by Brianna Crandall — February 2, 2015—Building on President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced January 29 that more than 20 new partners, some in sectors new to the program, have committed to improving energy efficiency across their respective building portfolios by 20 percent over the next ten years.
These new partners, including the six multifamily partners announced by the White House earlier the same day, bring with them fresh perspective and leadership in newly represented sectors, spanning over 70 million square feet of fast-food, restaurant, manufacturing, university, and government facilities. As leaders in energy efficiency, partners will work with the Department to share their successful efficiency strategies and help pave the way for other organizations to follow.
Spanning 1.7 billion square feet, food service facilities in the United States consume 400 trillion BTUs of energy annually, representing a significant opportunity for energy savings. Restaurant and fast-food owners including Arby’s and CKE Restaurants, the owner of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s, are partnering with the DOE to improve the efficiency of the food service sector. Facebook, another new partner, will focus on infrastructure upgrades across its entire suite of data centers.
These partners, and the other organizations joining the Better Buildings Challenge today, will work with the Energy Department to achieve portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful, cost-effective strategies to maximize building efficiency:
- AHEAD, Inc., Littleton, NH, commits 190,000 sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
- Arby’s Restaurant Group, Inc., Atlanta, GA, commits over 2.5 million sq. ft. as a food service partner.
- Bank of America, San Francisco, CA, commits $1.5 billion dollars as a financial ally.
- Celanese Corporation, Irving, TX, commits 8 manufacturing plants.
- Chesapeake Community College, Wye Mills, MD, commits 320,000 sq. ft.
- City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, commits 15 million sq. ft. of building floor space.
- CKE Restaurants Holdings, Carpinteria, CA, commits over 2.5 million sq. ft. as a food service partner.
- Commercial Power Partners, Los Angeles, CA, commits $50 million as a financial ally.
- Community Investment Corporation, Chicago, IL, commits $25 million dollars as a financial ally.
- Facebook, Menlo Park, CA, commits 10 data centers.
- Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, FL, commits 3 million sq. ft. as a higher education partner.
- Gragg Cardona Partners, Washington, DC, commits 49,000 sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
- Holcim (U.S.) Inc. Bedford, MA, commits 12 manufacturing plants.
- Housing Authority of the Birmingham District, AL, commits 3 million sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
- King County, WA, Seattle, WA, commit over 5.5 million sq. ft. of building floor space.
- Las Vegas Sands Corporation commits over 19.5 million sq. ft. as a hospitality partner.
- Newark Housing Authority, Newark, NJ, commits over 1 million sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
- PACE Equity, Milwaukee, WI, commits $25 million dollars as a financial ally.
- Parkway Properties, Orlando, FL, commits 18 million sq. ft. of commercial real estate.
- Rockwell Finance, Centennial, CO, commits $25 million dollars as a financial ally.
- Structured Finance, Los Angeles, CA, commits $150 million dollars as a financial ally.
- The DeBruler Co., Libertyville, IL, commits 700,000 sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
- The JBG Companies commits 12.5 million sq. ft. of commercial real estate.
- Windsor Locks Housing Authority, CT, commits 72,000 sq. ft. of multifamily housing.
A cornerstone of the President’s Climate Action Plan, the Better Buildings Challenge supports the Obama Administration’s goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating corporate and public sector leaders across the country to save energy through commitments and investments.
More than 250 organizations are partnering with the DOE to achieve 20 percent portfolio-wide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. Across the country, Better Buildings Challenge partners are deploying energy efficiency projects at more than 9,000 facilities, with more than 2,100 buildings improving efficiency by least 20 percent, and another 4,500 by at least 10 percent, compared with their baseline years.
