[Source: Phoenix Business Journal] — Phoenix ranked 22nd among U.S. cities for the number of buildings that received the Energy Star designation in 2008. The metro area had 39 buildings covering 7.3 million square feet that meet the energy efficiency standard last year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Those efficiencies translate to $7 million in annual savings and the equivalent of electricity used by 6,900 households annually.
Los Angeles was No. 1 with 262 structures covering 73.9 million square feet. That translates to $87.2 million in energy cost savings and 35,800 households, the EPA said. Rounding out the top five were San Francisco, Houston, Washington, and Dallas. “Energy Star buildings typically use 35 percent less energy and emit 35 percent less greenhouse gases than average buildings,” EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said in a statement. “EPA commends all of these cities and all of the others, as well as countless individuals, who are now using more energy efficient appliances and dwellings. They are saving energy, saving money and protecting our environment.”
Overall, Arizona has 93 buildings with Energy Star designations. Those include 13 Marriott locations, five Bashas’ stores and Renaissance Square, Collier Center, One North Central tower, Wells Fargo Plaza, and Phoenix Federal Courthouse in downtown Phoenix. [Note: To read the full article, click here.]
Downtown Voices Coalition 