The Environmental Protection Agency is now bringing its green act to commercial buildings. To its online energy rating system, Portfolio Manager, which can estimate a building's carbon footprint, it recently added greenhouse gas emissions as a line item. Put in place in 1992 as part of the Energy Star program, this tool gives owners and managers the ability to compare their buildings to those in the surrounding area. Portfolio Manager has already proven useful in helping buildings cut down on energy and water usage by tracking such factors as energy consumption and performance.
According to data compiled by the EPA, the updated ratings show that "Energy Star buildings, which use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings, also emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere." That's amazing when you consider that in New York City alone there are over 400 million square feet of office space. A tool that provides such comprehensive data can help owners understand not only their building’s efficiency but also address how their portfolio of properties affects climate change. This type of standardization will only make for a smarter generation of landlords throughout the country.
But of course there is only one overriding question in business: what does it cost and what can I save? In answer to that, consider this statistic from the EPA: In 2006, with the help of Energy Star, American businesses and consumers "saved $14 billion on their energy bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 25 million vehicles annually."
That's not just a lot of greenhouse gases, but a lot of greenbacks as well.
Comments, Pingbacks:
No Comments/Pingbacks for this post yet...
3.gif&contenttype=gif "youtopia")
