Campaigns and incentive programs that incorporate ENERGY STAR
Whether it’s delivering technical assistance or hosting a competition, organizations nationwide are incorporating ENERGY STAR in their incentive programs and voluntary campaigns.
Use the list below to find and take advantage of incentives available to you or look for campaigns in your area to join. If you’re considering developing an incentive program or launching your own competition to save energy, check out the initiatives below for ideas and inspiration.
You can also download the full list of federal, state, and local governments leveraging ENERGY STAR.
| Jurisdiction | Program | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| NATIONAL PROGRAMS | ||
|
Associations |
American Society for Healthcare Engineering Energy to Care |
Energy to Care (EtC) is a healthcare energy benchmarking program allowing users to access detailed energy data at no cost, compare and challenge similar or nearby facilities using a data visualization tool, and apply for recognition. EtC uses the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to benchmark hospital energy performance. |
|
2030 Districts |
Architecture 2030 Districts Network encourages participating building and business owners to improve their energy performance to meet Architecture 2030 Challenge goals on carbon emission reductions. Participants are encouraged to use the ENERGY STAR Target Finder and Portfolio Manager tools to track their energy consumption and share results. |
|
| Federal Agencies |
U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge |
Participants in DOE’s Better Buildings Challenge commit to improve the energy efficiency of their portfolios by 20 percent over a ten-year period using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool as the preferred tool for tracking, verifying, and reporting their energy performance over time. |
|
U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR National Building Competition |
Each year since 2010, EPA has hosted a national competition to see which building can cut energy waste the most. Competitors track their energy performance over time using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, and the competitor with the greatest percent reduction in energy use at the end of the competition period is declared the Biggest Loser. |
|
| STATE PROGRAMS | ||
|
Michigan |
Michigan Battle of the Buildings |
Originally started in West Michigan, this friendly annual competition encouraging best practices in building energy-efficiency has expanded statewide. It was the first instance of an organization taking the EPA National Building Competition model and implementing it at the state level. Both building owners and tenants are eligible to participate and the competition is open to commercial, industrial, institutional, non-profit, multifamily, education, retail, and campus building types. Competitors track and report monthly energy consumption using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and those achieving the greatest reductions in energy use intensity are recognized at an awards ceremony. |
| Minnesota | Minnesota ENERGY STAR Challenge Launched 2015 |
The Minnesota ENERGY STAR Challenge seeks to increase the number of ENERGY STAR certified buildings in the state to 1,000 while encouraging participants to achieve 20% energy savings over 10 years. The 18 month-long competition is open to owners and managers of existing buildings within the state that fall under one of the ENERGY STAR eligible property types. Participants are encouraged to benchmark their buildings with two years of energy data and must do so through the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. |
|
New Jersey |
NJ Pay for Performance Program |
Under the Pay for Performance program, commercial building owners are given technical assistance with developing and implementing an Energy Reduction Plan to reduce energy use by 15 percent or more. Participants track their energy performance using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. |
|
NJ Local Government Energy Audit Program |
The Local Government Energy Audit Program provides local governments with cost-subsidized energy audits for publicly owned facilities to identify cost-justified energy efficiency measures. Both programs use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to measure progress. |
|
|
New Mexico |
HB 534: Sustainable Building Tax Credits |
To qualify for income tax credits, applicants must demonstrate that the commercial building is 60 percent more efficient than an average building of the same type using the ENERGY STAR Target Finder tool. |
|
Pennsylvania |
Department of Education Planning and Construction Workbook (PlanCon) Launched 2010 |
PlanCon is a set of forms and procedures used to apply for Commonwealth reimbursement for school districts that undertake a major renovation or construction project. Beginning July 1, 2011, all projects initiating the PlanCon process are subject to the following: 1. New District-Wide Facility Study requirements: a. Facility benchmarking for each existing building, using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. b. For each construction option, a predictive utility budget must be completed using the ENERGY STAR Target Finder tool. 2. Comprehensive Energy Modeling requirements using Target Finder. |
| LOCAL PROGRAMS | ||
|
Arlington County, VA |
Green Building Density |
Through the Green Building Density Incentive Program, new development project teams may request additional bonus density and/or height in exchange for a minimum level of energy savings, ENERGY STAR certification, and LEED green building certification. All project owners will also be asked to provide ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager utility reporting data after occupancy each year for 10 years. |
|
Atlanta, GA |
Atlanta Regional Council Green Communities Program |
The Green Communities Program encourages local governments to demonstrate leadership and set an example for environmental sustainability. Applicant communities can earn points toward certification by implementing a local policy requiring new construction owned by the jurisdiction to be ENERGY STAR certified. |
