Orlando, FL (May 17, 2017) — The Central Florida Energy-Efficiency Alliance (CFEEA), in partnership with the U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Program, announced today the opening of the registration for the Central Florida Battle of the Buildings (BOTB).
Building owners, managers and operators will be encouraged to implement energy- and water-saving techniques, such as continuous benchmarking, slight operational changes. or even lighting upgrades to increase their efficiency. Awards will be given to the buildings that achieve the greatest reduction in 16 categories of participation tied to the tracking of energy and water reduction and waste diversion Additional awards will be given for “Highest Portfolio Manager Score” and “Best Overall” (the latter category for those participants that are also tracking waste reduction).
The friendly, no-cost competition will feature commercial and multifamily building owners and managers across Central Florida vying to receive recognition amongst peers and local governments for reducing energy and water consumption in buildings throughout Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Osceola, and Polk Counties.
The BOTB is an evolution of the Kilowatt Crackdown, an award-winning regional energy-saving competition held by CFEEA in 2011, that was designed to encourage and recognize energy-efficiency practices in buildings in the broad Central Florida region. This year, BOTB will also be including water and waste reduction to encourage holistic sustainability in the built environment, as well as new eligible building categories, including apartments and condominiums.
The competition will run from July 1 through December 31, 2017, and the results will be presented at an awards ceremony in early 2018. Registration for BOTB closes on June 30, 2017.
“The City of Orlando is excited to participate in the Central Florida Battle of the Buildings and sign up more than 50 city-owned buildings to encourage other participants to join in,” said Chris Castro, Director of Sustainability for the City of Orlando. “Benchmarking buildings for improved performance will ultimately help any participating building owner to lower energy and water usage and save money. As the saying goes, you can’t manage what you don’t measure.”
The biggest-loser style competition will allow regional businesses to celebrate their successes in energy and water efficiency, as well as the thousands of dollars saved in lower utility bills, creating a spotlight to encourage all businesses to “go green” and reduce their energy and water use. All information gathered during the Battle will be submitted and tracked through the free, online ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager tracking software.
The Central Florida Battle of the Buildings was created by the Central Florida Energy Efficiency Alliance (CFEEA), a community-wide alliance of local governments, academic institutions, utilities, professional organizations, and private entities committed to advancing sustainable business practices, focusing on energy and water efficiency, throughout the Central Florida region. CFEEA is a committee of USGBC Florida.
“Buildings consume nearly half of all energy in the United States. By focusing on energy efficiency, the battle of the buildings will save money and have a very positive impact on our environment,” said Mike Hess, Chair of USGBC Florida. “Those who compete in Battle of the Buildings absolutely will gain a better understanding of how their building consumes resources.”
For information on how to enter the competition or become a program partner, visit www.CFBOTB.org or contact cfeea.cf.usgbc@gmail.com or lcooke@usgbcflorida.org. …
The U.S. Green Building Council Florida Chapter, a nonprofit (501[c][3]) organization, embraces innovative building practices that conserve land, energy, water, resources and materials. Its Mission is to transform the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated, enabling an environmentally and socially responsible, healthy, and prosperous environment that improves the quality of life. USGBC Florida has more than 15,000 members, volunteers and friends providing educational programs and market transformation services to the Sunshine State from seven Regions — Central Florida, Florida Capital, Florida Gulf Coast, Heart of Florida, Northeast Florida, Northern Gulf Coast, and South Florida. Contacts: Lee Cooke (Executive Director, 561-373-7367, lcooke@usgbcflorida.org) and Sarah Boren (Director of Policy and Programs, 904-535-0055, sboren@usgbcflorida.org).