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            United States
            Environmental Protection Agency
Air and Radiation
6202J
EPA 430-N-98-009
Fall 1998
 BU I LDI N G S
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                                          Public Leaders
                                          in Ehergy Efficiency
                                          -ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green

                                          Lights State and local government
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                                          Partners generate superior upgrades

                                          through technologies, financing

                                          strategies, and indivNdupBforts.

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                                                                        Lights
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  BUILDINGS
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                                           ENERGY STAR BUILDINGS GOVERNMENT PARTNERS
                                           Upgrading  Buildings  Efficiently
                                           State and local governments in the
                                           United States spend over $ 15 billion
                                           per year on energy to run their office
                                           buildings, public spaces, and street
                                           lighting.  A typical 100,000 square foot
                                           government building spends approxi-
                                           mately $1.50 per square foot in energy
                                           costs, which is 25—30 percent of oper-
                                           ating costs. In many agencies, energy
                                           costs are  the second largest item next
                                           to salaries. Unfortunately, an estimated
                                           $4.5 billion  per year is wasted due to
                                           the use.of inefficient outdated equip-
                                           ment in state and local government
                                           buildings.

                                           In addition to a financial burden,  inef-
                                           ficient energy use can create environ-
                                           mental problems for state and local
                                           governments. The energy produced to
                                           run  government buildings also gener-
                                           ates about 500,000 tons of nitrogen
                                           oxide (NOX) and 134 tons of carbon
                                      in 22 of the 50 states. Energy-
                                      efficiency upgrades in state and local
                                      government buildings alone could
                                      help many states in the East and the
                                      Midwest meet three to five percent of
                                      their reduction goals for nitrogen
                                      oxides. Although these rates are a
                                      small percent of overall goals, these
                                      reductions often amount to thousands
                                      of tons of NOX emissions reductions.
                                      Traded for dollars through the sale of
                                      emissions credits, these reductions
                                      could generate ongoing revenue for
                                      public agencies.
                                      More than 200 state and local govern-
                                      ments are already reducing pollution
                                      and overhead through ENERGY STAR
                                      Buildings and Green Lights. To date,
                                      these public agencies save $36 million
                                      annually and prevent the emissions of
                                      702 million pounds of carbon diox-
                                      ide—the equivalent of eliminating the
dioxide (CO2) — emissions linked to       pollution from 70,200 cars.
urban smog and global climate
change. If all profitable upgrades were
performed in state and local govern-
ment buildings, NOX emissions would
be reduced by 120,000 tons and CO2
would be reduced by 35 million tons.
T     ,.       ^T,.   ... ~  ..
Later this year,  brA will finalize new
         1    ,  ,    ii.
emissions standards to help improve
   , ,.  i   ,.     ,.       r .   r ..
public health and increase air quality
                                                                                Fulton County,
                                                                                Georgia
                                                                                Square footage upgraded: 1 .4 million
                                                                                _      ,  .         ... ,  ,_ .   .,,.
                                                                                Square footage committed: 5.0 million
                                                                                ,        .    .    ,.,.„„„„
                                                                                Annual cost savings: $132,357
                          DOING THEIR SHARE...
                          Government Partners with ENERGY STAR Buildings have made
                          significant contributions to energy saved and pollution prevented.

                          Pollution Prevented Per Year
                            CO2(lbs)               702,019,000
                            SO2 (Ibs)                 6,700,000
                            NOX (Ibs)                 2,700,000
                         Dollars Saved Per Year To Date
                                                  $35,949,600

                         Square Footage Upgraded To Date
                                                  350,700,000
                                      Partner Since: September 1 994
                                      ^^ Before joining ENERGY STAR
                                      S?--"^ Buildings, Fulton County
                                      5^^J upgraded the lighting in 1.4
                                      F«IF«N ciaim million square feet of space
                                      through its Green Lights Partnership.
                                      As a result of its lighting upgrades
                                      alone, the county annually saves
                                      nearly 1 .9 million kilowatt-hours and
                                      prevents the release of more than 2.8
                                      million pounds of carbon dioxide.
                                      The Green Lights partnership also
                                      helped Fulton County initiate its
 Page 2
                    ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update Fall  1998

-------
energy-efficiency upgrades and energy
management plan. Green Lights pro-
vided the county with organizational
suggestions and strategies and helped
prepare it for lighting upgrades. Addi-
tionally, Green Lights provided the
impetus needed for Fulton County to
embark on whole-building upgrades as
an ENERGY STAR Buildings partner. In
fact, the county has recently upgraded
their Justice Center Building, installing
VAV systems and efficient lighting.

