Philadelphia can brag about another top 10 list – this time, with energy efficient buildings.

Philly is #9 of ENERGY STAR buildings! Philly has entered the top 10 list for the first time.

Philadelphia #9 City with ENERGY STAR Buildings

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its 6th annual list of metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings in 2013. Entering the list for the first time, Philly falls after #1 LA, Washington DC, Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas & Denver, respectively. Houston surprisingly rounds out the list at #10. Almost 7000 buildings qualified for ENERGY STAR certification in 2013, saving $1.4 billion.

Philly was also noted for its green roofs on buildings like PECO. Other ENERGY STAR certified buildings in Philly include the Cira Center, Aramark Tower, Mercy Philadelphia Hospital, One Penn Center and 2401 Walnut, home to City CoHo, the sustainable co-working space. Energy efficiency of buildings is part of Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks Philadelphia plan.

Commercial buildings account for 20% of America’s energy use & greenhouse gas emissions, costing $100 billion annually. A program started in 1992 by the EPA, ENERGY STAR (Editor’s note: Proper use is all caps, my Caps Lock key isn’t stuck) buildings are qualified by an independent test, performing in the top 25% of similar buildings nationwide with energy efficiency. Building types qualified in the rankings include office, K-12 schools, hotels & retail stores.

Readers, what do you think of Philly’s rankings?

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher