D.C. Tops Energy Star List

WASHINGTON — The District of Columbia ranks first in the total number of energy-efficient buildings, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It’s the first time in six years that D.C. has knocked Los Angeles out of the top spot.

At the Building Energy Summit on March 25, the EPA released its 2015 list of U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Start certified buildings. The D.C. metropolitan area had 480 buildings earn certifications in 2014, surpassing any other city in the nation. D.C. also leads all cities in the U.S. in the total number of LEED certified projects.

Buildings account for 75 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to Energy Star. To earn Energy Star certification, a building must perform in the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide.

At the summit, EPA Regional Administrator Shawn Garvin presented the District of Columbia with a certificate to commemorate the milestone. Tommy Wells, acting director of the District Department of the Environment, a D.C. agency that passes regulations and incentives based around environmental issues, accepted the award on behalf of the district’s Mayor Muriel Bowser.

“The District of Columbia is proud to be a national leader in energy efficiency and honored to rank highest on EPA’s 2015 Top Cities list,” said Mayor Bowser in a statement. “Investing in our green economy is good for our environment and good for business. We are fully committed to working with our local business leaders to lower energy costs, reduce our carbon footprint and employ residents with good-paying jobs in this rapidly expanding sector.”

D.C. was the first jurisdiction in the country to pass a law requiring large private buildings to annually measure and report their energy and water performance for public disclosure. This measurement, or benchmarking exercise, is done using the online EPA Energy Star Portfolio Manager tool.

During the past few years, D.C. has seen a massive increase in Energy Star certified buildings as a result of the district’s benchmarking law, federal government leasing requirements and private-market pressure for more efficient buildings. The 2014 Energy Star data for buildings 50,000 gross square feet and larger were due on April 1, 2015.
“This achievement is the result of strategic investments made by private sector owners, and both the federal and local governments, to reduce energy usage in the built environment,” Richard Bradley, executive director of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District, said in a statement. “Even deeper value will be found in those investments, through the additional focus on changing occupant behaviors within buildings, which is part of the programs of the recently launched Smarter DC Challenge.”

The Smarter DC Challenge is a program that encourages sustainable actions in and for the workplace.

“Washington, DC’s ranking shows how America’s cities are leading the nation in cutting carbon emissions and fighting climate change,” Jean Lupinacci, chief of the Energy Star commercial and industrial program, said in a statement. “By embracing energy efficiency as a simple and effective pathway to reach their sustainability goals, these cities are demonstrating the tangible benefits that result from simple, cost-effective reductions in energy use.”

2015 Energy Star Top Cities (Number of Energy Star Certified Buildings):

1. Washington, D.C. (480)
2. Los Angeles (475)
3. Atlanta (328)
4. New York (299)
5. San Francisco (292)
6. Chicago (251)
7. Dallas-Fort Worth (248)
8. Houston (235)
9. Denver (195)
10. Boston (176)