Malvern Developer Receives Nod of Recognition From EPA

MALVERN, PA -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored Malvern's Liberty Property Trust with its highest honor, the 2016 Sustained Excellence Award, the group announcedin a press release.

The award – the third consecutive win for the company - acknowledges Liberty’s continued leadership in protecting the environment through superior energy efficiency. In addition, the company has earned the designation “Energy Star Partner of the Year” for the fifth consecutive year.

Since 2003, Liberty has received Energy Star certification on 145 office and industrial buildings and has increased its average Energy Star score from 55 to 77 since its 2008 benchmarking. W

ith a campaign focused on high-impact energy efficiency upgrades, Liberty doubled its number of Energy Star certified warehouses and distribution centers in 2015.

“Energy efficiency should not be limited to office buildings, and while we should certainly not stop trying to be as efficient a possible there, we believe it is just as important to be forward thinking about industrial buildings,” said Bill Grayson, director of sustainability at Liberty, in a statement. “We are very excited and honored to be recognized both through the ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence and Partner of the Year Awards.”

The company is the top real estate investment trust (REIT) in terms of Energy Star warehouse and industrial certifications and has rapidly entered the top cohort of overall companies certifying warehouse and industrial buildings in the nation.

Coupled with Liberty’s commitment to LEED in the industrial sector, Energy Star measurement also underscores that the company has some of the most energy-efficient industrial space on the market. Based on energy models, commissioning and Energy Star benchmarking, Liberty’s LEED-certified buildings save tenants an average of $0.11-$0.22 per square foot per year in energy-related operating expenses when compared to the average industrial buildings in the same markets. This is an equivalent of an average 20% savings,much of which is passed to tenants in the form of lower utility costs.

“By continued collaboration with Energy Star, Liberty Property Trust is helping Americans save money, save energy, and do their part to reduce our nation’s greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “I’m proud to recognize Liberty with the highest form of ENERGY STAR recognition, as the winner of the 2016 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award. Liberty demonstrates a strong commitment to energy efficiency and to preserving a healthy planet for future generations.”