Home Depot, KB Home, KPMG Win EPA Water and CHP Awards

The Home Depot and KPMG are among companies awarded the Energy Star Combined Heat and Power award and named as 2011 WaterSense Partners of the Year, by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Energy Star CHP award was given to the following facilities:

• Dominion Transmission–Crayne Station, Waynesburg, Pa.
• KPMG LLP, Montvale, N.J.
• University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio

The three facilities achieved operating efficiencies ranging from 68 to 73 percent, much higher than the efficiency production of traditional, non-combined heat and power systems, the EPA said.

The six Watersense Partners of the Year in each of the following sectors are:

• Promotional Partner: Cobb County Water System, Cobb County, Ga.
• Manufacturer Partner: Delta Faucet Company, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Retailer Partner: The Home Depot, nationwide
• Builder Partner: KB Home, nationwide
• Licensed Certification Provider for WaterSense Labeled New Homes: Energy Inspectors Corporation, nationwide
• Irrigation Partner: Christopher Curry of the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department

Watersense Partners have shown "outstanding contributions to water-efficiency", the EPA says. The 2010 partners can be viewed here.

In other news, the Department of Energy has received its first submission for a voluntary challenge aimed at encouraging the development of high-efficiency air conditioners for commercial buildings.

DOE will begin testing the new Daikin McQuay "Rebel" unit from McQuay International to determine whether it measures up to the challenge’s standards of reducing air conditioner energy use by 50 to 60 percent over current equipment.