Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared in the Summer issue of The WaterSense Current enewsletter.
WASHINGTON — Since 2010, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s National Building Competition has challenged commercial building owners across the nation in a head-to-head battle to see who can reduce their energy use the most. But with hotels, retail stores, office buildings, hospitals, and other commercial/institutional buildings accounting for approximately17 percent of publicly supplied water use, it made sense to add water to the mix.
This year, WaterSense and ENERGY STAR are teaming up to challenge commercial buildings to reduce energy and water use in the 2012 Battle of the Buildings. The competition’s new “top water saver” category gives competing facilities a chance to demonstrate how reductions in water use can have a positive impact on their communities.
Battle of the Buildings participants who have signed up for the water saver challenge will submit their water use data for calendar year 2011, then work to reduce water use throughout the year while measuring their progress in ENERGY STAR’s online tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. To learn how to others are reducing and to share their progress, participating building owners and managers can join monthly networking sessions.
As building owners install new water-saving measures during the competition, they have the opportunity to educate residents, employees, students, and other facility users about water efficiency. For example, as a 2011 Battle of the Buildings competitor, the University of North Carolina introduced a shower timer to its students. The inexpensive feature educated students on how they can save water and the energy used to heat it by shortening their shower times.
To earn the distinction of top water saver, a building must have the greatest percent reduction in water use indoors, outdoors, or a combination of both. Participants who improve their building’s overall energy efficiency by 20 percent will be listed on ENERGY STAR’s website. The 2012 top water savers will be announced in April 2013, along with top energy savers.
Find out more about commercial and institutional water efficiency and look for WaterSense’s best water management practices for commercial and institutional facilities, coming this fall!
