On April 15, 2008, Summit County joined the ENERGY STAR Challenge. EPA issued the ENERGY STAR Challenge to call on building owners across the country to improve the efficiency of their buildings by 10% or more. EPA estimates that if each building owner met this challenge, by 2015 Americans would reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 15 million vehicles, while saving about $10 billion.

By joining the ENERGY STAR Challenge Summit County is leading by example by striving to enhance the energy efficiency of county facilities by 10% by 2015. By joining this challenge Summit County is receiving assistance from the National Association of Counties through the NACo ENERGY STAR Courthouse Campaign to help us create an energy usage baseline for our county buildings. Summit County will be using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager system to help rate building energy performance in our County Buildings.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. Because a strategic approach to energy management can produce twice the savings for the bottom line and the environment as in typical approaches, EPA’s ENERGY STAR partnership offers a proven energy management strategy that helps in measuring current energy performances, setting goals, tracking savings, and rewarding improvements.

For further information on this program, go to the ENERGY STAR website at: www.energystar.gov