Verizon Wireless Store Wins EPA Energy Star

Verizon Wireless Store Wins EPA Energy Star
July 08, 2008

The Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Toledo, Ohio, is the first wireless retail store in the eastern half of the United States to rate in the top 25 percent of commercial facilities for energy efficiency and earn the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Energy Star--a symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. The Communications Store, located at 6710 W. Central Ave. in Toledo, installed temperature sensors and energy management systems to monitor heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system use, control temperature set-points and internal and external lighting schedules, and track data usage history for maintenance and service requirements. The system helps Verizon Wireless save on energy costs by activating the ventilation, heating and lighting systems automatically based on the store's operating hours. To further reduce energy usage, Verizon Wireless installed LED exit signs and installed a microcontroller on vending machines. The store also features an insulated water heater to reduce heating costs, and properly sealed building "envelopes" and entry doors to prevent the loss of heated or cooled air. The EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-to-100 point scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher and occupies 5,000 sq. ft. or more is eligible for the Energy Star. Commercial buildings that earn the Energy Star use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In addition to the Toledo store, a second Verizon Wireless Communications Store in Omaha, Neb., has been awarded the Energy Star. Four other Verizon Wireless retail facilities in the Midwest Area also deploy the same energy management systems as those in Toledo and Omaha, but do not meet the 5,000-sq.-ft. requirement to be eligible for Energy Star.