Fulton County has worked with
regional EPA representatives to host
Earth Day events as well as Ally Geor-
gia Power. The county assisted the
development of Georgia Power's
"Government  Lighting Program,"
which helps government participants
meet the goals of the Green Lights
partnership.
County of San Diego,
California

Square footage upgraded: 4.9 million
Square footage committed: 5.2 million
Annual cost savings: $1,032,500
Potential: $2,018,182
Partner Since: July 1994
           As part of its approach to
         j  the ENERGY STAR Build-
         •  ings strategy, San Diego
           County identified the
buildings with the highest energy
consumption among its 5,200,000
square feet of county space. The
county selected the highest-use  build-
ings as a starting point and has
already completed all five stages in
one complex of 9 buildings.
Before expanding its commitment to
ENERGY  STAR Buildings, San  Diego
County successfully implemented
Green Lights upgrades. As a result of
its efforts, the county saves more than
10  million kilowatt-hours per year.
San Diego County has also been
working with SDG&E in an innova-
tive financing partnership that bene-
fits both the county and the utility.
San Diego County also plays an active
role in spreading the EPA's energy-
efficiency message. In addition to
other outreach efforts, San Diego
County's implementation director,
Tom DuMont, has agreed to help
write informational articles  on lease
financing to assist other state and
local governments in financing
energy-efficiency upgrades.
City of Tucson,
Arizona

Square footage upgraded: 1.16 million
Square footage committed: 2.5 million
Annual cost savings: $285,270
Potential: $833,645
Partner Since: August 1994

            In 1996, the City of Tuc-
            son became the first city
   '"-'"     in Arizona to join the
            ENERGY  STAR Buildings
Partnership. Tucson's success in the
Green Lights Partnership was a first
critical step in implementing whole
building upgrades. Although com-
pleted in approximately 50  percent of
its 2.5 million square feet, the city's
energy-efficient lighting upgrades have
already reduced its energy demand by
more than 900 kilowatts. This reduc-
tion translates into an almost 3 mil-
lion kilowatt hours and $280,000
savings each year. Within the next
year, the city expects its cost savings of
$0.24  per square foot to be enhanced
through their participation  in EPA's
light-logger outreach program.

In accordance with ENERGY STAR
Buildings staged approach,  the City of
Tucson continues its focus on energy-
efficient lighting opportunities. It
expects to complete its Green Lights
upgrades by the end  of the  summer.
 FNFRGY STAR Buildinas & Green Liahts Update Fall 1998
                                                                        Page 3

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 BUILDINGS
                                            City of Greensboro,
                                            North Carolina
                                            Square footage committed: 3.1 million
                                            Annual cost savings: to be determined
                                            Potential: $409,500
                                            Partner Since: May 1997
                                                     Although an ENERGY STAR
                                                     Buildings Partner for less
                                                 f.  than a year, the City of
                                            GREENSBORO
         Greensboro plans on follow-
ing the five-stage approach to deal
with dual duct HVAC systems, elec-
tric reheat, and uneven lighting in its
older facilities. Because indoor air
quality (IAQ) is often an issue in older
facilities, Greensboro will also use
ENERGY STAR Buildings to improve
the building ventilation systems, as
well as overall working conditions and
energy management. Because of its
high-energy usage, the city chose the
Melvin Office Building as its pilot
project. The 4-story building includes
not only city administrative offices,
but also a police station, requiring
high energy demands 24 hours a day.
Although the city's electric rates are
currently low,  Greensboro plans to
use the ENERGY STAR Buildings strat-
egy to monitor their energy  use and
benchmark its performance. In addi-
tion to becoming more energy-
efficient, the city plans to use this
information to prepare for deregula-
tion and uncertain energy rates.
City of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania

Square footage upgraded: 1.8 million
Square footage committed: 11.0 million
Annual  cost savings: $241,620
Potential: $1,429,354
Partner Since: March 1994
           The City of Philadelphia
-  ^  ,",  {•    recently gave its Municipal
   * ' - '*'   Energy Office the financ-
           ing and the authority to
begin whole-building energy-efficiency
upgrades. Although projects are coor-
dinated within individual depart-
ments, this particular city office holds
responsibility and streamlines the
implementation  of ENERGY STAR
Buildings. Efficient planning, such as
this, helped the city gain recognition
as an EPA Green Lights Partner of the
Year in  1996.

