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Improve Energy and Water Efficiency

Below you will find resources to help you save energy and water with help from ENERGY STAR and WaterSense.

ENERGY STAR Resources

1. Benchmark Energy Use
   • Access free, recorded or live training sessions on benchmarking energy and water use in Portfolio Manager and improving efficiency.
2. Improve Energy Performance
   • Prioritize and implement cost-saving measures.
     • Learn from the successful practices of ENERGY STAR partners with the proven strategy outlined in the Guidelines for Energy Management.
     • Browse the Tools and Resources Library to find financial value calculators, guidebooks, and information for improving efficiency from building design to operations and maintenance.
     • Follow EPA's five-stage approach for identifying and prioritizing profitable upgrades using the Building Upgrade Manual.
   • Engage tenants to help save energy.
     • Take a tour of an energy-efficient cubicle and download ready-made materials to Bring Your Green to Work with ENERGY STAR.
     • Read Eight Great Strategies to Engage Tenants on Energy Efficiency (3.49MB) and see how successful ENERGY STAR partners energize tenants to save.
     • Use EPA's Guide to Energy Efficiency Competitions for Buildings & Plants (2.59MB) guide to design and implement an internal energy competition that gets all your employees on board and get inspiration from other successful competitions.
   • Find expert help.
     • ENERGY STAR service and product providers can help identify, prioritize, and implement quality projects that will improve your total energy management.
3. Learn from Others
   • Follow these Models of Success and see how others have achieved impressive energy savings.
4. Earn Recognition
   • Earn ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition for reducing energy consumption by 10%, 20%, 30% or more across your building portfolio, or by achieving a portfolio average score of 75 or above.
   • Apply for ENERGY STAR certification for buildings that receive an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or higher in Portfolio Manager!

WaterSense Resources

Visit EPA's WaterSense® Program to find best management practices, WaterSense labeled products, and other resources to help save water and money.

Additional resources include:

• Arizona Municipal Water Users Association and Black and Veatch, 2008. Facility Manager's Guide to Water Management .
• East Bay Municipal Utility District, 2008. WaterSmart Guidebook: A Water-Use Efficiency Plan Review Guide for New Businesses .
• North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, 2009. Water Efficiency Manual for Commercial, Industrial and Institutional Facilities (1.97MB) .
• U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program. Federal Water Efficiency Best Management Practices .

Don't Forget Your Parking Garage!

Parking garages have enormous potential to quickly cut energy use: the 2011 winner reduced its consumption by more than 60 percent! Learn how to effectively reduce the energy use of your parking garage using the resources and case studies below.

• Find state, local, utility, and federal incentives and policies promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy using the U.S. Department of Energy's DSIRE Database .
• Case Studies
  • Bi-level Induction Parking Garage Luminaire, University of California-Davis
  • Bi-level Fluorescent Parking Garage Luminaires, University of California-Santa Barbara (544KB)
  • Fluorescent Lighting, Fifth Street Towers, Minneapolis, MN (504KB)
  • LED Lighting at American University, Washington D.C.
  • LED Lighting at Logan International Airport Parking Structure, Boston, MA (215KB)
  • LED Lighting in Municipal Parking Garage, Boulder, CO (156KB)
  • LED Lighting at Convention Center Underground Parking Deck, Raleigh, NC (479KB)
  • Wireless lighting controls at San Mateo County Parking Garage, San Mateo, CA (715KB)
  • An in-depth energy analysis of the East Front Street Parking Structure, Missoula, MT