EPA Names Top 25 Energy-Saving Cities

TUESDAY, APRIL 5, 2016


When it comes to embracing the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy efficiency Energy Star program—Washington D.C. leads the pack.

EPA announced its eighth-annual “Top Cities” list, ranking the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas in terms of Energy Star certified commercial buildings.

Top 5 Performers

With 686 certified buildings, the nation’s capital city held onto its lead for the second consecutive year, cutting annual energy costs by $179 million, the agency reports.

Los Angeles came in second with 527 buildings followed by third place San Francisco with 355 buildings.

Atlanta and New York City rounded out the top five, each with more than 300 certified buildings.

"Every year, more cities and buildings are turning to energy efficiency to protect the environment and strengthen their local economies,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “Money saved on energy bills can boost the bottom line and be reinvested. The cities on this list prove energy efficiency saves money, improves our communities today, and helps us build toward a healthy future full of opportunity.”

The Energy-Saving Impact

More than 27,000 buildings across America helped save more than $3.8 billion in energy costs in 2015, EPA said. These buildings also prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the emissions from the annual electricity use of more than 2.6 million homes, EPA said.

To earn EPA’s Energy Star, a commercial building must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide, as verified by a professional engineer or a registered architect. Office buildings, schools, retail stores, supermarkets, hotels and many other building types are eligible to earn the Energy Star certification.

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.

The Complete List

The rankings appear below.

1. Washington, D.C. 686

2. Los Angeles 527

3. San Francisco 355

4. Atlanta 311

5. New York City 303

6. Chicago 281

7. Dallas-Fort Worth 249

8. Houston 231

9. Denver 215

10. Phoenix 190

11. Boston 157

12. Philadelphia 156

13. Minneapolis-St. Paul 131

14. Seattle 122

15. San Diego 120

16. Riverside 118

17. San Jose 114

18. Miami 104

19. Sacramento 103

20. Portland, OR 74

21. Charlotte, NC 71

22. Honolulu, HI 69

23. Virginia Beach 63

24. Indianapolis 57

25. Austin 55

25. Louisville 55

   

Tagged categories: Building envelope; Building Envelope; Emissions; Energy codes; Energy efficiency; Energy Star; Environmental Protection; EPA; Greenhouse gas; North America

Join the Conversation:

Sign in to our community to add your comments.