HAWAII STATE CAPITOL BUILDING TRIMS MORE ENERGY USE DURING EPA’S ENERGY STAR NATIONAL BUILDING COMPETITION

For Immediate Release: November 2, 2011

HONOLULU– Employees at the Hawaii State Capitol Building cut back another 32,000 kilowatt hours, saving an additional $2,400 in electricity during the ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings that began on May 2, 2011 and ended on August 31, 2011. The Capitol Building entered the competition with an Energy Star score of 86, which meant it already ranked in the top 15% of similar buildings nationwide. By the end of the competition, it reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 31 metric tons of CO2 equivalent, while improving its Energy Star score to 87.

The Battle of the Buildings award, however, went to a parking garage on the main campus of the University of Central Florida, which reduced its energy use by 63 percent.

“We were already reducing energy use at the Capitol when we entered the competition, so our results are not as dramatic,” said Mark Glick, Administrator, Department of Business and Economic Development Tourism’s (DBEDT) State Energy Office. “EPA’s competition helped to get the State employees involved with our iConserve and Lead by Example energy saving programs, so it was a great opportunity for us. Occupant participation is an essential part in meeting our long-term energy conservation goals and we are excited by the commitment we’ve seen.”

The State Capitol Building was featured as one of the success stories on EPA’s National Building Competition website at the halfway point of the competition for its unique efforts to engage the building’s occupants.

Even before the EPA competition, the Department of Accounting and General Services (DAGS), which manages over 50 State facilities, instituted a number of energy-saving projects at the State Capitol and other public buildings. Between fiscal years 2008 and 2009, energy use at the Capitol dropped 11.1% and last year, the State saved $20 million in energy bills due to efficiency and conservation efforts. Since that time, there continues to be additional improvements for further energy reduction.

Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year.

In its second year, the EPA competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a head-to-head battle to save energy, reduce costs, and protect Americans’ health and their environment. The competitors together saved more than 240 million kBtus of energy and $5.2 million on utility bills annually. The competitors also prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by more than 3,600 homes per year. The building with the largest percent-reduction in energy use, adjusted for weather and the size of the building, was the winner.

The State of Hawaii’s economic enterprise is to pursue energy independence by building a clean energy economy and reaching 70 percent clean energy by 2030. The DBEDT State Energy Office’s mission is to act as a catalyst for efficiency measures, renewable energy resources, transportation initiatives, green jobs, and investments in Hawaii’s economy. For more information, visit www.energy.hawaii.gov.

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For more information, contact:

Mark Glick
Energy Program Administrator
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-3812

Lois Hamaguchi
Energy Analyst
DBEDT’s State Energy Office
Phone: (808) 587-9006

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