Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy today announced that the Harold L. Joyce County Office Building has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR certification, which signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets EPA energy efficiency performance levels.
"The EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification is recognition of the county’s commitment to make county buildings and facilities more energy efficient,” said McCoy. "It has been my priority to advance environmental stewardship, lower energy costs and save taxpayer dollars.”
“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment, “ said Jean Lupinacci, Chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.”
Albany County worked with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, National Grid and ENERGY Star to find ways to make the building more energy efficient and save the county $285,000 per year in energy and maintenance costs.
Over the past decade, the county partnered with NYSERDA and National Grid to conduct a comprehensive energy audit and to implement energy-related upgrades including: office and common area lighting/controls, elevator drive systems, and a complete Building Automation System (BAS).
The investments made in 112 State Street resulted in an annual savings of over 1.8 million kilowatt hours. The project was completed under budget and on schedule and the county realizes an estimated $235,000 in energy costs and $50,000 in maintenance savings every year. Additionally, the buildings EPA Portfolio Manager score was raised to 96, resulting in the award of ENERGY STAR certification for 2015.
EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance scale helps organizations determine how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, banks, data centers, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, houses of worship, and warehouses.
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