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How Energy Efficient Are Your City's Buildings?

The EPA ranked the top 25 metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings.

By Hunt Archbold

On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the sixth annual list of the top 25 U.S. metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings.

The cities on this list demonstrate the economic and environmental benefits achieved by facility owners and managers when they apply a proven approach to energy efficiency to their buildings. 

Buildings earning Energy Star certification use an average of 35 percent less energy and are responsible for 35 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than typical buildings.

The Top 10 cities on the list are:

  1. Los Angeles (443 Energy Star buildings) 
  2. Washington, D.C. (435)
  3. Atlanta (318)
  4. New York (303)
  5. San Francisco (289)
  6. Chicago (233)
  7. Dallas (229)
  8. Denver (221)
  9. Philadelphia (210)
  10. Houston (204)
See a full list of the 25 rankings by city on EnergyStar.gov
According to the EPA, through energy efficiency measures implemented in these buildings, the area is cutting greenhouse gas emissions equal to emissions from the annual electricity use of more than 52,500 homes and saving more than $53 million in annual utility bills.

Cities are ranked on the list according to how many buildings in their area achieved Energy Star certification in 2013. To qualify for the Energy Star certification, a building must earn a 1 — 100 Energy Star score of 75 or higher, indicating that it outperforms 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide. 

Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star must outperform 75 percent of similar buildings nationwide, as verified by a professional engineer or a registered architect. Many types of commercial facilities can earn the Energy Star, including office buildings, K-12 schools, and retail stores. 


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