Team Challenge: EPAs Battle of the Buildings 2014 Over the next 20 years, under President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, businesses are to strive to cut their energy waste in half. In support of this movement, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set in motion the 2014 Energy Star Battle of the Buildings: Team Challenge. Over 5,500 buildings will be competing in the Fifth-Annual competition, including businesses here in Augusta. The goal is to conserve energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Energy savings in commercial buildings are specifically targeted. “The competitive spirit is alive and well among the building teams working to improve their energy efficiency in this year’s Battle of the Buildings,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “After four successful years, we’re excited to see the innovative ideas that will emerge from the competitors as they find new ways to save energy and money while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting the environment.” There are 112 teams that are competing this year. Five or more buildings form a team and work together to reduce their collective energy use in a year’s time. For example, Kroger grocery food chain would be “Team Kroger”. Also, elementary schools will compete with their area high schools, as fire stations compete against local libraries. The idea is to outdo your neighbor, and everybody in the end WINS! Last year’s competitors saved a whopping $20 million on utility bills. When you look at the big picture, commercial buildings in the US spend more than $100 billion a year in utility bills and are responsible for about 20% of the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. EPA has an online energy measurement and tracking tool that the competitors will use to track and measure each building’s monthly energy consumption. The team that reduces its energy consumption the most wins! EPA will also maintain a website devoted just to the competition with a list of all competitors and their progress along the way. A live Twitter feed will also be available for competitors to post updates. The winner will be announced in April 2015.
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 17:34:46 +0000
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