Columbia Association honored with EPA’s 2014 ENERGY STAR Special Recognition Award

Columbia Association (CA) has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with an ENERGY STAR Special Recognition Award honoring CA’s promotion of community energy efficiency and sustainability through ENERGY STAR. CA’s accomplishments are recognized in the 2014 ENERGY STAR Profiles in Leadership report.

“Columbia Association is thrilled to be recognized by the EPA for our work as an ENERGY STAR partner,” said Jeremy Scharfenberg, CA’s energy manager. “Through our effort, we further advance our commitment to environmental stewardship and lower energy costs by actively engaging and empowering the Columbia community on this critical issue.”

During 2013, CA undertook a broad promotional and educational campaign about ENERGY STAR programs, products and ENERGY STAR in general. CA worked to effectively reinforce national ENERGY STAR programs and existing Baltimore Gas and Electric Smart Energy Savers incentive programs. CA served as a trusted messenger to improve the community’s familiarity with products and programs, and to educate and engage the community to support energy efficiency and climate change awareness. Key highlights included regular stories about energy efficiency and sustainability in the CA Monthly newsletter, the development and promotion of an educational video about Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, and promotion of the “Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR” program.

Across the country, leading organizations are working toward a more energy efficient future through their participation in ENERGY STAR. Through 2013, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Since becoming an ENERGY STAR Partner in 2012, CA has been working hard to continue this important effort and make Columbia more sustainable.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA.

For more information about the ENERGY STAR program, please visit EnergyStar.gov.