WASHINGTON - The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring the first national energy efficiency contest of its kind, the National Building Competition, featuring 14 commercial buildings from across the country. The building that sheds the most energy waste on a percentage basis will be declared the winner.

Nearly 200 applications were received for EPA’s National Building Competition and the 14 finalists will be judged on their energy performance from Sept. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010. The energy use of each building is being monitored with EPA’s Energy Star online energy measurement and tracking tool, Portfolio Manager.

The National Building Competition contestants are:

• 522 Fifth Avenue Building, New York

• 1525 Wilson Boulevard Building, Arlington, Va.

• Crystal River Elementary School, Carbondale, Colo.

• Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown, San Diego

• JCPenney Store 1778, Orange, Calif.

• Maplewood Mall, St. Paul, Minn.

• Memorial Arts Building at the Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta

• Morrison Residence Hall at UNC Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, N.C.

• Sears, Glen Burnie, Md.

• Sheraton Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas

• Solon Family Health Center at the Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland

• Tucker Residence Hall at North Carolina State University, Raleigh, N.C.

• Van Holten Primary School, Bridgewater, N.J.

• Virginia Beach Convention Center, Virginia Beach, Va.

The competition website will provide profiles of each contestant and chronicle their progress as well as feature advice for contestants from the EPA and leading building efficiency specialists. Each building will also participate in mid-point and final contest evaluations and the results will be posted online at the competition website.

To follow the contest, visit www.energystar.gov/buildingcontest. To learn more about EPA’s Energy Star program for commercial buildings, visit www.energystar.gov/buildings.

Publication date: 05/03/2010