News Release
The Kansas City metropolitan region emerged among the top 25 metropolitan areas in the country with the most Energy Star certified buildings in 2012.
Kansas City tied for 23rd place with Portland, Ore., and is being recognized for its commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions and save money through energy efficiency.
In all, 82 local buildings met the Energy Star energy efficiency certification.
Fifty-three local schools are Energy Star certified buildings, including schools in Kansas: Olathe (25 schools), Overland Park (5), Kansas City, Kan. (4), Lenexa (2), Shawnee (1), and Leawood (1); and schools in Missouri -- Blue Springs (11), Lee’s Summit (2), and Kearney (2).
Other notable Energy Star certified buildings include the Kansas Speedway and Robert J. Dole U.S. Court House in Kansas City, Kan.; and the Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Court House and the Bolling Federal Building in Kansas City, Mo. Six unrefrigerated warehouses, seven local Target stores, and eight other commercial buildings complete the local list.
These buildings’ owners and managers are cutting greenhouse gas emissions equal to emission from almost 29,000 homes while saving more than $14 million in annual utility bills.
EPA Region 7 has 288 Energy Star certified buildings in its four- state region that includes Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.
These buildings have a combined 1.8 billion British thermal units (kBTU) energy savings, saving more than $31 million in utility costs and emission reductions equivalent to 79,271 passenger vehicles.
“Cities and communities across the region are seeing the important role that their buildings can play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Karl Brooks, Region 7 Administrator. “Through their partnership with EPA, the owners and managers of Energy Star certified buildings are taking action on President Obama’s goal for America: to cut in half the energy wasted by our businesses over the next 20 years.”
The national list is headed by Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Chicago, New York, and Atlanta.
By the end of 2012, the more than 20,000 Energy Star certified buildings in cities across America have helped save more than $2.7 billion in annual utility bills and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual electricity use of more than two million homes.
Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year.
Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide, as verified by a Professional Engineer or a Registered Architect. Energy Star certified buildings use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than average buildings.
Fifteen types of commercial buildings can earn the Energy Star, including office buildings, K-12 schools, and retail stores.
Launched in 1992 by EPA, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Over the past 20 years, with help from Energy Star, American families and businesses have saved about $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products and more than 1.3 million new homes, in addition to the more than 20,000 commercial buildings.
