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Licensed Professionals Volunteer to Assist Congregations

ENERGY STAR has recruited Licensed Professionals from around the country who have volunteered to assist congregations with their certification applications for the ENERGY STAR . Data verification by a licensed professional is a requirement to earn the ENERGY STAR certification for any House of Worship. Once a worship facility has earned an energy performance score of 75 or higher in Portfolio Manager, the data verification is part of the requirement necessary for certification. Many groups, particularly smaller congregations, may not have a licensed professional within their membership to provide this service. There are volunteers in every region of the country and they are listed on the ENERGY STAR website. Congregations are increasingly concerned with their own energy use, as well as that of their members' homes and workplaces. The majority of faith traditions teach stewardship of natural resources as well as congregational funds, and a large and growing number are actively working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of religious concern for human health and the broader life support systems of the earth. Additional licensed professional volunteers are also sought. For details contact EPACongregations@energyandsecurity.com

First Unitarian Society
of Minneapolis

Five Houses of Worship Among Battle of the Buildings Competitors

Five houses of worship are among the competitors in EPA's 2011 National Building Competition Battle of the Buildings, with First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis leading the way at the midpoint. Other houses of worship that are competing in the 2011 Battle of the Buildings are Asbury United Methodist Church, Tulsa, OK.; Lakewood Church, Houston, TX.; Winchester Unitarian Society, Winchester, MA.; and Northland Church Worship Center, Longwood, FL. At the midpoint the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis reported a 14.21% energy reduction and a cost saving of $12,181.00. Together the five congregations have saved $112,415.00 at the midpoint. Winners of the competition will be announced in November. More information on the Battle of the Buildings, as well as competitors stories, are available on the competition website.  Houses of Worship became eligible for rating in late 2009 and there are now 20 congregations with certified facilities. Information on how any congregation can save more, use less and earn the ENERGY STAR is also available on the ENERGY STAR website.

Ohev Sholom – The National Synagogue in Washington, D.C.

Twenty-Two Houses of Worship Now Certified by ENERGY STAR

The list of Houses of Worship certified by ENERGY STAR has grown to 22 and includes churches from 11 different Christian denominations, a Jewish synagogue, and an Islamic cultural center. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia are represented in the listings and a total of 618,215 square feet are encompassed. Houses of Worship must achieve a score of at least 75 out of 100 on EPA's ENERGY STAR energy performance scale to qualify for certification. The congregations that have earned the label to date range in size from 4,560 square feet up to 83,000 square feet. The majority are in the 25,000 to 30,000 square foot range. Information on earning certification of a facility from ENERGY STAR is available on the website.

Important Policy Change for ENERGY STAR Certification

EPA is adopting a policy that will change the year associated with your ENERGY STAR certification.  Currently, the certification year is based on the 12-month period ending date listed on your Statement of Energy Performance (SEP).  However, for all label applications approved on or after January 1, 2012, the year of your certification will reflect the year during which your application for ENERGY STAR certification is approved, regardless of the SEP period ending date. The purpose of this change is to align the year of your certification with the calendar year in which it was approved.  This change will make it easier for you and EPA to communicate and celebrate your award with the public.  

Important Information for Those Who Have Not Yet Applied for 2011 Certification
If you received a 2010 certification with an SEP dated in the last four months of 2010, please take note: In order for you to earn a 2011 award, your application must be approved by December 31, 2011.  EPA will guarantee 2011 approval for all applications that are postmarked by November 15, 2011 or earlier and which require no additional questions or follow-up by EPA. Since, typically, your building might not have been eligible to apply by this deadline, EPA has manually reset your building's account to be eligible as of August 31, 2011.

Important Information for Everyone Eligible for ENERGY STAR Certification
In future years, to ensure that your building earns certification for the current year, you must postmark your application by November 15. As long as your application does not trigger any follow-up or additional questions, EPA will guarantee current-year approval, which means that your building will receive current-year certification.

EPA's National Building Competition Reaches the Last Leg!

The 2011 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings has progressed steadily as 245 buildings across the country industriously work to curb their energy use. In July, EPA announced the top category contenders as of the midpoint. In early November, you'll see which buildings came out on top overall, as well as the cumulative impact of all competitors. In case you missed it, below is a list of the top category contenders as of the midpoint:

Bank: USE Credit Union: San Diego, Calif. 20%
Courthouse: Hammond U.S. Courthouse: Hammond, Ind. 14%
Dormitory: Kenan Residence Hall at UNC: Chapel Hill, N.C. 3%
Hospital: St Mark's Medical Center: La Grange, Texas 10%
Hotel: The Colonnade Hotel: Boston, Mass. 2%
House of Worship: First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis: Minneapolis, Minn. 14%
Office: Scientific Instruments: West Palm Beach, Fla. 30%
K-12 School: Jackson Creek Middle School: Bloomington, Ind. 26%
Medical Office: North Suburban Medical Office Building: Thornton, Colo. 18%
Retail: Office Depot: Plano, Texas 17%
Warehouse: Norandex: Rochester, N.Y. 8%
Other: University of Central Florida's Garage C: Orlando, Fla. 31%

In the first six months of the competition alone, teams representing 245 buildings around the country have saved more than $3.7 million on utility bills and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by 2,300 homes annually. Competitors measure and track their building's monthly energy consumption using EPA's ENERGY STAR online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. The building with the largest percentage reduction in energy use, adjusted for weather and the size of the building, will be recognized as the winner in November.

Visit www.energystar.gov/BattleoftheBuildings to learn more about the competitors, get real-time updates via a live Twitter feed, and join in on a Facebook forum to exchange ideas and strategies.

Leading-Edge Products for Energy Efficiency Recognized for First Time by New ENERGY STAR Effort

For the first time products can be recognized as the most energy efficient in their category among those that have earned EPA's ENERGY STAR . The new designation of "Most Efficient" will inform shoppers about exceptional energy performance and provide incentives for all manufacturers to strive for improvements. The Most Efficient recognition is being made in the following categories: clothes washers, heating and cooling equipment, televisions, and refrigerator-freezers. The following ENERGY STAR partners' products are among the first to be recognized as Most Efficient: Electrolux/Frigidaire, Sears' Kenmore, LG, Samsung, Best Buy's Insignia Brand, Panasonic and Rheem. For more information on this effort see the EPA Press Release.

Perspectives: Partner Highlight Swarthmore Presbyterian Church, Swarthmore, PA Swarthmore Presbyterian Church (SPC) became one of the first "Earth Care Congregations" named by the Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) as part of its Environmental Ministries program. Environmental Ministries is creating a network to inspire and equip Presbyterians to care for the earth and to increase the channels of communication with congregations and presbyteries with environmental stewardship programs. SPC has made extensive use of free on-line tools and resources available through ENERGY STAR and has twice been named an ENERGY STAR Congregations Award Winner when that honor was available in 2009 and 2010. Using "Guidelines for Energy Management" and "Putting Energy into Stewardship Congregations Guide" SPC saved 40% in energy costs to earn their 2009 award and another 54% in 2010. They also have made notable strides in informing and involving their staff, their membership and their community about energy savings programs and available ENERGY STAR resources. They are currently working to earn certification of their facility. Read more of their inspiring story. Perspectives: Quiz How much can most congregations cut energy costs by investing strategically in efficient equipment, facility upgrades and maintenance? Answer: Up to 25% to 30%.