CodeGreen is excited to announce that we are have been awarded the ENERGY STAR Charter Tenant Space recognition by the US EPA for our New York City headquarters. We are proud to add this recognition to our recent ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award.
On June 12th the US EPA awarded the ENERGY STAR Charter Tenant Space recognition to the first group of tenants across the country who successfully completed this new 10-month pilot program aimed at improving energy efficiency in commercial office spaces. CodeGreen is proud to be among these industry leaders and supporting the development of this groundbreaking program.
Commercial tenants can consume 40-60% or more of the energy used by office buildings and a similar portion of the carbon footprint. In the US buildings represent 40% of the nation’s carbon footprint, and in New York City buildings represent 70% of citywide emissions. In order to meaningfully reduce carbon emissions in large cities around the world, buildings must be a part of the solution, and commercial tenants must also get involved.
To support and recognize energy efficiency within commercial tenant spaces and leverage the EPA ENERGY STAR brand, the EPA launched the ENERGY STAR for Tenant Spaces pilot program in September of 2017. The objective of the pilot was to evaluate the program with a small group of tenants and refine the program structure before launching it to the public. A group of almost 50 tenants across the country volunteered to participate in the pilot, which included joining webinars and feedback sessions, and providing data to the program’s administrators. Feedback and quantitative data from the pilot program participants will be used to inform the further development of the program before it is made available to the general public. On June 12th, participants who completed the pilot program were officially recognized by the EPA.
“Congratulations to all the ENERGY STAR Charter Tenants for their hard work improving energy efficiency in tenant spaces,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation Bill Wehrum. “These organizations demonstrate how tenants and landlords can work together to cut energy costs and reduce waste, while creating a healthier environment.”
As participants in the program, CodeGreen evaluated our operating procedures, surveyed our office equipment and lighting to ensure alignment with the program guidelines, and tracked our monthly sub-metered electricity consumption using the EPA ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tool. The program helped us identify areas of high performance and areas with opportunity for improvement. As a result of the program we are reevaluating our lighting needs and researching the latest technologies in lighting and controls.
CodeGreen Associate Director Josh Berengut, who managed CodeGreen’s participation in the pilot and oversaw the documentation of our energy efficiency practices added, “this pilot program was really great to be a part of. Having watched the program since the concept was proposed several years ago, we were glad to be a part of the group shaping its structure for future use. Now tenants, in addition to landlords, can earn recognition for their dedication to energy efficiency.”
Read more about commercial tenant energy efficiency programs in our recent blog post.
