Central Florida Church Selected to Compete in 
2011 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition

May 23, 2011 - PRLog -- LONGWOOD, FLA., MAY 18, 2010 — Northland, A Church Distributed has been chosen as a semi-finalist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings.

Northland is participating along with hundreds of other teams from buildings throughout Central Florida and across the nation, including hospitals, hotels, high schools, other houses of worship ... even a parking garage at the University of Central Florida.

Competitors measure and track their building's monthly energy consumption using EPA's ENERGY STAR online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=evaluate_performance.bus_portfoliomanager); make improvements to their building's energy performance; and share their progress. Of the initial pool of 245 competitors, a small group of buildings will be selected as finalists in July. Among the finalists, the building that demonstrates the greatest percentage-based reduction in energy usage will be recognized as the winner on November 2, 2011.

"Northland is honored to be a part of this competition,” says Dr. Joel C. Hunter, Northland’s senior pastor. “For us, it’s about following God's first command when He said to take care of the Earth [Genesis 2:15]. Ultimately, it’s our spiritual responsibility.”

The 2011 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition includes 26 different types of commercial buildings from 33 states and the District of Columbia. The smallest building is just over 6,000 square feet, with the largest totaling nearly 3 million square feet. Northland’s facilities in Longwood, Fla., measure 160,000 square feet.

During last year’s competition, the 14 finalists reduced their energy consumption by more than 44 million KBtu a year, saved more than $950,000, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions equal to the annual electricity use of nearly 600 homes.

Watch the contest unfold and find tips that will help you improve your home or business’ energy efficiency at http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings.

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A pioneering congregation of 15,000 led by Pastor Joel C. Hunter that worships in Central Florida and around the world via the Web, Facebook, Roku, iPhone and Android mobile devices. Learn more at http://www.northlandchurch.net