Sears and J.C. Penney among top finishers in EPA energy competition

New York City A Sears store in Glen Burnie, Md., and a J.C. Penney store in Orange, Calif., took second and third place respectively in the U.S Environmental Protection Agency's first-ever National Building Competition. Top finisher: A dorm at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The competition challenged teams from buildings across the country to see which commercial building could trim its energy use the most over 24 months. The EPA required utility-bill statements for verification of the energy loss.

Sears reduced energy use in its Glen Burnie location by 31.7%, generating $45,612 savings in energy bills. In addition, the store’s carbon footprint was reduced by more than 272 metric tons of carbon dioxide.

The J.C. Penney store achieved an energy reduction of 28.4%. It is part of a group of 63 J.C. Penney store that participate in the chain’s Advanced Energy Management Program, which stresses a focus on energy awareness on both the facility maintenance and store associate level.

"The amazing results of the first-ever National Building Competition prove that any building can take simple steps to slash energy use, save thousands of dollars and protect the environment," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Our top participants together saved nearly a million dollars by cutting energy use, and that's just in the first year. We look forward to seeing even greater savings and energy innovations in the years ahead."