Currently, Philadelphia is in the plan-
ning stages of their pilot project,
which involves the conversion of an
abandoned school into a police train-
ing facility. Along with the renova-
tion, the city is considering solar
roofing and water heating as addi-
tional energy-saving options on this
project. Across the city, Philadelphia
is also implementing energy-efficiency
strategies. Philadelphia is in the
process of upgrading all its traffic sig-
nals to LED, as well planning to pur-
chase ENERGY STAR office equipment
to help reduce plug loads.
                                                                                   City of Houston,
                                                                                   Texas

                                                                                   Square footage upgraded: 2.18 million
                                                                                   Square footage committed: 9.42 million
                                                                                   Annual cost savings: $334,953
                                                                                   Potential: $1,637,722
                                                                                   Partner Since: December 1991
                                                                                              Through the ENERGY STAR
                                                                                              Buildings Partnership,
                                                                                              Houston plans to use
                                                                                              EPA's support as a means
                                                                                   of initiating a city-wide directive to
                                                                                   implement energy-efficiency projects.
                                                                                   Houston has already performed sur-
                                                                                   veys of the entire city to locate poten-
                                                                                   tial energy upgrades. With  the
                                                                                   assistance and resources available
                                                                                   through ENERGY STAR Buildings,
                                                                                   Houston plans to begin upgrading
                                                                                   their pilot building in the near future.
                                                                                   As a result of its Green Lights
                                                                                   upgrades, Houston  annually saves
Page 4
                     ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update  Fall 1998

-------
more than 5 million kilowatt-hours
and prevents the release of more than
8.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide
(C02).

Last year, the City of Houston held
an event to celebrate their progress in
the EPA's voluntary partnership. At
the event, Mayor Bob Lanier issued a
challenge to local companies and
encouraged them to join the city's
successful efforts to save energy and
prevent pollution.
Montgomery County,
Maryland

Square footage upgraded: 2.5 million
Square footage committed: 2.8 million
Annual cost savings: $360,111
Potential: $718,500
Partner Since: July 1993
           Montgomery County,
           Maryland was a pioneer
           in energy efficiency, par-
           ticipating in the ENERGY
STAR Showcase Building program.
The county has created a "revolving
fund" to account for cost savings
through energy efficiency. As a result,
money saved through energy upgrades
can be directly used to fund addi-
tional upgrades in the future.
In addition to hosting EPA work-
shops, Montgomery County has
worked  to educate others about the
benefits of energy efficiency. Because
Montgomery County has been able to
apply the lessons learned through
upgrades in existing facilities, newly
constructed buildings, such as the
Upcounty Government Center serve
as models of energy efficiency. The
building is now Montgomery's most
inexpensive county building to oper-
ate, with an  annual energy cost of
only $1.00 per square foot.
State of
Maine
Square footage upgraded: 2.14 million
Square footage committed: 7 million
Annual cost savings: $440,000
Potential: $1,700,000
Partner Since:  May 1992
         Within the State of Maine,
         the Department of Admin-
         istrative and Financial Ser-
         vices has developed and
adopted open Request For Proposal
(RFP) language that incorporates the
ENERGY STAR Buildings strategy. This
language and associated procedures
are used to obtain comprehensive
energy-savings services for State build-
ings, from audits through design,
selection, and installation of equip-
ment, to performance measurement
and verification protocols. The RFP
language specifies that feasible
upgrades from Stages 1 through 4
must be implemented so that heating
and cooling loads are reduced before
major Stage 5 HVAC equipment
upgrades are proposed.
Maine's Department of Administra-
tion and Financial  Services is cur-
rently in the process of using this
system to perform whole-building
upgrades for two facilities:  the
438,000  square foot Augusta Mental
Health Complex in Augusta and the
approximately 60,000 square foot
Maine Youth Center in South Port-
land.  Both facilities have been audited
and upgrade designs have been pre-
pared. For the Augusta Mental Health
Complex, an  upgrade contractor has
been selected and a contract is ready
to be  let.
     .«*».


