Bring Your Green to Work with ENERGY STAR Video Podcast Transcript

April 22, 2009

Green is becoming a way of life. We're going green at home, we're going in the way that we shop and we're driving more fuel efficient cars. But have you thought about going where you work? The buildings where we work, shop, play and learn account for nearly half of the nation's energy use. Bringing your green to work means combining small changes at your desk with bigger changes in the building where you work. Hi, I'm Danny Seo and with Environmental Protection Agency's ENERGY STAR Program, we'll show you how these two things together can help us in our fight against global warming.

Not sure where to get started? EPA can help! All you have to do is go online to ENERGY STAR dot gov slash work and take an interactive tour of the Bring Your Green to Work office. It will show you easy steps you can take in a typical workspace.

Simple things like making sure the power management settings on your computer are turned on, unplugging your power adapters when they're not in use, using an ENERGY STAR qualified bulb in your desk lamp, and turning off lights at the end of the day.

Imagine the energy and money your company could save if everyone in your office made these small changes. To get your coworkers involved, create a green team. From your company's CEO to the office intern, a green team can help reduce office waste and increase energy efficiency.

Most of us know ENERGY STAR when shopping for a new refrigerator or television, but did you also know that buildings can earn EPA's ENERGY STAR? From hotels to hospitals, from schools to stores, there are almost 5 million buildings in the United States using almost a hundred billion dollars worth of energy. If each improved their energy efficiency by just 10 percent, we would save about 10 billion dollars and reduce greenhouse gases equal to the emissions from about 15 million vehicles.

Since the energy used in buildings is typically generated at distant power plants, we often don't often think about their contribution to global warming. So how does a building use energy and what makes one efficient? Let's take a peek "behind-the-scenes" of this ENERGY STAR building and see how it all works.

ENERGY STAR qualified buildings use, on average, 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and generate only two-thirds the carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming. Talk about reducing your carbon footprint!

An improved lighting system is the cornerstone of an energy efficient building. Like at home it involves choosing efficient fixtures and light bulbs like an ENERGY STAR qualified Compact Fluorescent Light bulb. But it is means just having lights on only when you need them. For that, buildings usually have automatically controlled lighting and motion sensors.

Like a car, it's important to tune up a building and maintain its systems. Fine tuned controls and motors on heating and cooling systems mean a more comfortable — and energy efficient — working environment.

That's where building engineers and facility management teams come in. They regularly examine systems and equipment, and review maintenance procedures to make sure the building is operating as efficiently as possible.

But the real test is getting a grade on how it all comes together. ENERGY STAR dot gov has online tools to help facility managers and engineers figure out how their building is doing, what their carbon footprint is, and how to save energy. Get a top score and the building can become an EPA ENERGY STAR.

Remember change can start with you. First, find out if your building qualifies for EPA's ENERGY STAR. Form a green team and encourage your colleagues and coworkers to also bring their green to work. Check out the ENERGY STAR website for additional tips and ideas. And remember — whether you're an employee, company owner, or a facility manager we can all make a difference to save energy and fight global warming. I'm Danny Seo and thanks for watching!