WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that the University of Central Florida (UCF) is the winner of EPA’s 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. In its second year, the competition had teams from 245 buildings across the country competing head-to-head to save energy and reduce costs. UCF’s winning building was a parking garage on the university’s main campus where energy use was decreased by 63.2 percent.

“All of the Energy Star National Building Competition participants are seizing the opportunities energy efficiency presents to cut pollution and save money. Congratulations to the University of Central Florida for leading the way,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Increasing energy efficiency is a key strategy for securing our nation’s energy future, and Energy Star can help everyone from homeowners and small businesses to big buildings cut energy use and protect health by reducing air pollution.”

EPA noted that, from improvements in operations and maintenance to upgrades in equipment and technology, the competitors saved a combined total of more than 240 million kBtus of energy and $5.2 million on utility bills annually.

The top overall finishers and their percent-based reductions in energy use include:

• University of Central Florida, Parking Garage C, Orlando, Fla. - 63.2 percent

• Twinsburg High School and Sports Complex, Twinsburg, Ohio - 46.3 percent

• Polaris Career Center, Middleburg Heights, Ohio - 43.4 percent

• Hartman Elementary School, Wylie, Texas - 43.2 percent

• Scientific Instruments, West Palm Beach, Fla. - 42.2 percent

• Fannie Mae Office Building, Washington, D.C. - 34.6 percent

• Office Depot, Plano, Texas - 34.1 percent

• North Suburban Medical Office Building, Thornton, Colo. - 33.7 percent

• Office Depot, Raleigh, N.C. - 33.1 percent

• Kokomo High School, Kokomo, Ind. - 32.3 percent

Competitors tracked their building’s monthly energy consumption using EPA’s Energy Star online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. The energy use intensity and square footage for each top overall finisher was verified by an independently licensed professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition. This marks the second year a university has won the competition. In 2010, Morrison Residence Hall at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill won the competition, reducing energy use by more than 35 percent.

For more information on the 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition, including top overall finishers and top finishers by building category, visit www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings.

Publication date: 11/28/2011