First 17 Multifamily Buildings Attain Energy Star

The US Environmental Protection Agency announced the first set of multifamily properties to earn the Energy Star certification. Energy Star first became available to the sector in September after a three-year partnership with Fannie Mae to develop the scoring system for multifamily properties.

The 17 properties on the list perform among the top 25 percent of similar properties nationwide. They took a variety of approaches to save energy, from investing in technological upgrades, such as high-efficiency lighting, to low-cost operations and maintenance changes, such as adjusting the schedules for outdoor lighting and ensuring equipment was only running when needed.

According to the EPA:

• Five of the first 17 properties were built in the 1920s, including the Harvard School of Public Health – Shattuck International House.
• All but one of the properties are located in major metropolitan areas that have local governments actively trying to curb greenhouse gas emissions by helping the local building stock improve energy efficiency.
• Some buildings made use of their surroundings. Chicago’s River City apartment complex took advantage of its location on the Chicago River to save energy by incorporating river water into the building’s cooling system.
• Castle Square Apartments, an affordable housing property in Boston, is undergoing the nation’s largest Deep Energy Retrofit without doing a gut rehab, allowing residents to stay in their apartments during the renovation process.

The new 1-100 Energy Star score and certification for existing multifamily properties is based on nationally representative survey data provided by Fannie Mae and will be integrated into other green building certification programs, including the US Green Building Council’s LEED rating system.

The 17 ENERGY STAR certified multifamily buildings are:

1. 30-50 21^st, New York
2. 680 North Lake Shore Drive, Chicago
3. The Ashley at RiverHouse, Washington DC
4. Aspira Apartments, Seattle
5. AvalonBay – The Albemarle, Washington, DC
6. AvalonBay – The Statesman, Washington, DC
7. Castle Square, Boston
8. Circa Green Lake Apartments, Seattle
9. ECO Modern Flats, Fayetteville, Ark.
10. Harvard School of Public Health – Shattuck International House, Boston
11. Jeffery Parkway at 6731 South Jeffery Blvd., Chicago
12. Peter Cooper Village, New York
13. Prescott Wallingford, Seattle
14. River City- 800 South Wells, Chicago
15. Stuyvesant Town, New York
16. Terrific Tenements 423 W 48th Street, New York
17. Terrific Tenements 527 W 47th Street, New York