Dear ENERGY STAR partner,
We are writing to let you know about EPA’s upcoming plans to present “Season 2” of the National Building Competition, a coast-to-coast contest to save energy in commercial buildings and fight climate change.
On January 25, 2011, ENERGY STAR partners will be invited to nominate one or more of the facilities they own or manage from across the United States to compete. We’re excited to add a few new twists to this year’s competition. Perhaps most importantly, all buildings that apply and meet eligibility requirements will be selected to compete to “work off the waste” through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. Then, at the mid-point of the competition, EPA will narrow down the field to a select group of finalists who will then battle it out for the top spot. Among this group of finalists, the building that reduces its energy use the most on a percentage basis will be recognized by EPA as the winner.
To learn more about last year’s competition, go to www.energystar.gov/BuildingContest. Stay tuned for EPA’s official call for applications on January 25!
DETAILS
Eligibility Requirements:
ENERGY STAR partners are eligible to nominate one or more of the facilities they own or manage. Any type of commercial building is eligible for the competition, as long as it has an active Portfolio Manager account that includes the nominated building’s monthly energy use data from September 1, 2009 to present. Organizations must use Portfolio Manager to benchmark and share their energy data with EPA. Buildings that are selected as finalists in the competition will be required to submit Statements of Energy Performance (SEP) for the baseline and comparative periods of the competition. SEPs must be signed and stamped by a professional engineer or licensed architect. Eligibility requirements will be explained in greater detail in the application.
Judging:
Buildings will be judged based on the percent energy reduction (adjusted for weather and building size) demonstrated between the baseline period of 09/01/09 – 08/31/10 and the comparison period of 09/01/10 – 08/31/11. Among the finalists, the building that demonstrates the largest adjusted percent reduction in energy use intensity (EUI) across this 24-month period will be recognized by EPA as the winner.
EPA Webinar on “How to Apply”:
Last year, more than 200 organizations applied to compete, but many were automatically disqualified because they did not complete all the application requirements. Don’t let that happen to you! Attend this webinar to learn about the right way to apply. February 1, 1:00pm – 2:30pm ET. To register, visit https://energystar.webex.com/energystar and click on the February 1 session titled “How to Apply for EPA’s National Building Competition.”
Key Dates:
Call for Applications: January 25
EPA Webinar on “How to Apply”: February 1
Applications Due to EPA: February 25
Eligible Contestants Notified: March 28
Launch Competition: May 4
Finalists Notified: June 15
Finalists Publicly Announced: July 27
Winner Publicly Announced: November 2