Metro Detroit continued to shed its rust belt image by going green in 2010, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s third-annual Energy Star report card.
Detroit climbed into the EPA’s top ten list for metropolitan regions with the most energy-efficient buildings — awarded to facilities that display sound energy management strategies using proven technologies — ranking 9th in the nation with 151 Energy Star certifications.
Total, the EPA estimates Metro Detroit’s green buildings combined to save an estimated $18.7 million in energy costs and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the amount produced by 17,400 homes.
Those figures were up across the board in Metro Detroit, where only 62 buildings qualified for the EPA designation in 2010. John Gallagher of The Detroit Free Press reports the region rose in the rankings in part due to former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s order to boost energy-efficiency in state-owned buildings, efforts in K-12 schools and a DTE Energy program.
Nationwide, the EPA says certifications rose nearly 60 percent. Los Angeles topped the list with 510 Energy Star-labeled buildings while Cleveland didn’t even make the top 25.
Source: Mlive.com
