"Energy efficiency is important to us because it's at the core of our business - we help our clients create more sustainable workspaces by offering furniture and architectural interior solutions that contribute significantly to achieving LEED certification, as well as a broad range of "green" office products. Not only is containing our own energy usage both the right thing to do as well as financially advantageous, we have a responsibility to "walk the talk" and be an example to our customers."

Laura Radcliffe, Office Products Specialist

Office Environment Company

"Strategy 1 of the Governor’s 7-point plan sets a goal of meeting 18% of Kentucky’s energy needs by the year 2025 through energy efficiency. Lee Colten, Assistant Director of the Division of Efficiency and Conservation says that “The energy efficiency activities of the Louisville Energy Alliance and partners are excellent examples of how private initiatives can help achieve the Governor’s efficiency goal. This is why the Department of Energy Development and Independence so enthusiastically supports the Louisville Energy Alliance."

Lee Colten,

Assistant Director

State of KY, Department for Energy Development and Independence

What is ENERGY STAR?

The City of Louisville is a proud partner of ENERGY STAR®, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) program that helps us all save energy and money with tested and proven energy-efficient products and practices. Through ENERGY STAR, EPA delivers no-cost tools and resources to help businesses and organizations reduce energy use, save money, and help fight global climate change.

Why Energy Efficiency?

When lights are left on and the heating and cooling system runs in an unoccupied building, energy is wasted. When this happens, a power plant down the road burns fossil fuels to generate that energy and sends emissions into our environment. The buildings where we work, play, and educate our children are responsible for almost half of our national emissions that contribute to global climate change.

Yet up to 30 percent of energy used in these buildings is wasted. EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps you measure current energy performance, set goals, track savings, and reward improvements.

How Can ENERGY STAR Help My Organization?

Good energy management is good business. After all, nearly 30 percent of Fortune 500 companies are ENERGY STAR partners. [Insert sector-specific energy use fact.] By being more energy efficient, you can save money, improve productivity, and help protect the environment.

Consider that buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR:

• Use, on average, about 35 percent less energy than typical buildings.

• Cost 50 cents less per square foot to operate.

• Have higher occupancy rates, increased asset value, and lower carbon emissions.

ENERGY STAR is the Solution

ENERGY STAR provides the tools and resources to help you identify areas for improving energy efficiency and develop a strategic energy management plan. Get started today by following these steps:

• Join as an ENERGY STAR partner.

• Establish a comprehensive energy management program using the Guidelines for Energy Management.

• Measure and track energy performance using Portfolio Manager and compare your building's energy performance against similar buildings nationwide using EPA's 1 to 100 energy performance scale.

• Estimate returns on energy efficiency improvements with the Cash Flow Opportunity calculator.

• Perform cost-effective building upgrades with the Building Upgrade Manual.

• Design new buildings to be energy-efficient with Target Finder.

• Earn the ENERGY STAR for your building.

• Become an ENERGY STAR Leader.

• Communicate about your successes using the ENERGY STAR Challenge toolkit.