Can you afford not to be ENERGY STAR certified?

Why bother to bring your residence or commercial building up to ENERGY STAR Certification standards? The prestige of displaying that attractive blue label is just the beginning.

What is ENERGY STAR Certification? A building certified by ENERGY STAR has met strict energy performance standards set by the EPA for saving energy, saving money, and protecting the environment via fewer greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The deciding factor for certification is a score of 75 or higher on a scale of 1 to 100. So, an ENERGY STAR building is known to perform at least 75% more efficiently than other buildings.

CERTAINLY CERTIFIED. That ENERGY STAR label is a calling card for people seeking to buy or lease a home or building that guarantees energy savings because it signals verified energy performance. This is key since it doesn’t take much these days for companies to advertise their building or company is green without any real proof of energy efficiency. So, what makes the ENERGY STAR designation so trusted use?  An emphasis on testing, third–party review, and compliance screening:

  • Properties are uniformly benchmarked and scored by using PORTFOLIO MANAGER®, the EPA’s online tool for measuring and tracking energy, water consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • During the benchmarking process, an ENERGY STAR Licensed Professional in the form of a Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA) must do a site visit. They also have to sign off on the square footage of the building, energy data, and whether all indoor environment criteria are met.
  • More than 6,000 organizations have found value in ENERGY STAR Certification, including 35% of Fortune 500 companies.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT: According to the EPA, buildings that qualify for the ENERGY STAR designation use 35 percent less energy on average than similar buildings nationwide. In 2015, that translated to an average of more than $250,000 saved per Energy Star building. Higher occupancy rates and increased asset value typically come along for the ride!

AHEAD OF THE CURVE: The movement toward energy-efficient, truly green buildings and homes is growing. Consequently, the increase in ENERGY STAR buildings is only rising, as is the list of legislation and organizations that leverage it. According to Energy Star Buildings and Plants:

  • “62% of adults are either equally or more likely to visit a business that focuses on green, regardless of distance or effort required.”
  • “88% say policies that address global warming are important when deciding where to work.”
  • “Studies have shown that superior energy performance contributes to better learning and increased productivity and health.”

Simply put: It won’t be long before those who refuse to upgrade to green construction and/or retrofits feel seriously left behind.

CONSCIENCE EFFORT: The business and fiscal reasons for making your commercial building or residence legitimately green are clear and ENERGY STAR Certification is an excellent way to do that. However, doing your part to counteract the emissions damage to our planet is just as vital. ENERGY STAR Certified companies not only look responsible, they are! And according to these stats from the United Nations Environment Programme, it seems the greening of buildings is becoming a matter of good conscience:

  • “The building sector has the most potential for delivering significant and cost-effective GHG emission reductions.”
  • “Countries will not meet emission reduction targets without supporting energy efficiency gains in the building sector.”
  • “Failure to encourage energy-efficiency and low-carbon when building new or retrofitting will lock countries into the disadvantages of poor performing buildings for decades.”

So, get onboard with ENERGY STAR Certification to make your building or home energy efficient, to lower energy bills, and to be part of the solution in a fight for a healthier planet rather than a problem. It’s easy to get started and Haglid Engineering can help. We are one of those ENERGY STAR Licensed Professionals you will need on hand to assist in the process and our own office building at 80 Broadway in Hillsdale, New Jersey is ENERGY STAR certified! In fact, we play a role in ENERGY STAR’s recognized success stories. Give us a call to begin your own home or building’s success story! 201.722.1233.