BOMA International honored as the first real estate association to receive the Partner of the Year award
(Washington, D.C.—March 5, 2007) The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named BOMA International as an ENERGY STAR 2007 Partner of the Year for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by promoting energy management in commercial buildings through the BOMA Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP). BOMA International, the first real estate association to receive a Partner of the Year award, will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 21, 2007.
BOMA International, an ENERGY STAR Partner since 2005, is being honored for helping building owners and managers reduce energy use by promoting energy management practices through BEEP, an innovative operational excellence program that teaches commercial real estate professionals how to reduce energy consumption and costs with proven no-and low-cost strategies for optimizing equipment, people and practices. To date, more than 5,000 commercial real estate professionals have participated in the BEEP seminars.
“As an ENERGY STAR partner we want to spread the word about making buildings more energy efficient,” remarked BOMA International Chairman and Chief Elected Officer Kurt R. Padavano, RPA, CPM, FMA, SMA, and Chief Operating Officer of Advance Realty Group of Bedminster, N.J. “The BEEP seminars are transforming the industry as building owners and managers now have the tools and techniques to put quantifiable reductions in energy consumption. Tracking and benchmarking a building’s energy use and improving energy efficiency have tremendous benefits for building owners, tenants and the environment.”
The ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Energy Efficiency Program Delivery Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings. Award winners are selected from thousands of organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
Last year alone, Americans with the help of ENERGY STAR saved $14 billion on their energy bills and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 25 million vehicles.
“We applaud BOMA for their leadership in promoting energy management to its members,” said Bill Wehrum, acting assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. “Because buildings contribute about 20 percent of our national greenhouse gas emissions, effective energy management helps the bottom line and protects our environment.”
Three BOMA Member Companies are also being honored:
USAA Real Estate Company - 2007 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award. This is the fifth year that USAA Real Estate Company has been honored.
- Transwestern - 2007 Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award. This is the fourth year that Transwestern has been honored.
- Jones Lang LaSalle – 2007 Energy Star Partner of the Year for Energy Management.
USAA Real Estate Company and Transwestern were active participants in the creation of BEEP.
For more information on BOMA International’s BEEP program, visit www.boma.org/TrainingAndEducation/BEEP/
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The Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International is an international federation of 91 local associations and affiliated organizations. BOMA’s 16,500-plus members own or manage more than 9 billion square feet of commercial properties in North America and throughout the world. The mission of BOMA International is to enhance the human, intellectual and physical assets of the commercial real estate industry through advocacy, education, research, standards and information. Founded in 1907, BOMA International celebrates 100 years of commercial real estate in 2007. Learn more at www.boma.org.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in
1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today the program offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 9,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
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For Further Information:
Laura Horsley, (202) 326-6315
lhorsley@boma.org
Maria Vargas, (202) 343-9451
vargas.maria@epa.gov