LA, DC and SF Top List of Cities with Most Energy Star Buildings

More than 12,600 commercial properties in the United States now meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's standards as Energy Star buildings, and for a third consecutive year Los Angeles tops the agency's list of cities with the most energy efficient buildings.

For a second straight year, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco hold the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, respectively.

The EPA released its annual list today of the 25 cities with the most buildings that have earned Energy Star status in the past year. To qualify for the energy efficiency rating, buildings must perform in the top 25 percent of a nationwide comparison of similar properties, and performance must be independently verified by a registered architect or a licensed professional engineer.

The EPA awarded its first Energy Star for a building in 1999 and has compiled a list of top cities with Energy Star buildings for the past three years.

In addition to charting the number of buildings that earned an Energy Star in the past year, the list tallies the amount of Energy Star-rated floor space and the estimated savings in utility costs resulting from Energy Star-rated buildings.

The EPA's "Top 25" list for 2010, actually includes 26 cities. Austin and Charlotte tied for the 18th spot. Here is the list:

2010 Rank Metro Area Number of Energy Star Labeled Buildings in 2010 Total Floorspace (million sq. ft.) Cost Savings (millions) Emissions Prevented (equal to X-number of homes' electricity use)
1 Los Angeles 510 106.1 $117.90 39,800
2 Washington, DC 301 75.2 $74.20 42,600
3 San Francisco 248 61.4 $75.10 25,600
4 Chicago 232 92.9 $62.70 54,500
5 New York 211 76.4 $86.60 36,500
6 Atlanta 201 51.6 $38.70 38,700
7 Houston 175 70.8 $62.90 47,300
8 Sacramento 168 16.9 $19.10 6,900
9 Detroit 151 27.4 $18.70 17,400
10 Dallas-Fort Worth 148 40.6 $35.20 26,300
11 Denver 146 33.2 $30.50 36,000
12 Boston 145 38.2 $48.70 17,400
13 Minneapolis-St. Paul 141 45.2 $40.00 47,400
14 Philadelphia 125 28.3 $26.50 14,700
15 Portland 114 19 $10.80 7,000
16 Seattle 105 26 $20.20 16,200
17 Phoenix 98 16.3 $15.70 11,900
18 Austin 94 14.8 $13.80 10,100
18 Charlotte 94 14.4 $7.80 7,100
20 San Diego 83 13.4 $14.30 4,300
21 Miami 82 19.7 $19.30 13,800
22 San Jose 69 8.6 $12.70 4,400
23 Des Moines 60 8.3 $3.70 6,000
24 Indianapolis 59 9.6 $5.20 6,200
25 Cincinnati 48 7.3 $5.80 5,200

 

Next Page: A look at the Top 10 Energy Star cities.