Ridgecrest Energy Helps Hospitals Compete in 2013 ENERGY STAR Building Competition

HOUSTON - Nov. 6, 2013 - PRLog -- Five hospitals and one medical office building have selected Ridgecrest Energy Advisors to help them compete in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) 2013 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings.

According to EPA, energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. On average, 30% of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted.

The annual competition serves as a platform to help organizations improve the energy efficiency of commercial buildings, and protect the environment. In the spirit of popular weight-loss competitions, Ridgecrest’s group of hospital participants will battle it out to be the “biggest losers” by reducing energy waste through improvements in efficiency.

Launching off Previous Successes
This is the fourth year that Ridgecrest Energy engineers have assisted competitors participating in the EPA/ENERGY STAR National Building Competition. In 2010, one of Ridgecrest’s Senior Energy Consultants help University of North Carolina’s Morrison Residence Hall win top honors among all competitors. In 2011, Ridgecrest helped a Texas hospital client finish #1 among all hospitals. In 2012, Ridgecrest helped another Texas hospital client finish 2nd in energy reduction and 1st in dollars saved among all Texas hospitals.

The Unique “Zero Capital” Approach
Unlike other competitors, what makes Ridgecrest unique in achieving these results for clients, is that modifications take place with no capital expense. Ridgecrest’s team of highly experienced energy engineers, PEs, CEMs, LEED APs, etc. are able to improve clients’ energy performance by maximizing the efficiency of existing systems. Contrary to popular belief, significant reductions in energy consumption can be achieved without capital improvements in virtually any hospital.

"Ridgecrest Energy is honored to be a part of EPA’s ENERGY STAR National Building Competition,” said Ben Whitsett, Senior Vice President of Ridgecrest. "This year, we’re working with a number of client facilities to provide them with significant energy-use reductions (up to 30% or more) with no capital expense. Because our approach does not involve capital outlay for the facility, it’s a very different approach and a wonderful component of the mix of activities that our clients are engaging in to reduce their consumption, their greenhouse gas emissions, and their costs.”

Follow the Competition Online
EPA will maintain a website devoted to the competition, www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings, featuring a list of competitors and their “weigh-in” results, a map of competitor locations.

The building that demonstrates the greatest percentage-based reduction in energy use intensity will be recognized as the winner of the 2013 National Building Competition in April 2014!