Top Energy Star Cities in the United States

What is an Energy Star city? Starting in 2009, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has released a list of American cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings each year. What is Energy Star for buildings? Energy Star for commercial buildings is a set of environmentally responsible standards that a building must meet in order to earn Energy Star certification. Energy Star-certified buildings save energy, save money, and help save the environment by producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions. This may involve solar panel installation and other types of renewable energy, efficient lighting, empowering employees to follow energy-saving guides, recycled materials, responsible waste management, and more. Solar Power Guide has created a chart to highlight the top cities in the United States with the most Energy Star-certified buildings:

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How Do You Get Energy Star-Certified?

EPA administrator Michael S. Regan stated: “Right now, our cities and urban areas are experiencing the costly impacts of climate change, but there are steps we can take to reduce emissions and tackle this crisis. Working with EPA, the owners and managers of Energy Star-certified buildings are taking concrete actions that will reduce emissions, save on their energy bills, and help protect their cities for the future.” So how does a commercial or multifamily building become Energy Star-certified? Here are the basic steps on how to get an Energy Star certification: as provided by Energy Star:

  1. Benchmark your building using the Energy Star Portfolio Manager: This involves measuring and comparing your building’s energy performance to similar buildings and past consumption.
  2. Earn an Energy Star score of 75 or higher: You can find tips for saving energy here.
  3. Apply in the Portfolio Manager: Step-by-step instructions can be found here.
  4. Have your application verified: You will need to have your application stamped and verified by a licensed professional engineer (PE) or registered architect (RA). Here is a tool for finding professionals and tips for low-cost Energy Star certification.

Advantages of Energy Star certification include:

  1. Lower utility bills: Energy Star-certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy than similar buildings nationwide, so this can cut utility bills significantly.
  2. Fight climate change: Energy Star-certified buildings generate an average of 35% less green house emissions.
  3. Be ready for mandates: More and more cities are beginning to mandate that commercial buildings benchmark and publicly disclose energy performance. By earning Energy Star certification now, you are in a better position to adapt to evolving standards.
  4. Higher value: Energy Star buildings can be more profitable because less revenue must be contributed to utility costs, creating a higher net operating income.
  5. High occupancy rates: Numerous studies have shown that occupancy levels may be up to 10% higher with rental premiums 3% to 16% higher.
  6. Federal tenants: Federal agencies are mandated to only lease space in Energy Star buildings.
  7. Appeal to more millennials: As many as 75% of millennials would prefer to work for an environmentally responsible organization, according to a Cone Communications millennial employee engagement study.

What Is the Most Eco-Friendly U.S. City?

While many factors go into how environmentally friendly a city is overall (including solar panel use), when interpreted through the lens of sustainable buildings, the greenest city in the United States is Los Angeles, with 648 Energy Star-certified buildings in total. Here are the top ten U.S. cities with the most Energy Star-certified buildings:

  1. Los Angeles Energy Star-certified buildings: 648
  2. Washington, D.C., Energy Star-certified buildings: 498
  3. Atlanta Energy Star-certified buildings: 342
  4. San Francisco Energy Star-certified buildings: 332
  5. Dallas Energy Star-certified buildings: 286
  6. New York Energy Star-certified buildings: 256
  7. Chicago Energy Star-certified buildings: 226
  8. Denver Energy Star-certified buildings: 205
  9. Houston Energy Star-certified buildings: 189
  10. Boston Energy Star-certified buildings: 184

Energy Star City Data

Rank City Number of Energy Star-Certified Buildings
1 Los Angeles, CA 648
2 Washington DC 498
3 Atlanta, GA 342
4 San Francisco, CA 332
5 Dallas, TX 286
6 New York, NY 256
7 Chicago, IL 226
8 Denver, CO 205
9 Houston, TX 189
10 Boston, MA 184
11 San Diego, CA 161
12 Austin, TX 147
13 Seattle, WA 138
14 Minneapolis, MN 130
15 Tampa, FL 118
16 Phoenix, AZ 116
16 San Jose, CA 116
18 Riverside, CA 96
19 Charlotte, NC 92
20 Miami, FL 79
21 Provo, UT 75
22 Philadelphia, PA 73
23 Sacramento, CA 62
24 Orlando, FL 54
25 Cincinnati, OH 53

 

Rank City Building Count Total Floor Area (Millions of Square Feet) Emissions Prevented (Metric Tons of CO2 Equivalent) Cost Savings in a Year (Millions of U.S. Dollars) Equivalent Home's Annual Electricity Use (kWh)
1 Los Angeles, CA 648 144.9 257,600 $195.0 50,200
2 Washington DC 498 142.0 488,900 $149.3 95,300
3 Atlanta, GA 342 85.3 283,500 $58.4 55,300
4 San Francisco, CA 332 92.6 204,500 $149.4 39,900
5 Dallas, TX 286 55.9 170,000 $37.0 33,100
6 New York, NY 256 136.6 340,600 $148.7 66,400
7 Chicago, IL 226 115.7 523,800 $94.1 102,100
8 Denver, CO 205 58.6 246,600 $44.3 48,100
9 Houston, TX 189 77.4 253,300 $58.8 49,400
10 Boston, MA 184 52.4 112,600 $67.0 21,900
11 San Diego, CA 161 29.1 49,800 $32.7 9,700
12 Austin, TX 147 26.9 71,400 $18.2 13,900
13 Seattle, WA 138 39.4 104,100 $31.4 20,300
14 Minneapolis, MN 130 40.0 176,100 $41.3 34,300
15 Tampa, FL 118 20.0 51,300 $14.0 10,000
16 Phoenix, AZ 116 24.5 96,000 $20.6 18,700
16 San Jose, CA 116 19.1 77,100 $53.8 15,000
18 Riverside, CA 96 24.7 19,200 $13.8 3,700
19 Charlotte, NC 92 15.8 45,700 $10.5 8,900
20 Miami, FL 79 17.9 54,500 $13.5 10,600
21 Provo, UT 75 9.7 17,800 $4.5 3,500
22 Philadelphia, PA 73 26.5 62,500 $15.6 12,200
23 Sacramento, CA 62 10.3 26,400 $16.3 5,100
24 Orlando, FL 54 10.4 29,900 $7.9 5,800
25 Cincinnati, OH 53 11.0 33,100 $6.6 6,400

Mid-Sized Cities

Rank City Building Count
1 San Jose, CA 116
2 Provo, UT 75
3 Raleigh, NC 51
4 Louisville, KY 35
5 Sioux Falls, SD 32
6 Boulder, CO 31
7 Macon, GA 30
8 Salt Lake City, UT 26
9 Des Moines, IA 25
10 Madison, WI 22

Small Cities

Rank City Building Count
1 Jackson, MI 38
2 San Angelo, TX 23
3 Sioux City, IA 16
4 Carson City, NV 10
4 Elizabethtown, KY 10
6 California, MD 4
7 Parkersburg, WV 3
7 Bowling Green, KY 3
7 Wheeling, WV 3
7 Saginaw, MI 3
7 Oshkosh, WI 3
7 Salem, OH 3
7 New Philadelphia, OH 3

 

Energy Star is a program run by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in order to promote energy efficiency. Energy Star certifies more than 75 different categories, including homes, commercial buildings, and appliances. Buildings that are Energy Star-certified are more energy-efficient than 75% of similar buildings nationwide.

 

Written and designed by Joe Robertson