Thursday April 1, 2010
More than 100 participants completed competition to increase energy efficiency
This evening at the Frazier International History Museum, Mayor Jerry Abramson, along with members of the Louisville Energy Alliance and the Environmental Protection Agency recognized the winners and participants in Louisville’s inaugural Kilowatt Crackdown competition.
The competition challenged building owners and operators in Metro Louisville to mark their energy use and strive to become more energy efficient, using the EPA’s ENERGY STAR resources, including Portfolio Manager and on-line benchmarking tools.
Participants began by recording their energy use from January through December 2008. That information was used as a guide for improved energy efficiency in the 2009 calendar year.
Judges reviewed the data to determine the winners of three categories: Greatest Improvement in Efficiency, Most Efficient Building, and the Kilowatt Cup.
The Kilowatt Cup recognizes superior achievement in energy management, overcoming unique obstacles and/or emphasizing energy efficiency through no-and-low-cost practices.
The 102 buildings that completed the contest saved 4,766,977 kilowatt hours (KWh) in 2009 over their energy use in 2008. That is the equivalent to 3, 423 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to:
· the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 655 passenger vehicles
· CO2 emissions from 385,092 gallons of gas consumed
· CO2 emissions from the electricity use of 415 homes for one year
“I congratulate not only the winners, but all participants in the Kilowatt Crackdown for their hard work,” said Abramson. “It is the city of Louisville that comes out ahead in this contest. I know this is just the beginning of our push to become more energy efficient.”
The Louisville Energy Alliance, a partnership between Metro Government and several major commercial building associations oversees the Kilowatt Crackdown. Representatives and resources from the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program also played a key role.
Earlier this month, Metro Government was named an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the EPA. The agency recognized the Kilowatt Crackdown and the work of the Louisville Energy Alliance as major accomplishments in earning the award.
The 2009 Kilowatt Crackdown Award Winners:
Most Efficient Building
Hotel
The Seelbach Hilton Louisville
Office
Hines, AEGON Center
Medical Office
Watterson Medical Center
Supermarket
Kroger, Westport Road
School (K-12)
Myers Middle School, JCPS
Retail
Office Environment Company
Warehouse
Eagle Paper
Most Improved Building
Hotel
Marriott Louisville Downtown
Office
UPS, Air Group Building
Supermarket
Kroger, Goss Avenue
School (K-12)
Hawthorne Elementary, JCPS
Kilowatt Cup Winner
The Fetter Group, Fetter East
The deadline to participate in the 2010 Kilowatt Crackdown is April 30th. Please visit www.louisvilleenergyalliance.com for information.