The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said that the University of Central Florida (UCF) is the winner of EPA\u2019s 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. In its second year, the competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a head-to-head battle to save energy, reduce costs, and protect people\u2019s health and the environment. UCF\u2019s winning building was a parking garage where energy use was decreased by 63.2 percent. Together, competitors cut their energy costs by $5.2 million.<\/p>\n
The energy efficiency improvements achieved by UCF demonstrate that opportunities exist to save energy even in buildings that are not typically associated with sizeable energy use. Lighting accounts for the majority of energy consumed by an above-ground parking structure, therefore UCF focused their efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of the garage lighting. Improvements included upgrading the main garage to high performance T-5 fluorescent lights, retrofitting the top deck with light emitting diode (LEDs) fixtures, and adding motion sensors in the storage areas.<\/p>\n
The 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition measured energy performance from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011. Competitors tracked their building\u2019s monthly energy consumption using EPA\u2019s Energy Star online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager. UCF won the competition by demonstrating the largest percent-reduction in energy use, adjusted for weather and the size of the building. The energy use intensity and square footage for each top overall finisher was verified by an independently licensed professional engineer or registered architect at the conclusion of the competition. This marks the second year a university has won the competition.<\/p>\n