(NEW YORK) – Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that 522 5th Avenue in New York City has been selected to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) first national competition among commercial buildings to save energy and fight climate change. In the spirit of popular weight-loss competitions, 522 5th Avenue will compete against 13 other buildings across the country to “work off the waste” through improvements in energy efficiency with help from the EPA’s ENERGY STAR® program. The building that sheds the most energy waste on a percentage basis will be recognized as the winner of the EPA’s National Building Competition in late October 2010.
"We’re excited to have been selected as one of only two commercial building contestants in the competition,” said Hines Senior Vice President George Lancaster. "This kind of fun-spirited competition is a great tool to build awareness among our building occupants, so that we can partner to drive down energy consumption.”
Nearly 200 buildings applied to participate in the National Building Competition, which will judge the energy performance of the 14 finalists from September 1, 2009 to August 31, 2010. The energy use of each building is being monitored with the EPA’s online measurement and tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. Contestants will receive technical assistance from the EPA as well as energy fitness advice from celebrity trainer, Bob Harper. Each building will participate in a mid-point weigh-in and post their results online at the competition website. Twitter updates by contestants will also be available at www.twitter.com/EnergyStarBldgs/contestants.
“Buildings of all shapes and sizes are saving money and energy with help from EPA and ENERGY STAR,” said Jean Lupinacci, director of EPA’s ENERGY STAR Commercial Buildings Program. “We applaud the contestants of EPA’s National Building Competition for taking action to protect the environment and fight climate change.”
Hines is one of the most sustainable real estate companies in the world.
In 2010 Hines was recognized by the EPA, for the third time, with the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award; Hines manages 147 labelled buildings, representing approximately 75 million square feet, in the ENERGY STAR program.
Twelve Hines development or redevelopment projects, representing more than six million square feet, have been designated as Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR.
Hines is also a leader in the U.S. Green Building Council’s programs, with 192 projects, representing more than 100 million square feet that have been certified, pre-certified or registered under the various LEED® rating systems.
Hines was a founding member of the German Sustainable Building Council and the Russian Green Building Council, and is active in the Green Building Council Brasil, the Green Building Council España, the Green Building Council Italia, the Indian Green Building Council, the BRE Environmental Assessment Method program in the United Kingdom and the Haute Qualité Environnementale program in France.
Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm’s historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,111 properties representing more than 451 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments. Hines has offices in more than 100 cities in 17 countries and controls assets valued at approximately $22.2 billion. Visit www.hines.com for more information. To learn more about sustainability at Hines, visit www.hines.com/sustainability.