I've recently studied the status of energy efficiency in Atlanta's private office buildings. It seems that the Atlanta area is just beginning to realize the potential of increasing energy efficiency in its existing buildings. You may be familiar with the Energy Star certification program, which provides a third-party endorsement of a building's level of energy efficiency. This certification is an excellent goal for any building - especially since there are documented studies that demonstrate powerful financial benefits for buildings which achieve the certification. Check out these links!
CoStar Study Finds Energy Star, LEED Bldgs. Outperform PeersDoing Well by Doing Good? An analysis of the financial performance of green office buildings in the USA.Interestingly, only 16% of metro Atlanta's approximate 190,000,000 square feet of office space has ever achieved the Energy Star certification. In fact, nearly all of this has occurred since 2007, when interest in achieving the Energy Star certification appears to have reached a critical mass. This certification should be maintained each year by re-certifying the building. In 2008, only 10% of office space was current with their certification.
I believe the metro Atlanta area has an opportunity to voluntarily increase the energy efficiency of our existing buildings now. The only thing we have to lose are the high energy bills.