«<$"' '-^ 'is  "**

?****•

ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update Fall 1998
                                                                       Page 5

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                                          FINANCING UPGRADES IN GOVERNMENT FACILITIES
                                          In   Focus:  Municipal  Leasing

                                          Although energy efficiency benefits all
                                          organizations by lowering operating
                                          costs and improving the workplace
                                          environment, government agencies
                                          face special challenges acquiring
                                          financing for energy upgrade projects.
                                          Internal funds for discretionary pro-
                                          jects are extremely scarce, and funding
                                          basic services takes precedence over
                                          paying for a new boiler or chiller for
                                          City Hall. Fortunately, there is a
                                          unique financing vehicle available to
                                          public entities for financing energy-
                                          efficiency upgrades that is both afford-
                                          able and effective.
                                          Municipal lease-purchase agreements
                                          offer state and local government agen-
                                          cies flexibility and low, tax-exempt
                                          interest rates. Schools, hospitals and
                                          certain private nonprofit organizations
                                          can also tap this vehicle. Some of the
                                          specific advantages of lease-purchase
                                          agreements include:

                                          • Unlike a general obligation bond
                                             or a loan, lease payments are not
                                             considered to be debt, and thus
                                             can be kept off the balance sheet.
                                             This allows the public agency to
                                             finance its upgrades without tap-
                                             ping internal funds or increasing
                                             debt burdens.

                                          • Lease-purchase agreements typi-
                                             cally provide a faster, easier source
                                             of financing since there is no need
                                             for capital appropriations. Instead,
                                             payments can be  made through the
                                             annual operating budget, which
                                             eases the yearly budgeting process.

                                          • Unlike bonds, lease-purchase agree-
                                             ments do not require the time-con-
                                             suming and  politically difficult
                                             process of voter referenda. This
                                             saves time in comparison to raising
                                             sufficient public support to pass
                                             bond issues. Further, a lease per-
                     mits flexibility and choice in select-
                     ing, acquiring, and using the
                     equipment and is suitable for large
                     and small projects. While high
                     transaction costs make bonds unat-
                     tractive for financing small pro-
                     jects, leases have much lower
                     administrative costs. Additionally,
                     several smaller projects can be
                     combined under a master-lease,
                     reducing administrative costs even
                     further.

                  • Leases can be structured so that the
                     savings stream generated by the
                     building upgrades is used to cover
                     the lease payments. Considering
                     that ENERGY STAR Buildings and
                     Green Lights participants can
                     achieve a 30 percent savings in
                     energy costs, the savings stream
                     may be large enough that a portion
                     is used to cover monthly lease pay-
                     ments while the remaining amount
                     provides immediate positive cash-
                     flow to the partner.

                  Several ENERGY STAR Buildings and
                  Green Lights participants have success-
                  fully used municipal leasing to help
                  fund their energy-efficiency upgrades.
                  For example, the City of Cambridge,
                  Massachusetts, is rapidly upgrading its
                  area public schools through a combi-
                  nation of electric utility incentives and
                  a ten-year municipal lease.  Energy bill
                  savings will pay back $2.3 million of
                  the investment, while the local utility
                  is assisting with the remaining $1.3
                  million. Cambridge has completed
                  lighting,  HVAC, and other upgrades
                  to 99 percent of one high school and
                  90 percent of an elementary school so
                  far, which has produced savings of 4.4
                  million kilowatt-hours and totals
                  $400,000 annually. To achieve these
                  impressive savings, Cambridge used
                                    continued on page 7
Page 6
ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update  Fall 1998

-------
continued from page 6
savings from its lighting upgrades to fund larger-
ticket items, as recommended under the ENERGY
STAR Buildings Upgrade Strategy.

