According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute, buildings account for nearly 39% of all Carbon Dioxide emission in the U.S. As a result of this figure, many find themselves asking what they can do to lessen their environmental impact, increase energy efficiency or implement cost-effective measures to reduce their carbon footprint. The answer is simple; you don’t have to do anything crazy to make an environmental difference. In honor of Earth Day, we’ve compiled a list of ENERGY STAR tips that can help you make a difference in the environment today and every day:
Why Build A Green Building?
Most businesses don’t realize this, but several benefits arise from implementing green products into your life. The most obvious being that it leads to a healthier lifestyle. Energy-saving products can not only be attributed to producing better indoor air quality, but to the overall health of the business in the form of increased cost savings.
Several aspects of creating a greener building qualify for attractive State and Federal Government incentives. Specific to our market, there are several utility incentives to save energy and save money. For instance, when buildings implement energy-saving measures, the utility companies will pay for a portion of the cost. Building owners can save money and energy by installing ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). With this incentive, the utility companies offer a specific dollar amount per light fixture that is switched to LED lighting, adding higher value to the overall building.
With a higher value attributed to green buildings, property owners can typically demand higher rent rates. In particular, we see this happening in buildings with larger tenants. When searching for new spaces, many large-scale tenants value buildings that have green attributes over buildings with less green features, which plays a crucial role in their decision-making process.
ENERGY STAR Certification
ENERGY STAR certified buildings save energy, save money, and help protect the environment by generating fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical buildings. To become certified as an ENERGY STAR building, a property must score a 75 or better among the list of strict energy performance standards set by the EPA as well as hold an occupancy of 50% or higher. Learn how you can become an ENERGY STAR certified building for 2019.
We’d like to give a special shout out to a few of our buildings who have received the EPA ENERGY STAR Rating for 2018:
- MARS Building
- 5555 New King
- 5600 New King
- Laurel Office Park III
- North Valley I
- Arboretum I
- Arboretum II
Warren Hudson
Facilities Manager