SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—WattStopper announced that its Birmingham, Alabama, office has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance. WattStopper improved its energy performance when remodeling the facility, which had previously contained both office and warehouse space. The warehouse half was transformed into offices, and the whole building was upgraded. By managing energy strategically across the entire facility, the company held its energy consumption at pre-remodel levels despite increasing the connected load and intensifying the use of its building.
The Energy Star designation signifies that the building’s energy performance rates in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide. According to Jeff Park, WattStopper’s manager of sustainable business development, “Most of our energy savings stem from our core competency: efficiency measures using lighting controls. We implemented lighting control strategies including bi-level switching, automatic-on to a 50 percent lighting level and automatic shut-off of unused plug loads. We also integrated the thermostat setback to the building alarm system, and added power profiling of electrical sub-panels for lighting, plug loads and HVAC.”
Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings. “Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to preserving our environment and our natural resources,” said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division. “The Energy Star distinguishes those organizations that are taking environmental responsibility into their own hands.”
EPA’s rating system provides a 1 to 100 scale that assesses how efficiently buildings use energy. A building that scores 75 or higher is eligible for the Energy Star. WattStopper’s Birmingham office scored 82. A score of 69 is a prerequisite requirement of LEED 2009 for Existing Buildings, and a score of 82 earns 11 points in Energy & Atmosphere Credit 1.
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