In 1985, the State of Iowa began to encourage
state agencies to become more energy efficient by
permitting them to enter into leasing arrange-
ments. The state offers two options; one uses
proceeds from a $12.2 million bond for leasing
energy management improvements, and the
other funds energy-efficiency upgrades for
schools, hospitals, and local governments
through a master lease facility arrangement with
a private investment banking corporation. Now
an ENERGY STAR Buildings Partner, Iowa hopes
to continue its successes in upgrading its 35.5
million square feet, and is looking for EPA's help
to encourage state universities to upgrade, pro-
vide communications support, and assist with
technical training for facilities managers.
Upgrades in Iowa's facilities currently save the
state $6.2 million annually and also prevent
more than 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide emis-
sions each year.
Kanawha County Schools, in West Virginia,
recently committed to a ten-year lease purchase
agreement to fund energy-efficiency upgrades to
its 4.4 million square feet. The school district,
an ENERGY STAR Buildings Partner, will be
working with the Green Lights Manufacturer
Ally Johnson Controls to upgrade its 89 build-
ings on a pay-as-you-go approach. Looking
ahead, Kanawha plans to reinvest its energy cost
savings into additional energy-efficiency
upgrades once the lease agreement concludes.
Many other ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green
Lights partners are also finding success with
municipal lease  purchase financing. As state and
local governments increasingly seek to cut over-
head costs and pollution by investing in energy
efficiency, the role of lease-purchase financing
will become ever more important. Given the
limited availability of internal funds and the
high transaction costs associated with bonds,
municipal lease  purchase financing provides a
solution that is truly one of the public sectors
best advantages.


NEW RESOURCE FOR PARTICIPANTS
EPA  Launches  New Tool
                                                                                             j -f;;
ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green Lights participants can
now take advantage of a new resource, Building Tools. This
catalog contains descriptions of all of the tools available
through ENERGY STAR Buildings, including a wide array of
publications, staff support, and software.
The catalog is organized to highlight the resources best
suited at every building upgrade stage. It also contains use-
ful information on tools available to plan upgrades and
communicate success. Participants can receive these materi-
als through the Building Tools order form or use its web
addresses to locate resources online.
Building Tools was mailed to participants at the end of
July. For more information on this publication, please call
your account manager or  the ENERGY STAR Hotline at
1-888-STARYES (1-888-782-7937).
ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update  Fall 1998
                                                            Page 7

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                                                                                                             m
                                                                         0*,t'rt*Z
                                                                         :>;:>'l&,
     HELPING TO PROTECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE
     General  Myths  of  Lighting  Upgrades
     The technical side of lighting upgrades
     can be confusing and misinformation
     can cost an organization a substantial
     amount of money. This article will
     explain some common misconcep-
     tions in retrofitting.
     Myth  1
     For most facilities, T8 lamps
     and electronic ballasts are all
     that is required for effective
     energy-efficient lighting
     upgrades.

     FACT! T8 lamps and electronic bal-
     last will save a significant amount of
     energy in comparison to 40-watt and
     34-watt T12 lamps and magnetic bal-
     lasts. However, other strategies and
     technologies exist that can double the
     amount of energy savings beyond that
     of a simple T8 lamp/electronic ballast
     retrofit. Complete lighting upgrades
     maximize energy savings if they con-
     sider three principles—target light
     levels, efficient technologies, and
     controls.

     Target Light Levels: The industry rec-
     ommended average light level for
     offices is 50 foot-candles. However,
     the lighting in most facilities was
     originally designed for 70 to 100
          foot-candles, and therefore are over
          lighted for today's office tasks. By
          reducing light levels to meet the
          appropriate footcandle recommenda-
          tion, energy savings can be propor-
          tionately increased. (Note target light
          levels will vary from space to space.)


          Efficient Technologies: T8 lamps and
          electronic ballasts are good first steps
          to save a lot of energy. When specify-
          ing electronic ballasts, selection of the
          right ballast factor is essential to meet
          specific light level requirements. In
          many upgrades, low-power electronic
          ballasts can be used to reduce light
          levels to the appropriate target. Other
          energy-saving opportunities include
          using higher color rendering lamps
          that are more efficacious, installing
          specular reflectors to offset light loss
          attributed to delamping, and upgrad-
          ing the luminaries.


          Controls: Facilities not only pay for the
          watts used, but also the hours the
          lights are on (kWh). Occupancy sen-
          sors and scheduling controls can sig-
          nificantly reduce the hours the lights
          are on when the space is unoccupied.
          Daylight dimming controls for atriums
          lobbies, corridors, or any space with a
          considerable amount of daylight can
          also contribute to energy savings.
                           Myth  2
                           There are no upgrade opportu-
                           nities for metal halide and
                           high-pressure sodium systems.

