The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, part of the nation-leading public/private initiative of the federal Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge program, has achieved its energy reduction goal with a 20.3% reduction two years ahead of the 2020 goal, according to a press release.
The initiative, led in partnership with the City of Atlanta Mayor’s One Atlanta Office, Central Atlanta Progress/Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, Southface, Midtown Alliance, and Livable Buckhead, set out to reduce energy and water consumption by at least 20 percent in participating buildings across Atlanta by 2020.
With more than 450 buildings representing over 115 million square feet committed to the Challenge, the Atlanta program is the largest of its kind in the nation. The portfolio of buildings committed to the challenge include offices, healthcare, municipal buildings, K-12 schools, universities, hotels, and various other property types.
Through the success of the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, participants have saved over $380 million and the city has benefited from a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 544,276 cars from the roads for one year. Additional positive outcomes include an economy which has been strengthened through the creation or sustainment of jobs every year, stimulating local and regional economic growth. Reducing demand for energy and water has also reduced electricity generation, resulting in improved air quality and better public health outcomes.
Originally enrolling in 2011, the City of Atlanta became one of the first participants to commit to the Better Buildings Challenge, setting an internal goal of 2 million square feet, a 20 percent reduction in energy by 2020, and pioneered a local goal of a 20 percent reduction in water by 2020. Atlanta has since saved 1.3 billion gallons of water (equivalent to a 30-day supply), created and sustained 654 jobs, added $51.63M to the regional economy, and saved energy to power nearly 150,000 homes for a year.
Clean Energy Atlanta is the City’s commitment to transition to 100 percent clean energy by 2035; that includes both municipal operations and citywide efforts to assist residents and businesses. Energy reduction, such as that achieved through the Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge, shows how a transition to clean energy with a focus on energy efficiency can advance equity, create tens of thousands of new jobs, and make Atlanta a healthier, more resilient community.
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