Residents Visitors Businesses County Government Online Services Información en Español

AIRE (Arlington Initiative to Reduce Emissions) - What Businesses Can Do

Energy Management is Good Business

Whether your business is manufacturing, real estate, retail, healthcare, education or government, controlling and cutting costs is important for success. Reducing energy use and increasing energy efficiency is a proven strategy for cutting and controlling costs with good returns. Arlington County encourages businesses in Arlington to take action to reduce energy use and emissions, thereby saving money on energy costs as well.

Thanks to all the Fresh AIRE Business Champions and Partners that are helping advance our mission!

Fall 2009 Fresh AIRE Business Champions

Congratulations to the winners!

Vornado/Charles E. Smith for earning the ENERGY STAR at 2221 South Clark Place
Hartford for earning the ENERGY STAR at 3101 Wilson Blvd.
CB Richard Ellis for earning the ENERGY STAR at 3601 Wilson Blvd.
Foulger Pratt Management Inc.for earning the ENERGY STAR at 2110 Washington Blvd.
The Nature Conservancyfor earning the ENERGY STAR at 4245 North Fairfax St.
Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers/Polk & Taylor Property LLC for earning the ENERGY STAR at 2530 Crystal Dr.
Matrix Settles, PC – Architecture, Planning & Interior Design and TM/R Engineeringfor earning LEED for Commercial Interiors Certification at 1220 N. Fillmore St.
KGD Architecture Studio for earning LEED for Commercial Interiors Gold Certification at 1300 Wilson Blvd.
Transwestern Monument Randolph Square LLC for earning LEED for New Construction Gold Certification at 2800 South Randolph St.
The Pentagon Renovation for earning LEED for New Construction Certification at the Pentagon Wedge 3.
The Java Shack Coffeehousefor the purchase of 100 percent Green Power
George Mason University for the provision of outstanding commuter benefits to employees and students at all of the George Mason University Campuses.

Spring 2009 Brings More Fresh AIRE Business Champions

The County has seen tremendous growth in environmental commitments on the part of its business community. The number of ENERGY STAR labeled buildings has doubled, green power purchases have tripled, and more businesses are seeking LEED certification and advocating transit alternatives. At the county’s fourth Fresh AIRE awards ceremony, the following 16 organizations were acknowledged:

Vornado/ Charles E. Smith for earning the ENERGY STAR® on two buildings: 1601 North Kent Street, Arlington, VA & 2001 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
JBG/Commercial Management, L.L.C. & PPF OFF 1801 North Lynn Street, L.L.C. for earning the ENERGY STAR for 1801 North Lynn Street.
Courtyard by Marriott & Ashford Hospitality Trust for earning the ENERGY STAR for the Courtyard by Marriott, Arlington Crystal City at Reagan National Airport, 2899 Jefferson Davis Highway.
Lincoln Property Company & The Navy League, LLC for earning the ENERGY STAR for The Navy League, 2300 Wilson Blvd
Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. & LaSalle Investment Management (Virginia Square Office Corporation) for earning the ENERGY STAR for Virginia Square Plaza, 3811 North Fairfax Drive.
Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. & JP Morgan Asset Management for earning the ENERGY STAR for One Potomac Yard
Sebesta Blomberg & Associates, Inc. for the achievement of LEED^® for Commercial Interiors Gold Certification for 2231 Crystal Drive, Suite 400.
Irides for the organization-wide purchase of 100% green power.
The Nature Conservancy for their purchase of 100% green power green power for their headquarters location in Arlington.
Arbour Realty for the purchase of 100% green power for their office located at 1100 North Glebe Road.
The Art Institute of Washington for outstanding commuter benefits to employees and members.
Consumer Electronics Association for outstanding commuter benefits to employees.

Fall 2008 Fresh AIRE Business Champions Hailed!

The Arlington County Board hailed leaders in the business community for their commitment to improve our environment and implement sustainable business practices. A diverse group of large and small Arlington businesses were recognized at the Oct. 22 board meeting as recipients of the fall 2008 Fresh AIRE Business Champion Award. Winners included:

Vornado/Charles E. Smith for earning the ENERGY STAR at: 2231 Crystal Dr., 2345 Crystal Dr., 2451 Crystal Dr., 2300 Clarendon Blvd., 2200 Clarendon Blvd.
FAP Arlington Square LLC for earning the ENERGY STAR at 4401 North Fairfax Dr.
Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, Inc. for earning the ENERGY STAR at 4401 North Fairfax Dr
TIAA CREF for earning the ENERGY STAR at 4350 North Fairfax Dr.
Jones Lang LaSalle Americas, LLC for earning LEED for Existing Buildings Gold Certification at One Potomac Yard
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for earning LEED for Existing Buildings Gold Certification at One Potomac Yard
Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority for the provision of outstanding commuter benefits to employees at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.

More Arlington businesses have been recognized as Fresh AIRE Business Champions - Spring 2008!