|
Boston, MA |
A Better City Challenge for Sustainability Launched 2009 |
Participating building and business owners compete to improve their energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs. Competitors are encouraged to use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track their energy consumption and reductions over time, and all participants receive free energy audits, technical support, energy efficiency rebates and incentives, and complementary training in energy management. |
|
Chicago, IL |
Chicago Green Office Challenge |
Participants in the Chicago Green Office Challenge use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track energy and water use and compile results at the end of the contest period. |
|
Cincinnati, OH |
The Green Cincinnati Plan challenges the city’s businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 2 percent each year and reduce the total energy consumption of the city’s built environment 15 percent by 2020. The plan specifies the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool as the tool that businesses will use to benchmark their energy consumption, make energy efficiency improvements, and demonstrate achievement of their energy use reduction goals. |
|
|
Columbus, OH |
Columbus Energy Challenge |
The Columbus Energy Challenge aims to reach over 70 percent of commercial and industrial buildings in Columbus over 50,000 square feet in order to achieve a 20 percent reduction in building energy use by 2020. Building energy performance will be measured using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. |
|
Denver, CO |
Watts to Water Launched 2008 |
Participants in the Watts to Water program benchmarked energy and water consumption in the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to measure reductions against the calendar year 2010 baseline. The competition will reward buildings with the greatest reductions in energy- and water-use intensity at the end of the contest period. |
|
Denver City Energy Project |
The Denver City Energy project encourages participants to enroll by benchmarking building energy use in the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and sharing their buildings’ ENERGY STAR scores with the city. The goal is to encourage improved energy management, cut the city’s energy costs by $1.3 billion, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 800,000 metric tons. |
|
|
Fort Worth, TX |
City of Fort Worth Business Smart Program |
To participate, a prerequisite of the Fort Worth Energy Conservation program is to track and report energy usage in the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. More points are awarded for energy reduction off the baseline. |
| Houston, TX | Houston Green Office Challenge Launched 2010 |
Participants in the Houston Green Office Challenge use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track energy and water use to establish baselines and compile results at the end of the contest period. |
|
Knoxville, TN |
As part of the 2014 Work Plan & Emissions Inventory Update, under Energy Management, the City of Knoxville tasked its sustainability personnel with actively tracking energy usage at city facilities using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool and Utility Trac Plus. |
|
|
Pittsburgh, PA |
Pittsburgh Green Workplace Challenge Launched 2011 |
Participants in the Pittsburgh Green Workplace Challenge will use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track energy and water use to establish baselines and compile results at the end of the contest period. |
|
Pittsburgh 2030 Challenge |
The Pittsburgh 2030 District is a collaborative, nationally recognized yet local community of high performance buildings in Downtown Pittsburgh that aims to dramatically reduce energy and water consumption, using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to measure performance over time. |
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|
Rockville, MD |
High Performance Buildings Tax Credit for Existing Commercial Buildings April 2012 |
The Tax Credit for Existing Commercial Buildings establishes a high performance building tax credit that provides an incentive to existing commercial buildings that invest in energy efficiency and green improvements. For the first year of the tax credit, the building must achieve LEED certification and ENERGY STAR certification (if applicable). For years 2 through 5, building owners or managers must either submit the Statement of Energy Performance to the City demonstrating achievement of ENERGY STAR certification or submit the ASHRAE Building Energy Certificate demonstrating that the building has maintained or improved energy performance compared to the first year. |
|
Salt Lake City, UT |
Salt Lake City Skyline Challenge |
The Mayor’s Skyline Challenge encourages building owners to exceed the city’s target of achieving a 10 percent improvement in energy efficiency by 2015 and will continue annually past 2015. Participants will use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to benchmark and report annual building energy use in comparison with a baseline period of calendar year 2013. |
|
St. Louis, MO |
St. Louis High Performance Building Initiative Launched 2012 |
A regional project initiated to accelerate the increase in square footage of third-party verified space in the St. Louis region. The initiative focuses on promoting the use of energy management tools, including the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. |
|
Westchester, NY |
Westchester Green |
The Westchester Green Business Challenge is a friendly competition for all businesses. Buildings are evaluated using an innovative Green Business Scorecard. Using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool, buildings establish energy and water usage baselines and develop reduction goals for the building’s overall energy and water consumption. |
|
Winneshiek, IA |
Winneshiek Energy District Green Business Challenge |
Participants in the Winneshiek Energy District Green Business Challenge use the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool to track energy and water use to establish baselines and compile results at the end of the contest period. |