Ohio has 96 buildings on the Energy Star list, Minnesota 77, Wisconsin 70, Illinois 68, Michigan 36 and Indiana 16. They are among more than 2,500 buildings nationwide that received Energy Star status in 2005.
The Region 5 buildings represent almost 63 million square feet. They are saving an estimated $42 million in lower energy bills and preventing 247 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to emissions from about 75,000 vehicles, according to the EPA.
Nationally, 2005's Energy Star buildings represent 482 million square feet and are saving an estimated $349 million annually in lower energy bills while meeting industry standards for comfort and indoor air quality. The buildings are preventing 1.8 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to emissions from 540,000 vehicles.
The EPA says that commercial buildings account for more than 17 percent of the country's greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Star-qualified buildings generally use up to 40 percent less energy than typical buildings. Building owners earn the Energy Star by scoring in the top 25 percent on EPA's energy performance rating system. The scores are based on actual energy use.
