WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the winner of its third annual Energy Star National Building Competition — Demarest Elementary School, Bloomfield, N.J., which documented a 52.1 percent reduction in energy use.

More than 3,000 schools, businesses, and government buildings across the country competed to see which could reduce its energy use the most in one year. Demarest Elementary School won by identifying and addressing a number of mechanical issues and energy management measures that added up to significant energy and cost savings. Together, this year’s entrants saved more than 3 billion kBtus of energy, cut their energy costs by more than $50 million, and reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to the amount of electricity used by more than 43,000 homes.

“The impressive results of the National Building Competition help show that any building can take simple steps to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings where we all work, play, and learn,” said EPA Acting Administrator Bob Perciasepe. “All of the participants in the Energy Star National Building Competition are finding more and more ways to cut energy use, saving thousands of dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.”

The top overall finishers, with their location, type of building, and percent-based reduction in energy use are:

• Demarest Elementary School, Bloomfield, N.J. (K-12 School) 52.1 percent

• AAFES Ft. Hood Warrior Way Express Store B85001, Ft. Hood, Texas (Other building type) 48.5 percent

• Toms River Verizon Wireless, Toms River, N.J. (Retail store) 43.1 percent

• Shamrock Springs Elementary School, Westfield, Ind. (K-12 school) 42.1 percent

• Hemphill Water Treatment Plant & Pumping Station, Atlanta (Other building type) 40.6 percent

• Kmart store #4863, Gillette, Wyo. (Retail store) 40.2 percent

• Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Courthouse, Newark, N.J. (Courthouse) 36.8 percent

• Craigmont High School, Memphis, Tenn. (K-12 school) 34.6 percent

• San Antonio Federal Building, San Antonio (Office) 34.4 percent

• Bloomfield Middle School, Bloomfield, N.J. (K-12 school) 34.3 percent

• North Carolina Area Health Education Center Building, Chapel Hill, N.C. (Office) 34.3 percent

• Walsh & Associates Inc., St. Louis (Warehouse) 34.0 percent

• Kmart store #9348, Norridge, Ill. (Retail store) 33.4 percent

• Customer Care and Aftersales, Ypsilanti, Mich. (Warehouse) 31.0 percent

• Kmart store #7499, Mt. Vernon, Ohio (Retail store) 30.8 percent

Eighty-nine buildings in the competition demonstrated energy use reductions of 20 percent or greater. In addition to energy reductions, nearly 400 competitors also tracked and reduced their water consumption, with help from EPA’s WaterSense program. Leading the pack was Webster Bank’s Oak St. Office in Brockton, Mass., which reduced its water use by 80 percent.

The 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition measured energy performance for the entire 2012 calendar year. Competitors tracked their buildings' monthly energy consumption using EPA's online energy tracking tool, Energy Star Portfolio Manager. The energy use reductions for each top finisher were verified by an independent professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition.

For more information, visit www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings.

Publication date: 4/29/2013