Design Your Building to Meet Energy Star Standards

Energy conservation is a key consideration in the design and construction of many new buildings. A building that’s already designed to reflect the best energy efficiency practices will be more appealing to tenants and more valuable to owners. The Energy Star program provides detailed guidance on how to ensure that your new construction project is as energy efficient as possible and meets the relevant Energy Star standards.

Why Energy Star?

Energy Star is a collaborative program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It’s an educational and advocacy organization that works to provide consumers with detailed, practical information on how to conserve energy, reduce energy waste and save money in energy-related contexts. One of its main projects is the certification of appliances, HVAC equipment, and other energy-consuming devices as energy efficient. This program also seeks to reduce greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions. For construction professionals, building owners, designers and others involved in the process of creating new structures, Energy Star offers a detailed process for designing, constructing, commissioning and operating energy-efficient buildings.

Benefits of Designing to These Standards

When you incorporate Energy Star standards from the beginning, you ensure that your building will be as energy efficient as possible from the earliest stages and throughout its lifetime. Some of the benefits include:

• Greater appeal to tenants – An energy efficient building is likely to have greater appeal to wider range of tenants.
• Environmentally-conscious tenants will appreciate the fact that the building uses less energy in general.
• Budget-conscious tenants will appreciate the lowered energy costs that efficiency provides.
• More valuable to owners – Owners will likely be able to attract a more upscale group of renters who will be more willing to pay above-market rents for a highly energy efficient work space. Regular operating costs for the building will also be significantly lower, saving owners substantial amounts of money. Energy Star estimates that the investments in energy efficiency will pay for themselves within about seven years.
• Better local reputation – The reputation of the building and its owners will be improved through association with environmental responsibility and energy consciousness.

Procedures for Certification

The Energy Star certification procedure for a new building includes the following steps:

• Accommodate energy efficiency from the earliest stages. Make sure the building is dedicated to energy efficiency and conservation from the beginning. All design and construction professionals involved should be thoroughly informed of the efficiency goals and that their efforts should accommodate them. Involve everyone associated with the project in these planning and decision-making stages, including architects, engineers, owners and intended tenants, if they exist.
• Have your designer, architect or engineer apply the project for the Designed to Earn the Energy Star designation. This requires a score of 75 or higher on the Energy Star scale, so ensure the building includes features that will qualify the structure with a score of at least 75.
• Market your building as Designed to Earn Energy Star. Make it known that your building has been designed and built with the full intention of earning Energy Star status. Market and promote the building with all due attention to its energy efficiency and associated benefits. Issue press releases as appropriate. Include information about the building on the Energy Star website.
• Commission the building. When ready, commission the building and put the structure into operation.
• Maintain efficient operational practices to earn final Energy Star certification. Once commissioned, continue to apply energy efficiency standards and practices for at least 12 months to finally earn Energy Star certification.

Our goal is to help educate our customers about Plumbing, HVACR, Fire Protection, and Alarm Systems in Mechanical, Commercial, and Residential settings. For more information on the Energy Star program and how you can design your new buildings to meet Energy Star standards, and to view projects we’ve worked on, visit our website!