ENERGY STAR Building Ratings Change Offers Opportunity for Energy-saving Solar Film Installation Projects
ENERGY STAR is a voluntary U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA] program started in 1999 that delivers environmental benefits and financial value through superior energy efficiency. Through ENERGY STAR, EPA partners with businesses and public-sector organizations to transform the way that commercial buildings and industrial plants use energy. In its 20 years, the ENERGY STAR program has helped building and industrial plant owners save more than $192 billion in energy costs.
Currently, thousands of facility owners and managers—including 60 percent of the Fortune 100 companies—use ENERGY STAR tools and resources to help them assess their energy performance, improve their efficiency, save money and earn recognition.
ENERGY STAR Participants
Tens of thousands of buildings and plants have earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR since 1999. That means they’ve been verified to perform among the top 25 percent of similar buildings nationwide. On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings use 35 percent less energy and generate 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than their peers.
Numerous independent studies have shown that ENERGY STAR certified buildings have lower operating costs, command higher rental rates, and have increased asset value. .
ENERGY STAR Benefits
The average building wastes about a third of the energy it uses. That’s why good energy management is good business. By capturing these inefficiencies, you can reduce your energy costs. And by reducing the amount of energy you use, you prevent greenhouse gases from being emitted at power plants, which helps create a cleaner, healthier environment.
ENERGY STAR Ratings System
In August 2018, EPA updated performance metrics for buildings in ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® based on the most recent market data available. If you’re a building owners and benchmark one or more properties in Portfolio Manager, your buildings’ 1–100 ENERGY STAR scores and other source energy metrics were updated across all time periods to reflect the latest performance metrics.
The reason for the change is that the data that established ENGERY STAR benchmarks was 15 years old. In that time, building performances have dramatically changed. The upgrade in benchmark is intended to raise the bar of building efficiencies even higher.
As a result, a number of building owners are seeking new ways to improve their building’s energy efficiency. One option a number of building owners are looking at is the installation of solar control window film. These films have been popular energy savers going back to the 70s and have played a continuous and steady role in energy conservation and sun control in buildings since then. Studies have shown that investing in sun control film will show an eventual payback of the investment.
Building owners seeking to keep pace with the new ENERGY STAR benchmark should consider contacting an experienced and reputable solar control window film installer for more detailed information on how they can upgrade the energy efficiency of their building.
ENERGY STAR Financing
Postponing the installation of energy-saving equipment can be an expensive decision. Use ENERGY STAR tools and resources to calculate the impacts of energy efficiency investments.
Don’t forget to look for rebates and incentives before you begin. You might be able to broaden the scope of your project with help from your local utility or other organizations.
And, if you’re in the public sector, you have access to some additional options to finance your energy efficiency projects. Learn how to capture wasted energy dollars with performance contracting and tax-exempt lease purchase agreements.
ENERGY STAR Facts
- The ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings helped businesses and organizations save nearly $10 billion in energy costs in 2016, contributing to cumulative energy cost savings of over $150 billion since 1992.1
- In 2018 alone, more than 270,000 buildings, comprising 26 billion square feet of floorspace, used ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® tool to measure and track their energy use, water use, and waste and materials.
- More than 8,100 buildings earned the ENERGY STAR in 2018, bringing the total to more than 34,000.
- On average, ENERGY STAR certified buildings use 35% less energy than typical buildings nationwide.
- Studies find that ENERGY STAR certified buildings command a premium of up to 16 percent for sales prices and rental rates.2
- As of the end of 2018, 29 local governments, three states, and one Canadian province rely on EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager as the foundation for their energy benchmarking and transparency policies.