Project Details

Energy Star Research and Outreach

ICMA provides knowledge resources, articles and other content about ENERGY STAR to local government and community practitioners. ICMA utilizes our substantial communication and outreach channels, including e-newsletters, social media, ICMA website, and print publications to feed the local government marketplace with the latest appropriate resources for local governments. Original content created for this project has been developed to assist local government officials to attain greater energy efficiency for their community members through ENERGY STAR's various program offerings.

Original Publications

Reports and Case Studies

• Infographic: Energy Efficiency Checklist for Local Governments: This checklist provides a simple yet broad list of steps to improve energy efficiency in communities. It is available as a downloadable pdf and includes links to many useful resources for local governments.
• Local Governments and EPA's ENERGY STAR National Building Competition (2014): This publication has been developed to assist local governments to attain greater energy efficiency for their community members through ENERGY STAR program offerings. The report includes a description of the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR annual National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings and includes case studies of three local governments that have participated in the competition - Charlotte, NC; Cary, NC; and Hillsborough County, FL.
• ENERGY STAR Case Study - Charlotte, NC (2013): This case study provides an account of the experience of local government staff obtaining ENERGY STAR certification for the Government Center building in Charlotte, NC.
• ENERGY STAR Case Study - Farmington Hills, MI (2013): This case study describes how Farmington Hills, Michigan, has integrated ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager into its energy saving initiatives and direct cost savings into the city's Sustainability Fund.
• ENERGY STAR Case Study - Lawrence and Douglas County, KS (2013): This case study describes how communities of Lawrence, KS, and Douglas County, KS, have worked both separately and inter-jurisdictionally to achieve greater energy efficiency using ENERGY STAR programs. Specifically, the use of Portfolio Manager has allowed both jurisdictions to effectively monitor and decrease their energy use, identify areas for improvement, and increase transparency and engage the community in energy-saving initiatives.
• ENERGY STAR Case Study – Kansas City, MO (2016): This case study, Creating a Cost-Effective and Energy Efficient Kansas City with EPA's ENERGY STAR, highlights the work Kansas City has done in partnership with ENERGY STAR over the last several years to improve the energy efficiency of its municipal buildings.

Podcasts

• ENERGY STAR in Farmington Hills, Michigan (2013): This podcast features Nate Geinzer, Assistant to the City Manager in Farmington Hills, Michigan, talking about his community's decision to utilize ENERGY STAR programs to achieve greater energy efficiency and sustainability and the challenges and benefits associated with this initiative.

Additional Resources You Can Use in Your Community:

• ENERGY STAR Partnership allows access to promotional materials and co-branding opportunities for increased recognition.
• ENERGY STAR Menu of Offerings - In this two-page table, EPA's ENERGY STAR program provides an overview of the many tools and resources offered to help organizations save money, improve energy efficiency, and fight climate change.
• Portfolio Manager EPA's energy measurement and tracking tool enables strategic energy management and use of key performance indicators at no cost.
• ENERGY STAR Energy Efficiency Competition Guide helps local governments understand how to plan, implement, and market their own energy efficiency competition.
• ENERGY STAR Certification is available to eligible buildings that score in the top 25 percent in energy efficiency.
• EPA's National Building Competition is a nationwide competition among commercial buildings to reduce energy and water use.
• EPA's Benchmarking and Building Performance Standards (BPS) Policy Toolkit informs decision makers who are considering adopting policies focused on reducing energy use and emissions from existing commercial and multifamily buildings.

Funder:  The Cadmus Group through a mission support contract with EPA

Contact: Scott Annis