft, ES $1.27 sq ft)
• Energy Star certified office buildings consume nearly 2x less energy per square foot as average buildings (average 101 kbtu sq ft, worst 218 kbtu sq ft, ES 63 kbtu sq ft)
• More than 1,500 Energy Star certified buildings use 50 percent less energy than average buildings