Nov 15 2010
Glenborough, LLC, a San Mateo, CA real estate investment and management company specializing in office properties, is pleased to announce that its 1525 Wilson Boulevard property in Arlington, VA was awarded 4th place in the first-ever EPA National Building Competition.
The competition launched on April 27, 2010, challenging teams from fourteen buildings across the country to measure their energy use and work off the waste with help from EPA's ENERGY STAR program.1525 Wilson Boulevard reduced their energy use by over 2,300,000 kilowatts or 28 percent in just one year, saved over $250,000 on their energy bills, and reduced over 1,200 metric tons of CO2 emissions, equal to the electricity use of 148 homes for a year.
The property reduced their energy use through a combination of energy efficiency strategies, including replacing HVAC and lighting systems and educated tenants on how they too can reduce energy in their workspaces. 1525 Wilson Boulevard led the office building division, improving its ENERGY STAR score from "63" to "97" resulting in a 59% efficiency improvement.
"It was an honor to participate in EPA's first National Building Competition," said Andrew Batinovich, Glenborough's President and CEO. "As an organization we are committed to doing our part to protect the environment, and the ENERGY STAR program helped us rally our employees to make energy efficiency changes in the workplace that will make a big difference over the long term."
Together, the fourteen competitors reduced their energy use by 44 million kBtu, saved more than $950,000 in utility bills, and reduced carbon dioxide emissions equal to the electricity use of nearly 600 homes for a year. The National Building Competition measured energy reductions from September 1, 2009 through August 31, 2010. The energy use of each building was monitored through EPA's ENERGY STAR online energy measurement and tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. The winner is the building with the greatest percentage-based reduction in weather-normalized energy use intensity. Third party utility statements were required at the conclusion of the competition to verify the energy performance of each competitor.
"EPA is pleased to recognize 1525 Wilson Boulevard for their achievements in working off the energy waste as part of the National Building Competition," said Maura Beard, Communications Director for the Commercial Buildings Branch of EPA's ENERGY STAR program. "All fourteen teams are outstanding examples of how energy efficiency is good business and helps Americans fight climate change while saving money on their energy bills."
The winner of EPA's National Building Competition is Morrison Residence Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with an energy reduction of 35.7 percent. The final rankings for EPA's National Building Competition are:
- Morrison Residence Hall at UNC, Chapel Hill, NC (35.7%)
- Sears Glen Burnie, Glen Burnie, MD (31.7%)
- JCPenney, Orange, CA (28.4%)
- 1525 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA (28.0%)
- 522 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY (18.1%)
- Solon Family Health Center, Solon, OH (13.9%)
- Crystal River Elementary School, Carbondale, CO (12.2%)
- Tucker Residence Hall at NC State University, Raleigh, NC (10.3%)
- Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown, San Diego, CA (8.6%)
- Maplewood Mall, Maplewood, MN (6.7%)
- Memorial Arts Building at Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta, GA (5.7%)
- Van Holten Primary School, Bridgewater, NJ (5.3%)
- Sheraton Austin Hotel, Austin, TX (1.9%)
- Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, VA (1.5%)
Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. On average, 30 percent of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted. Glenborough's approach to environmental sustainability begins with a company-wide energy management plan -- in place since 2004 -- that incorporates comprehensive waste management, water conservation, leading edge cost-saving upgrades and best management strategies.
Source: http://www.glenborough.com