There are many different things you can do as an individual to save energy in your own home, helping the environment and also your wallet in the long run. Buying Energy Star rated appliances, shutting off lights when you leave a room, keeping doors shut when the air conditioner is on, basically everything your parents used to nag at you about when you were a kid.
Now maybe if you are responsible for paying your own energy costs, you feel their pain, especially with today’s high energy costs. Businesses and corporations can also do a lot to improve their carbon footprint. Energy star certified buildings can save the company a lot of money by following strict standards set forth by the EPA. These buildings must be re-certified every year to ensure the utmost energy saving performance.
What cities in the US do you think are the most energy efficient?
This map from the team at SolarPower.Guide ranks the top energy star cities in the US. In order for these buildings to get Energy Star certificated, they need a score of 75 or higher to put them into the top percentile of energy efficient buildings nationwide.
- At the top of the list, this city might surprise you but Los Angeles has the most Energy Star-certified buildings at 648.
- In second, and maybe less surprising is Washington, D.C., with 498 Energy Star-certified buildings.
- In third place with 342 Energy Star-certified buildings is Atlanta.
- A close fourth with 332 Energy Star-certified buildings is San Francisco.
These cities are all very bike friendly as well, although that doesn’t add to their energy star rating, it adds more to their overall green city score.
How does the closest city to you compare? What can you do to improve your overall energy usage and help out the environment?
