ENERGY STAR

Happy #EarthDay! Make energy choices that count today and every day for a #CleanEnergyFuture. By using energy wisely, we can collectively make a big difference for our homes and the planet. Visit energystar.gov/EarthDay to get started.

The EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch (ESRB) is now seeking candidates to support innovative residential energy efficiency initiatives. For three decades, ESRB has set national standards for improving the energy efficiency of America’s homes. Nearly 2.7 million ENERGY STAR certified single-family, multifamily, and manufactured new homes and apartments have been built to date, including more than 190,000 in 2023, representing more than 12% of all U.S. homes. Successful candidates will demonstrate experience in and passion for building science and green building technologies. Program management experience and understanding of the building/development, energy rating, and utility sectors is also recommended but not required. The position is based in Washington, D.C., and candidates must live within commuting distance of the EPA headquarters. Please use this link to submit your resume, paying careful attention to the EPA’s official resume formatting requirements: https://lnkd.in/egEHRwHV (Note that while the job description in the link does not reference ESRB specifically, we will see your resume if it passes the initial HR screening process.) Learn more about the ESRB program: https://lnkd.in/e2u5WDYj

Need some fresh ideas for engaging employees around energy efficiency? Here’s a quick summary of a webinar in which Nissan discusses how they’ve engaged employees: • Ran a "Save at Home, Save at Work" campaign with videos, newsletters, email communications, and a phone app to give employees energy saving tips and connect actions they can take at home and work. This included monthly energy saving suggestions they publicized through their internal TV network. • Encouraged employees to sign up for ENERGY STAR's Home Energy Yardstick to understand their home energy use and how theirs compares to others'. • Tailored messaging and tips to production line workers with reminders about turning off equipment, lights, and compressed air when not in use. Learn more by listening to our 55-minute recorded webinar at: https://lnkd.in/g4Y9CVq9

Maryland’s first ENERGY STAR NextGen certified homes are here! Built in Ellicott City’s Hampton Hills community, these homes have met the EPA's highest requirements for efficiency and include advanced electric heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, and EV charging capabilities. One of them has even been rated to, on average, generate more energy than it consumes! Celebrate 🎉 this milestone and join us in congratulating Beazer Homes and Baltimore Gas and Electric for bringing the first of these future-forward homes to the citizens of Maryland. Learn more about ENERGY STAR NextGen certification and how you can bring these homes to your customers at: https://lnkd.in/ekkMAavq PC: BGE

Welcome new ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial partners, HARC | Houston Advanced Research Center and May Group! These organizations are teaming with ENERGY STAR to benchmark and improve their energy efficiency. Join them: https://lnkd.in/eV2CdtNm

Your temperature settings are a personal choice, and households should set their temperatures to what feels comfortable. However, if you’re concerned about staying cool AND saving energy this summer, there are several simple and inexpensive solutions to help you achieve this without sacrificing comfort. See what the experts say: https://lnkd.in/eTTTZfTw

#ICYMI, Ozinga Bros. replaced less-efficient lighting with LEDs in their factories and shops. Results: $25K annual savings (with 75% project cost covered by utility rebates). Here are a few tips and best practices they shared during our webinar: - Estimate energy and cost savings before starting - Determine optimal retrofit vs. replace strategy - Include labor costs to maximize utility rebates Learn more by listening to our recorded webinar at: https://lnkd.in/eggQ2-Hg

Heat pump water heaters use up to 70 percent less energy than standard models. Interested in learning more about how you can add this exciting new technology to your homes? Check out the EPA's comprehensive best practice guide to designing and installing heat pump water heaters, developed with input from leading experts from across the country. https://lnkd.in/egXyk_gt PC: Carlos Rivas

Which type of building uses more energy: a parking garage or a self-storage facility? If you guessed parking garage, you’re right! The median parking garage in our sample uses nearly twice as much energy as the median self-storage facility: 32 kBtu of energy per square foot versus 17. These are median, weather-normalized source energy values pulled from thousands of U.S. parking garages and self-storage facilities that use EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager® tool to track and manage their energy use. (Data is anonymous and not verified.) You can dig deeper into this and other data using our new Portfolio Manager Data Explorer tool: https://lnkd.in/gyKHrnn2

The ways we do business have changed in the last few years, but some 2020-era business practices may be here to stay. One example: virtual energy assessments. Our Service and Product Provider partners report that some clients are opting to continue remote strategies due to cost savings, flexibility, and connections with site staff. Here is a summary of the key points from a webinar we hosted on virtual energy assessments: 1. You can use a combination of video calls; shipped testing equipment; building automation system access; and tools like phones, IR cameras, and video goggles to evaluate building performance remotely. 2. Remote verification methods enabled continuity of programs like ENERGY STAR certification, commissioning, retrocommissioning, and troubleshooting during travel restrictions. 3. Remote verification also facilitated detection of indoor air quality and operational issues that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Learn more about the COVID-era strategies you can use today by watching the recorded webinar at: https://lnkd.in/eXbaUf-p