Better Buildings Progress Report Says Companies Saved a Total of $1.9 Billion

Hundreds of organizations have engaged in energy saving efforts that have resulted in a combined 240 trillion Btus and an estimated $1.9 billion in cumulative energy and cost savings. That’s according to the Better Buildings Progress Report, which tracks accomplishments across the broader Better Buildings Initiative.

More than 345 private and public sector organizations have committed to improving their energy efficiency across their entire building portfolio by at least 20 percent within a decade.

“Through the Better Buildings Initiative, hundreds of leaders from the public and private sectors are demonstrating innovative approaches and deepening American investments in critical building infrastructure,” said US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry on energy.gov. “By planning ahead and investing in cost-effective energy efficiency strategies, partners are bringing better buildings to our communities and improving the everyday places Americans live and work, while creating new and lasting jobs.”

This year, 18 organizations met their energy, water or financing goals, including General Motors, Macy’s and Staples. Innovative energy and water saving solutions from a few of the 345 organizations include:

• Martin Guitar: The instrument maker pledged to reduce energy intensity 25 percent by 2026. The company undertook an ambitious retrofit of its Pennsylvania plant HVAC system that will yield a 39 percent improvement in that facility’s HVAC energy intensity, as well as lower maintenance costs and more reliable guitar quality.
• Shorenstein Properties: The real estate company upgraded to direct digital controls, modified set points, installed variable frequency drives and upgraded to LEDs at a 735,000 square-foot office building in San Francisco, reducing energy use by 31 percent and saving $623,000 annually.
• MGM Resorts International: The hospitality giant upgraded more than 14,500 lights across more than 49,000 parking spaces, saving more than 18 million kWh in 2016 and winning a Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking award.
• Target: The retail chain replaced 120,000 troffers across 100 stores, resulting in $1.5 million in electricity savings and an award from ILC for its achievements.

In total, the Better Buildings Challenge of 2016 resulted in 240 trillion Btus of energy saved, $1.9 billion in costs savings and 15 million avoided tons of CO2 emissions.