BARNESVILLE — Barnesville Hospital earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification, which signifies that the hospital performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.

“Barnesville Hospital is pleased to accept EPA’s Energy Star certification in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts,” said David Phillips, CEO, Barnesville Hospital. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”

Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s Energy Star certification use an average of 35 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Barnesville Hospital improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its facilities.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the Energy Star Commercial & Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s Energy Star certification.”

To earn the Energy Star, Barnesville Hospital took the following actions:

– LED replacement projects for exterior lighting (parking lots and building wall packs)

– Dietary equipment replaced with energy star rated appliances

– Emergency Department construction project completed with LED lighting throughout new construction and renovated areas

– Implementation of a new Direct Digital Control System for the Emergency Department and upgraded enhancements of the existing DDC for the remainder of the building. The DDC allows for a centralized network to program/control/review actions and needs of the facility’s HVAC system.

EPA’s Energy Star energy performance scale helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale may be eligible for Energy Star certification. Commercial buildings that can earn the Energy Star include offices, bank branches, data centers, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, houses of worship, and warehouses.

Energy Star was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products, 1.4 million new homes, and 20,000 commercial buildings and industrial plants that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. Over the past twenty years, American families and businesses have saved more than $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.8 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from Energy Star.

For more information about Energy Star Certification for Commercial Buildings, visit www.energystar.gov/labeledbuildings.