                           FACT!  The pulse start metal halide
                           (MH) is a new type of MH lamp/bal-
                           last system that not only saves energy
                           but also improves lighting quality.
                           Compared to standard MH lamps,
                           pulse start MH lamps use up to 20
                           percent less energy, improve color sta-
                           bility,  and have a shorter restrike
                           time. These lamps require a special
                           ballast, such as a SuperCWA,
                           Regulated Lag, or Linear Reactor bal-
                           last. The most energy-efficient pulse-
                           start system designed to replace a
                           400-watt universal MH lamp (460
                           system watt) will use a total of only
                           375 watts and provide approximately
                           the same light output.
                           "Energy-saver" MH and high-pressure
                           sodium (HPS) lamps offer additional
                           opportunities. Energy-saver MH
                           lamps are available in  a variety of
                           lamps, such as 150-watt lamps to
                           replace 175-watt lamps, 225-watt to
                           replace 250-watt lamps, and 360-watt
                           to replace 400-watt lamps. Energy-
                           saver HPS lamps are available in 225-
                           watt to replace 250-watt lamps and
                           360-watt to replace 400-watt lamps.
                           Energy-saver lamps can operate on
                           the same ballast, so no labor or mate-
                           rial costs will be incurred for a new
                           ballast. Energy-saver lamps reduce
                           energy consumption up to 18 per-
                           cent; however, there is usually a corre-
                           sponding reduction in light output. If
                           this reduction in light level is accept-
                           able, consider using energy-saver MH
                           and HPS lamps.
            Meet target light levels
Efficiently produce and
deliver light
Automatically control
lighting operation
Page 8
                             ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update Fall 1998

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HELPING PARTICIPANTS COMMUNICATE THEIR SUCCESS
New  Communications  Starter  Kit
ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green
Lights participants benefit from
upgrading their facilities in many
ways: lower energy costs, an improved
workspace, and enhanced environ-
mental performance. By communicat-
ing their commitment to energy
efficiency and the environment, par-
ticipants can take advantage of
increased awareness among customers
and staff.

EPA has redesigned a tool  to help
participants communicate  their suc-
cess in ENERGY STAR Buildings and
Green Lights: The ENERGY STAR
Communications Starter Kit. The
Starter Kit is designed as a resource
for all team players of an organiza-
tion, including facility managers, pub-
lic relations staff, executives, and
human resources. The kit provides
key messages and tools to assist orga-
nizations in effectively communicat-
ing their achievements.
In addition to outlining a comprehen-
sive communications strategy, the kit
includes electronic copies of the
ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green
Lights logos, sample newsletter arti-
cles, brochures, press releases, and
examples of past successful communi-
cations efforts. Regardless of an orga-
nization's stage in the  partnership,
The Starter Kit can help promote
environmental leadership through
energy efficiency.

To order The ENERGY STAR Com-
munications Starter Kit, please con-
tact your account manager, or call
the ENERGY STAR Hotline at
1-888-STARYES (1-888-782-7937).
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
 1 999  Partner  and Ally of the Year Award
Each year, EPA recognizes businesses
and organizations that have made
great strides in their efforts to reduce
energy use and help prevent pollution
with the ENERGY STAR Buildings and
Green Lights Partner and Ally of the
Year Awards. Award winners are
selected based on their outstanding
performance in upgrading buildings
with energy-efficient technologies,
communicating the benefits of energy
efficiency, and recruiting others to
join the partnership.

By entering the Partner and Ally of
the Year contest, you too can be an
environmental leader and join the
prestigious group of former award-
winners such as Bank of America, the
City and County of Denver, Compaq
Computer Corporation, Davenport
Community School District, McDon-
ald's, Philips Lighting, St. Joseph
Hospital, and The Trane Company. In
the past, winners have been featured
in national, local, and trade magazines
including Business Week, Fortune,
Forbes, and Industry Week.

