EPA Names DC and Philadelphia among top 25 Large Cities for ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings in 2021
Cities cutting energy costs while increasing efficiency, reducing emissions
EPA Names DC and Philadelphia among top 25 Large Cities for ENERGY STAR Certified Buildings in 2021
Cities cutting energy costs while increasing efficiency, reducing emissions
PHILADELPHIA (June 16, 2021) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today that the Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia metropolitan areas have made EPA’s annual “Top Cities” list, spotlighting the cities with the greatest number of ENERGY STAR certified commercial and multifamily buildings last year.
Commercial buildings are responsible for 18 percent of the nation’s energy use and cost more than $190 billion per year in energy bills. ENERGY STAR certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent less carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings.
“If we are going to confront the existential threat of climate change, we need to build on the leadership of our most energy efficient cities,” said Acting EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Diana Esher. “We applaud the thousands of industrial, commercial, utility, state, and local organizations who create jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and deliver cost-saving solutions through the ENERGY STAR partnership.”
The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, which includes Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia, area ranked second on the list with 550 ENERGY STAR certified buildings resulting in more than $165 million in cost-savings, emission reductions equivalent to taking more than 115,000 passenger vehicles off the road, and enough electricity saved to power nearly 100,000 homes for a year.
The Philadelphia metropolitan area which also includes Camden, New Jersey, and Wilmington, Delaware, came in at number 20 among large cities nationally with 87 ENERGY STAR certified buildings, resulting in nearly $20 million in cost savings, emission reductions equivalent to taking more than 17,500 passenger vehicles off the road, and enough electricity saved to power nearly 15,000 homes for a year.
To create the annual list, EPA tallies the number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings within each metropolitan area, as defined by the U.S. Census. Across the country, nearly 6,500 commercial buildings earned the ENERGY STAR last year.
As of the end of 2020, over the lifetime of the program more than 37,000 buildings across America had earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification. Together, these buildings have saved more than $5 billion on energy bills and prevented nearly 22 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions—equal to the annual emissions of more than 2.6 million homes.
To earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR, a commercial building must earn an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher on EPA’s 1 – 100 scale, indicating that it is more energy efficient than 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. When calculating a building’s ENERGY STAR score, ENERGY STAR considers multiple factors, including hours of operation, energy use and occupancy. This means that, despite buildings operating differently during the COVID pandemic, ENERGY STAR scores and certification still reflect actual, measured energy efficiency.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, providing simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions. Together, since 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped American families and businesses save 5 trillion kilowatt-hours of electricity, avoid more than $450 billion in energy costs, and achieve 4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas reductions, all through voluntary action. Learn more about ENERGY STAR at energystar.gov/about.
More on ENERGY STAR Top Cities, including the 2021 ranking of top small and mid-sized cities, as well as last year’s rankings: www.energystar.gov/topcities.
Search for ENERGY STAR certified buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildinglocator.
More about earning the ENERGY STAR certification for commercial buildings: www.energystar.gov/buildingcertification.