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The number of commercial and industrial organizations joining ENERGY STAR almost tripled in 2008, accounting for more than 2,000,000,000 (2 billion!) new committed square feet. By the end of 2008, there were more than 2,400 organizations that have committed to adopt continuous energy management practices.

Partnerships between EPA and organizations such as the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industrial trade association in the U.S., have signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) to work together to improve the energy efficiency of their sectors of the U.S. economy.  NAM helps  educate U.S. manufacturers that they CAN and SHOULD  strategically manage energy in their operations.  The savings make this a win-win message and contributes significantly to the total reduction of energy use in the U.S.

If you would like to partner with EPA to improve your energy efficiency, visit: www.energystar.gov/joinbuildings

For the first time, EPA 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.,

Additional top achieving  cities include:

• Dallas-Fort Worth
• Chicago
• Denver
• Minneapolis-St Paul
• Atlanta
• Seattle
• Boston
• New York
• Austin
• Detroit
• milwaukee
• San Antonio
• Philadelphia
• Charlotte
• Portland
• Grand Rapids
• Sacramento
• Phoenix
• Miami
• Riverside, CA
• Madison

These top cities are those whose schools, hospitals, office buildings, courthouses, grocery stores, retail centers and auto assembly plants have earned the EPA's ENERGY STAR.

To label your building, go to www.energystar.gov/eslabel.
To label your industrial plant, go to www.energystar.gov/plants.

EPA's online tool Portfolio Manager enables building owners and managers to rate their individual commercial buildings on a scale of 1 to 100 against similar buildings, track energy performance over time, and target investments in energy efficiency.

States and local government agencies, professional associations, and vendors offer training, expertise, and networking opportunities to make benchmarking buildings easier for their constituents, and they are tapping into ENERGY STAR to accomplish this task.

This partnership has resulted in continued growth across the country, reflecting a 50%  increase in rated floor space from over 7.5 billion square feet in 2007 to more than 11.5 billion square feet in 2008.

Regular Assessment Becoming SOP
 
About 60% of this space is being repeatedly rated for its energy use, which indicates that regular assessment is becoming a standard practice for many.

Benchmarking By Building Type

EPA's energy performance rating system is now available for 11 specific building space types that account for around 60% of the carbon emissions resulting from commercial buildings.

• Offices
• K-12 Schools
• Retail Stores
• Hospitals
• Hotels / Motels
• Supermarkets / Grocery Stores
• Banks / Financial Institutions
• Warehouses
• Medical Offices
• Courthouses
• Residence Halls / Dormitories

By building type, offices and schools experienced the largest increases in benchmarking in 2008. Offices close to doubled the number and floor space rated; rated schools increased by almost 80% with floor space almost doubling.

Performance specifications for ENERGY STAR-labeled office equipment

Office equipment labeled ENERGY STAR often must be more efficient than nonlabeled equipment when in active operation as well as during periods of inactivity. In some cases, there are additional requirements.

Equipment	ENERGY STAR specifications
Computers	Require improved efficiency over all operation modes due to use of highly efficient power supplies. Automatically enter a low-power sleep mode within 30 minutes of inactivity.
Copiers	Require improved efficiency when the product is in use. Also power down when not in use to a low energy consumption level. Depending on the speed, may be required to print double-sided pages, reducing both copying and paper costs.
Fax machines	Require improved efficiency when the product is in use. Automatically power down after 5 minutes of inactivity. Combination printer/fax machines consume half as much energy when idle as two stand-alone products.
Laptops	Require improved efficiency over all operation modes due to use of highly efficient internal and external power supplies. If left inactive, enter a low-power mode and may use 15 watts or less.
Monitors	Require improved efficiency when they are in active mode. Use 2 watts or less in sleep mode and 1 watt or less in off mode. Use up to 85 percent less electricity than standard models.
Multifunction devices	Offer copying as well as printing, faxing, scanning, and/or other capabilities. Automatically power down after 15 to 60 minutes of inactivity, depending on equipment speed. May require automated duplexing, depending on the speed.
Printers	Require improved efficiency when the product is in use. Automatically power down after 5 to 60 minutes of inactivity, depending on equipment speed. May require automated duplexing, depending on the speed.
Scanners	Require improved efficiency when the product is in use. Automatically power down after 15 minutes when not in use.
Source: EPA

Energy Star ratings put your tax dollars to work for a greener home and office!

The US Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy work together to bring common sense measurements of electrical appliances, equipment and even buildings. Energy efficiency has improved signficantly since the Energy Star program was started in the 1970s, and they continue to add new categories of equipment to their tested and rated product information.

Energy Efficient Appliances & Equipment for Homes

By replacing your old equipment and appliances with Energy Star rated products, you will save money each and every month you use your equipment. And with electricity prices going up every year, your savings will grow and grow.

We will help you find good information about Energy Star rated products and othr EPA suggestions to reduce climate change, save our precious natural resources, and improve our air quality. It all fits togehter. In fact, you could say that "green" is at attitude about everything. And we help you find practical energy efficient solutions.

Energy Efficient Appliances & Equipment for Offices

Comptuers can be Energy Star rated. And so can telephones, fax machines, and even heating and air conditioning equipment. In fact, the whole building can save you energy when you follow Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency. We'll help you find the information you need about types equipment, technology, and installers in your local area.

And we'll also help you identify local, state and federal incentives and rebates that save you money on the original purchase of Energy Star rated equipment.

Energy Efficient Appliances & Equipment Product Categories

• Lighting
• Faucets
• Refrigerators
• Heating & Air Conditioning
• Kitchen Appliances
• Energy Star Rated Homes