EPA names Staples Energy Star Partner of the Year in Energy Management

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples on Monday said it has been named a 2011 Energy Star Partner of the Year in Energy Management by the EPA. The chain has increased its renewable energy purchases and development to cover 53% of its total U.S. electricity consumption, more than double the company’s previous level.



Staples has also been named an Energy Star Leader by the EPA for reducing energy consumption by more than 11% across its facilities, based on EPA's standardized tools for tracking energy use.



The retailer said it now uses more than 330 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy, the equivalent of powering more than 31,000 average U.S. homes for a year. In addition, Staples reached a milestone of using more than 25 million kilowatt hours of solar energy since 2005 from 34 solar arrays that Staples installed with SunEdison.



The installations include a 2 megawatt solar array in Secaucus, N.J. and a 1.5 Megawatt array in Hagerstown, Md., among the largest in each state. The power from these renewable sources is used across the company’s facilities, including Staples retail stores, delivery fulfillment centers, customer service call centers and sales offices.



“Energy conservation has been part of a comprehensive energy management program at Staples since the early days of the company,” said John Lynch, senior VP construction and facilities, Staples. “We’re honored to be recognized by the EPA for our commitment to continuous improvement in energy management. At Staples, we combine energy efficiency technologies and aggressive energy efficiency strategies with renewable power use to reduce costs and minimize greenhouse gas emissions throughout our day-to-day operations.”