Office Depot is top retailer in Energy Star’s national building competition

Boca Raton, Fla. -- Office Depot announced that Office Depot stores in Plano, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.; and Tallahassee, Fla., won the top three spots for retail energy efficiency gains in the 2011 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star National Building Competition. The Plano and Raleigh stores were also the only retailers in the overall top 10 list.



The competition featured teams from 245 buildings across the country in a head-to-head battle to save energy, reduce costs, and protect Americans’ health and their environment, and included 26 different types of commercial buildings across 33 states and the District of Columbia. Energy performance was measured from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011.



The Office Depot store in Plano was named the winner in the retail category, leading all other buildings in this category with a 34% energy reduction at the conclusion of the competition. Across all industry sectors, the store ranked in eighth place. Office Depot also holds second and third place in the retail category, with stores in Raleigh and Tallahassee achieving 33% and 29% reductions respectively.



By reducing energy in the three competing stores, Office Depot saved over $37,000 in costs and prevented over 254 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.



Office Depot reduced its energy use through a variety of strategies, including:

• Completing a major de-lamping effort to remove one out of three lamps per store ballast and installing reflectors;


• Installing motion detectors in the receiving area;


• Converting to LED exit signs; and


• Upgrading heating, ventilation & air conditioning systems.

“Energy’s Star exciting environmental program helped prove that reducing energy and greenhouse gases means saving money,” said Yalmaz Siddiqui, senior director, environmental strategy for Office Depot. “Through the competition, our stores played an active role in supporting Office Depot’s global environmental commitment to buy greener, be greener and sell greener.”

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