Battle of the Buildings: Commercial Buildings Compete

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By Emily Catacchio

On May 2, 2011, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the second Energy Star National Building Competition, titled the “Battle of the Buildings,” for 2011. Across the U.S., 245 buildings will compete to achieve the greatest reductions in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Teams from each building will track monthly energy consumption using EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager—an online energy tracking tool (see “Measuring Energy Use in Buildings: Do Our Metrics Really Add Up?” EBN May 2011). Twenty-six building types are represented, including retail, school, hotel, and museum locations; some buildings are more than 100 years old. Twitter and Facebook keep the competitors connected and allow them to share strategies. Competitor profiles and energy saving tips for consumers are available on the competition website. Finalists will be selected in July and required to submit Statements of Energy Performance (SEPs) on utility data. The winner—the building with the largest reduction, by percentage, of weather-normalized EUI (energy use intensity)—will be announced in November.