DOE recognizes Staples for energy efficiency efforts
The Department of Energy is applauding Staples for its energy efficiency measures at the Coppell Fulfillment Center near Dallas. According to the DOE, through the Better Buildings Challenge, building owners and managers are charged with making their commercial building, multifamily housing, and industrial plants and facilities at least 20% more energy efficient over the next 10 years. Office supply company Staples has committed to reducing energy intensity by 25% in more than 1,700 of its buildings in the next ten years. To date, Staples has improved the energy efficiency of 800 facilities by more than 10%.
“Partners in the Better Buildings Challenge are leading by example, showing firsthand how energy efficiency improvements can help businesses cut energy waste and pollution and stay competitive in global markets,” said Dave Danielson, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy. “The investments made by partners like Staples through the Better Buildings Challenge are helping to save millions in energy waste and build a more sustainable, cleaner energy economy.”
As part of its participation in the Better Buildings Challenge, Staples is conducting retrofits in facilities across the United States. At the Coppell Fulfillment Center, Staples deployed an “Eco-Treasure Hunt” program to identify cost-effective ways to save energy in the 245,000-sq-ft warehouse building. Staples then implemented a number of efficiency measures including installing LEDs in loading docks and highly efficient fans.
“Staples is one of the most sustainable operations in the world and our involvement in the Better Buildings Challenge helps complement our existing work to be even more sustainable,” said Bob Valair, Staples’ director of energy and environment management. “We’re committed to leading the way for safer and more productive workplaces and reducing energy in our facilities across the country.”
These strategies have cut the Coppell Fulfillment Center’s energy costs by 26% annually and saved more than $65,000 on energy bills. Staples is now implementing these strategies at other fulfillment centers across the country.
President Obama launched the Better Buildings Challenge in 2011 to spur change in energy use. More than 170 organizations are partnering with the Department of Energy to achieve portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency. The DOE says that Better Buildings Challenge partners are actively deploying energy efficiency strategies in more than 7,700 facilities to date. Of these, Better Buildings Challenge Partners have reduced energy intensity by 20% or more in more than 1,300 facilities, while also reducing energy intensity by at least 10% in another 2,100 since their baseline years.
Find more information about the Better Buildings Challenge, visit www.energy.gov/betterbuildingschallenge.
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