Reducing energy costs through the ENERGY STAR Building Program: Case study of the Ohio Building Authority Available to Purchase

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR Buildings Program was established in the early 1990s as a means for building owners and managers to improve the energy performance of their facilities, while simultaneously reducing the amount of pollution emitted into the atmosphere from power plants. The programme outlines a five‐stage approach to improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings to help control rising energy costs. The five stages include lighting upgrades, building tune‐up, load reductions, air distribution system upgrades and HVAC plant upgrades. Each stage is designed to build on the success of the previous stages. Today, the EPA recognises buildings that perform in the top 25 per cent in terms of energy efficiency through the ENERGY STAR Label for Buildings. This paper describes the five‐stage ENERGY STAR Buildings strategy as well as how a building achieves the status of being ENERGY STAR labelled. Furthermore, this paper demonstrates the potential of the ENERGY STAR Buildings Program through a case study of four office buildings, owned and operated by the Ohio Building Authority. These buildings have each been upgraded, following the EPA’s five‐stage strategy, and each has received the ENERGY STAR Label for Buildings.