The city of Denver earned a No. 7 ranking by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency among metropolitan cities who had the most energy efficient buildings last year.
The city has 109 ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings, resulting in annual cost savings of $32.9 million. The emissions savings is equivalent to the electricity used by 44,600 households.
“The city is committed to reducing energy use wherever possible,” said Mayor John Hickenlooper. “It is rewarding to see so many Denver buildings on the EPA’s list. We are working hard to encourage green construction and find ways to better the environment.”
An ENERGY STAR-qualified facility meets strict energy performance standards set by the EPA and uses less energy, is less expensive to operate and causes fewer greenhouse gas emissions than its peers.
Green building is one of the 10 identified project areas outlined in the Mayor’s Climate Action Plan, helping Denver reduce carbon emissions 25 percent by 2020. Other green building efforts underway:
- Denver Executive Order requiring all municipal construction to reach LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver certified or equivalent – this applies to all infrastructure bond projects currently underway.
- Webb Building is LEED Gold certified.
- New Justice Center will be LEED Silver certified.
- Denver affordable housing policy requires all new city-sponsored affordable housing projects reach Enterprise Green Communities standards, an equivalent to LEED.
For more than a decade, the EPA has worked with businesses and organizations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through strategic energy management practices. To qualify for the ENERGY STAR, a building or manufacturing plant must score in the top 25 percent based on EPA’s National Energy Performance Rating System. To determine the performance of a facility, EPA compares energy use among other, similar types of facilities on a scale of 1-100; buildings that achieve a score of 75 or higher may be eligible for the ENERGY STAR. The EPA rating system accounts for differences in operating conditions, regional weather data, and other important considerations.
Los Angeles earned the top spot on the list of 25 cities, with a total of 262 ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings. These buildings reported cost savings of $87.2 million and emissions savings equivalent to the electricity use of 35,800 households.
In 2008, more than 3,300 commercial buildings and manufacturing plants earned the ENERGY STAR, 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 cities in the Top 10 are:
| 1. Los Angeles |
6. Chicago |
| 2. San Francisco |
7. Denver |
| 3. Houston |
8. Minneapolis-St. Paul |
| 4. Washington, D.C. |
9. Atlanta |
| 5. Dallas-Fort Worth |
10. Seattle |
More information: