Columbia Association Earns ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence from EPA and DOE
Posted: April 9, 2019 in Chains
Columbia Association
COLUMBIA, MD – Columbia Association (CA) is proud to receive the 2019 ENERGY STAR Award for Excellence for important contributions to energy efficiency. CA will be honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy at a ceremony on April 11 in Washington, D.C.
“We are thrilled to be recognized as a leader in reducing energy consumption, lowering utility costs and protecting the environment,” said Jeremy Scharfenberg, CA’s energy manager. “Over the past five years, CA has worked aggressively to advance clean energy practices and promote ENERGY STAR programs in the community.”
CA became an ENERGY STAR Partner and created a formal energy management program in 2012. Since then, CA’s energy use has decreased by 20%, while its carbon footprint has been reduced by more than half. CA has also engaged with the community to be more energy-efficient.
CA’s community engagement initiatives included:
- Promoting ENERGY STAR products and programs, and associated commercial and residential rebate opportunities.
- Advocating for energy efficiency and clean energy at 22 community events, including quarterly community energy meetings.
- Promoting the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.
“I applaud the 2019 ENERGY STAR award winners,” said Bill Wehrum, the EPA’s assistant administrator for air and radiation. “Their innovation and leadership enhance America’s economic competitiveness. Reducing costly energy waste improves air quality and public health while protecting the environment.”
CA’s outreach efforts recognize that the community can have a far greater impact on the environment than Columbia Association’s efforts alone. During one recent 12-month period, CA’s total energy consumption — electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, gasoline, and diesel — was equal to that of more than 900 homes of average square footage. Columbia’s population, meanwhile, includes approximately 40,000 households. Learn more about CA’s energy and watershed programs at ColumbiaAssociation.org/sustainability.
