Imagine the TV show “The Biggest Loser,” only the contestants are big buildings, and instead of competing to shed unwanted pounds, it’s a race to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
That is how Maura Beard, director of strategic communications for Energy Star, describes the Environmental Protection Agency’s national“Battle of the Buildings” competition, which celebrated its successes thus far last week with a midpoint weigh-in for the contenders.
Collectively, the 245 competing buildings are said to have already saved $3.7 million on their utility bills — equivalent to the annual energy consumption of over 2,300 homes.
Commercial buildings are generally energy overeaters. They account for nearly 20 percent of all energy consumed in the country, and about one-third of that is completely wasted, the program says — lights left on in empty conference rooms, for example, or multistory buildings that are fully air-conditioned in the dead of night.
An estimated $300 million in energy is wasted by commercial buildings each year. But unlike homeowners, who face the consequences from cranking up the AC when their utility bills arrive, managers and workers can be lazy about switching off lights or turning up the thermostat and not necessarily feel it in their wallets.
That is why interval meters, which report energy use every 15 minutes, have become hugely popular among entrants in this year’s competition, Ms. Beard said.
Such meters have been introduced, for example, at Coal Ridge High School in New Castle, Colo., a leading contender that has cut its energy use by about 10.5 percent.
“It’s really empowering for everyone at the school,” said Theresa Hamilton, director of district wide services for the local school district. The school has also retrofitted its light fixtures to be more energy-efficient.
“The interval meters let us measure how installing occupancy sensors, and switching to more efficient lighting is helping to cut costs,” she said. “It also gets the kids really excited because they get instant feedback and can see how every little thing they do can help the school win.”
Last year, just 14 buildings entered the competition. This year’s 245 entrants represent 12 different categories, from hospitals to schools to banks to churches.
Last year’s winner was a college dorm, Morrison Residence Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which is said to have reduced its energy consumption by 36 percent. This year, the top contender, a garage complex at the University of Central Florida, is reported to have already reduced its energy consumption by 31 percent.
Ms. Beard said this year’s competitors ran the gamut in age as well. “We have buildings this year that were built in the 1800s and others that are only a few years old,” she said, “and every one of them is finding ways to improve efficiency, reduce waste and save money.”
The winner is to be announced in November.
