Featured Activity: ENERGY STAR National Building Competition

Last month, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released the 2013 Wrap-Up Report on Trends & Best Practices, detailing results from the 2013 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition. The annual competition pits thousands of buildings of all shapes and sizes against each other to see who can reduce their energy use the most over a one-year performance period (Jan 1, 2013-Dec 31, 2013).

And the 2013 winner was? Claiborne Elementary School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school was named EPA’s #1 Top Performer and Top in Category (Education) after achieving a 45.9% reduction in energy use intensity over the 1-year competition period. Claiborne Elementary, however, wasn’t the only winner – EPA reports that, all told, participating buildings reduced their energy use by more than 900 million kBtus, representing an estimated savings of $20 million in energy costs. This is the second year in a row that an elementary school won the competition, with Demarest Elementary in Bloomfield, NJ taking home top honors in 2012.

Read the Wrap-Up Report for more information on the strategies and technologies used to achieve these impressive energy savings.