It is not too late to enter your
organization in the Partner and Ally
of the Year contest. The deadline to
submit upgrade reports and com-
pleted applications has been extended
to December 31, 1998. For more
information contact your ENERGY
STAR Buildings or Green Lights
account manager.
ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update  Fall 1998
                                                                 Page 9

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 BUILDINGS
                                          PREVENTING GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE
                                         The  Role  of  ENERGY  STAR  Buildings
                                          We use energy from burning coal, oil,
                                          and natural gas to heat and cool our
                                          buildings, power our cars, and illumi-
                                          nate our cities. This process also pro-
                                          duces carbon dioxide (CO2) and
                                          other greenhouse gases as by-products.
                                          Although a certain amount of green-
                                          house gases in the atmosphere natu-
                                          rally maintains our current global
                                          climate, we are now disrupting that
                                          balance by emitting greenhouse gases
                                          to the atmosphere faster than natural
                                          processes can remove them.
                                          Records of past climates and com-
                                          puter simulations confirm that  the
                                          concentration of greenhouse gases in
                                          the atmosphere correlates closely with
                                          average global temperatures: whenever
                                          the concentration of greenhouse gases
                                          rise, so  do the average global tempera-
                                          ture. Changes in our current climate
                                          may already be underway, according
                                          to the Intergovernmental Panel on
                                          Climate Change (IPPC), a group of
                                          more than 2,000 of the world's lead-
                                          ing climate scientists. The IPCC con-
                                          cluded  in its  1995 report that Earth
                                          has warmed about  1 ° F over the last
                                          century, and  "the balance of evidence
                                          suggests that there is a discernible
                                          human influence on global climate."
                                          The IPCC's "best guess" of future cli-
                                          mate change  is that we will experience
                                          warming of about 3.5° F by 2100,
                                          which would be a faster  rate of cli-
                                          mate change  than any experienced
                                          during the last 10,000 years. Warming
                                          of this magnitude will affect many
                                          aspects  of the global climate, includ-
                                          ing changing temperature and precip-
                                          itation patterns, raising sea levels, and
                                          altering the distribution of fresh
                                          water. These  changes will likely have
                                          significant impacts on our  health, the
                                          vitality  of our forests and other nat-
                                          ural areas, and our agricultural  pro-
                                          ductivity. As  the risks of global
                  climate change become increasingly
                  apparent, there is a genuine need to
                  focus on actions to reduce our green-
                  house gas emissions and minimize the
                  adverse impacts of a changing climate.

                  There are a wide variety of contribu-
                  tors to greenhouse gas emissions, some
                  natural and some man-made. Of all
                  the human-based sources of green-
                  house gases, carbon dioxide is the most
                  common. Since our largest contribu-
                  tion of carbon emissions derives from
                  fossil fuel energy production, reducing
                  our energy use will help lower our
                  greenhouse gas emissions and help
                  lessen the risk of climate change. By
                  investing in energy-efficiency technolo-
                  gies available today we can decrease
                  our energy use while at the same time
                  save money on our energy bills and
                  make our buildings more comfortable.
                  The energy to run commercial and
                  industrial buildings produces 19 per-
                  cent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions
                  and costs $110 billion a year. Partici-
                  pants in the ENERGY STAR Buildings
                  and Green Lights® Partnership have
                  found that following the ENERGY STAR
                  Buildings upgrade approach can
                  reduce their buildings' energy use by
                  up to  30 percent. The combined
                  results of participants is impressive;
                  through September 1998, the volun-
                  tary efforts of the more than 2,700
                  participants in the Partnership have
                  prevented the release of 34.2 billion
                  pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
                  This is equivalent to eliminating the
                  emissions from more than 3.4 million
                  cars. If all U.S. businesses and organi-
                  zations followed the ENERGY STAR
                  Buildings upgrade approach, together
                  they could help prevent up to 35 per-
                  cent of the carbon dioxide emissions
                  associated with running their build-
                  ings and cut  the nation's energy bill by
                  up to  $25 billion each year.
Page 10
ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update Fall 1998

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RECOGNIZING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ALLIES
1998  Ally  Challenge?
The ENERGY STAR Buildings and
Green Lights Partnership is offering
Allies a new business opportunity to
enhance visibility and gain recogni-
tion, the Ally Challenge.

