PLANO, Texas — JCPenney announced that it has achieved Energy Star certifications at over 500 stores, one supply chain facility, and its home office, surpassing the company’s initial goal of having 400 locations certified by the end of 2013. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards Energy Star certifications to buildings that rank within the top 25 percent of similar commercial buildings nationwide by meeting strict energy performance levels set by the EPA.

“We are very pleased to be recognized with the 2013 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award, an honor we’ve received five years in a row,” said Katheryn Burchett, senior vice president of property development. “Our stores that proudly display the Energy Star label generate fewer greenhouse emissions than non-certified structures, and each certified building saves the company thousands of dollars in energy costs every year.”

JCPenney has taken a number of steps to drive energy efficiency at the store level, including advanced metering technologies that track electricity usage and in-store energy management systems. In addition, JCPenney has installed rooftop solar energy systems at 12 retail locations.