Commercial, Demand Management, Energy Efficiency, Industrial  -  April 10, 2017

GM, Merck, Sears among more than 40 C&I names recognized by Energy Star for sustained excellence

More than 140 business and organizations were recognized by the U.S. EPA and DOE on April 6 for their commitment to saving energy, money and protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements with the announcement of Energy Star's 2017 award winners. 

Of the broader group of 143 organizations that span 34 states and the District of Columbia, 40 large commercial or industrial companies were awarded recognition as Energy Star's "Partner of the Year" or "Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence"  for superior energy management practices. The full list of winners is available on Energy Star's website. 

The list of commercial and industrial companies recognized this year for sustained excellence spanned a variety of industries, including big league names such as General Motors Co., Merck & Co. Inc. and Sears Holdings Corp. In a news release, GM said the company saved $73 million through energy-efficient improvements in 2016 alone, and reduced energy use at its U.S. manufacturing facilities by 10% on a per-vehicle basis compared to the previous year.

C&I winners highlighted in a news release from the EPA and DOE included KB Home, which in 2016 surpassed a total of 100,000 Energy Star certified homes built to-date, with 8,000 homes certified in 2016 alone; and Olin Brass, a manufacturer of copper and copper-alloy sheet, strip, foil, tube and fabricated components, which achieved more than a 6% reduction in energy intensity over the past year for savings of $1 million. 

The awards will be presented in Washington, DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel on April 26. Commonwealth Edison President and CEO Anne Pramaggiore will deliver the keynote presentation. In 2015 alone, Energy Star and all of its partners saved American families and businesses $34 billion on energy bills, while helping states achieve their air quality goals.

Energy Star says it has 16,000 partners working to protect the environment through greater energy efficiency, including manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies and home builders. Since 1992, Energy Star and its partners have saved American families and businesses $430 billion on their energy bills and 4.6 trillion kilowatt-hours of energy, while achieving broad emissions reductions, including 2.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

Editor's note: Energy Star is a Smart Energy Decisions content partner. 

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