What is the Ally Challenge?
EPA created the Ally Challenge to
recognize and reward ENERGY STAR
Buildings and Green Lights Allies for
their dedication to providing high-
quality energy-efficiency products
and services, and for their overall
commitment to energy efficiency.
This incentive-driven opportunity
will help Allies  demonstrate their
leadership in the energy industry, and
promote understanding of the proven
ENERGY STAR Buildings strategy.

How does it work?
All ENERGY STAR Buildings and
Green Lights Allies  who recruit new
ENERGY STAR Buildings Partners and
Allies through December 31, 1998
will accumulate points toward recog-
nition at the Gold, Silver, or Bronze
levels. Both companies and individ-
uals may participate. Throughout
the Ally Challenge, the Ally Services
and Products (ASAP) Directory
(www.epa.gov/asap) will display run-
ning point totals. In addition to
recognition on the ASAP Directory,
participants in the Ally Challenge
may be awarded with certificates,
promotional materials, and other
support.  Participants may also
include this work in their 1999 Part-
ner of the Year application.

For more information on how to
participate in the Ally Challenge,
please contact your account manager,
or the ENERGY STAR Hotline at
1-888-STARYES (1-888-782-7937).
                                                  HR
;*!
COMMUNICATING ENERGY STAR BUILDINGS
The New Identity  Campaign
ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green
Lights is designed to bring together
industry and government to work
toward a common goal: pollution pre-
vention at a profit. In order to help
support and achieve this goal, the
ENERGY STAR Buildings and Green
Lights Partnership recently redesigned
the graphic style and format of the
Update and other publications.

By using images of buildings, the
environment, and various industries,
the new identity campaign will rein-
force and stress both the financial and
pollution prevention impacts of sav-
ing energy. The use of the new cam-
paign will not only help ENERGY STAR
Buildings and Green Lights reach
diverse audiences, but also build
recognition for the partnership.

Participants are encouraged to forward
feedback on the new style and content
of the ENERGY STAR Buildings and
Green Lights Update. Additionally,
EPA encourages its participants to
share stories of success and submit
articles related to energy efficiency.
Please forward feedback and materials
to: Update Editor, 401 M Street, SW,
(6202J), Washington DC 20460; or
fax to (202) 565-2083; or email to
smith.christie@epamail.epa.gov.
ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green Lights Update Fall 1998
                                                             Page 11

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The ENERGY STAR Buildings & Green
Lights Update is a free quarterly publi-
cation Wtth a circulation of more than
55,000. Because the Update is circu-
lated not only to ENERGY STAR Buildings
and Green Lights participants but also
interested members of the  general
public, receipt of this publication is not
an indication that your organization is
a participant. To add your name to the
subscription list or to find out how to
join the partnership, please call the
toll-free  ENERGY STAR  Hotline  at
1-888-STAR YES (1-888-782-7937).
The Update encourages participants
to submit articles  of interest  and
provide input  on  past  and  future
issues. Although the publication of
submissions is not guaranteed,
please forward materials and feed-
back to: Update Editor, 401 M Street,
SW, (6202J), Washington, DC 20460;
or fax to (202) 505-2083; or email to
smith.christie@epamail.epa.gov
            yctable
            ased inks
Online
Information about the
ENERGY STAR Buildings
and Green Lights Partnership
and other ENERGY STAR
programs are available online.


ENERGY STAR Buildings
and Green Lights

www.epa.gov/buildings

ENERGY STAR® Program
www. epa. gov/energystar

ENERGY STAR Small Business81*"
www.epa.gov/smallbiz

Update home page
www.epa.gov/appdstar/news
                                                                                                    o
                                                                                                      WGreen
                                                                                                      » Lights
                                                                                                     an ENERGY STAR program
                                                                        r
Workshops
Building Business Workshops
Ally workshop on ENERGY STAR Buildings
tools and strategies to improve business
and alliances.

December 3    Houston, TX

Building Momentum Workshops
Non-technical, executive level workshop
helping partnesp develop and  implement
their energy strategies.

December 10   Baltimore, MD
To register, or for more information,
please call the Hotline at 1 -888-STAR YES
(1 -888-782-7937).
    &EPA
    United States
    Environmental Protection Agency
    (6202J)
    Washington, DC 20460

    Official Business
    Penalty for Private Use
    $300
                                                    BULK RATE

                                               Postage and Fees Paid

                                                         EPA

                                                        G-35

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