Five more businesses in Arlington make a commitment to the environment. Each of the teams pictured below has taken the initiative to integrate more sustainable practices into their respective business models. Because of this leadership, they were also recognized by Arlington County and designated Fresh AIRE Business Champions on April 22, 2008. Each was presented with a certificate and is pictured below with the County Board Chairman, Mr. J. Walter Tejada. Congratulations!

These businesses, from left to right, include:

INVESCO, Inc. and Lincoln Property Company for achievement of the ENERGY STAR for 1530 Wilson Boulevard: Heather Wood and Dave Audlin of Lincoln Property Company pictured
Transwestern for achievement of the ENERGY STAR for Quincy Tower: Adrian M. Humphries, Leonardo F. Washington, Kathryn Jane Ripley and Gary Le Francois
Harris Teeter for achievement of the ENERGY STAR for their store at 2425 N. Harrison Street: Dan Marett and Michal Shepard
Main Event Caterers for their commitment to the Green Power Partnership and their purchase of 100% green power: Nancy Thevoz and Joel Thevoz
The Java Shack Coffeehouse for becoming a Certified Green Restaurant^TM: Tanya Kosinski, Kris Juric, Megan Christenson, Dale Roberts

Arlington’s First Three Fresh AIRE Business Champions Recognized in November 2007

Three local businesses grabbed hold of the environmental reigns in 2007 and set out for change. Jones Lang LaSalle, the JBG Companies, and SRA International with George Mason University Foundation each used EPA’s Portfolio Manager to assess the energy performance of their Arlington-based facilities. Use of the tool enabled these businesses to get an energy performance rating on their buildings which helped to better understand how their respective buildings compared to similar buildings across the country and identify opportunities for improvement. Through a variety of techniques, mechanical and operational, these three businesses worked with the relevant stakeholders to achieve a rating worthy of the ENERGY STAR, meaning those buildings are now in the top 25% of the country in terms of energy performance. This activity is in perfect alignment with the mission of Arlington County’s Fresh AIRE program. As such, these businesses were recognized by the County as the first Fresh AIRE Business Champions at the County’s November 2007 Board Meeting! Congratulations!

Energy Management

Through EPA's ENERGY STAR program, organizations that have adopted effective energy management strategies and built successful energy programs have had significant results. Consider the following: energy meters

Ford Motor Company has saved over $75 million through effective energy management.
USAA Real Estate has realized a 5% annual energy savings and increased the asset value of a California building by $1.5 million due to energy efficiency upgrades.
Eastman Kodak saved more than $8.6 million in operating costs in 2002 from its energy management efforts.
Hines estimates the difference in operational costs between its energy efficient buildings and inefficient buildings at more than $13 million.
Fairfax County Public Schools estimates an annual energy savings of $4.5 million from energy efficiency improvements.

The value of strong energy management as a proxy for overall organizational management is increasingly recognized by financial analysts. Recent studies found that leaders in energy management achieved superior stock and financial performance over laggards in energy management.

Energy Guidelines for Business Sectors

Commercial Real Estate - Increased energy efficiency in commercial real estate organizations can reduce operating expenses and increase property asset value. For example, a 10 percent decrease in energy consumption can lead to a 1.5 percent increase in net operating income (NOI). Additionally, an increase in energy efficiency contributes to increased employee productivity and health, and enhances the comfort of the tenants.

Corporate Real Estate

Hospitality Industry - On average, America’s 47,000 hotels and hospitality facilities spend $2,196 per available room each year on energy. However, a 10 percent reduction in energy consumption would have the same financial effect as increasing the average daily room rate (ADR) by $0.62 in limited-service hotels and by $1.35 in full-service hotels. One partner achieved even greater savings by saving $6 million and reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 70,000 tons in one year.

Retail - The retail industry includes three types of buildings: retail stores, restaurants, and supermarkets. As in other space types, all three of these can achieve savings from a 10 percent reduction in energy consumption:

- An average full-line discount retailer can boost net profit margins by as much as 1.55 percent and sales per square foot by $25
- An average limited service restaurant can boost net profit margins by as much as 4 percent and sales per square foot by $17
- An average supermarket can boost net profit margins by as much as 16 percent and sales per square foot by $44

K-12 School Districts: American school districts spend $6 billion on energy costs every year, which is more than textbooks and computers combined. However, ENERGY STAR partners have achieved savings after implementing energy efficient practices and technology. As a result, top performing ENERGY STAR labeled schools cost forty cents per square foot less to operate than the average performers.

Healthcare: Although 67 percent of healthcare facilities’ Chief Executive Officers cite financial challenges as their highest concern (in an industry where organizations spend over $8.3 billion on energy each year), ENERGY STAR partners have found that energy efficiency projects can, in fact, lead to savings. For example, one partner has seen $1.77 million in annual savings since it began implementing rigorous energy efficiency projects in 2003. Additionally, EPA studies have shown that each dollar a hospital saves in energy costs is comparable to generating new revenues of twenty dollars.

Small Businesses

Home Office

Tools and Calculators

Interested in how your business might save energy? Find out more about purchasing and procurement of ENERGY STAR qualified products.

Are you interested in purchasing renewable green power for your business? Use the green power locator to get started.

Considering some building improvements? Calculate the value of energy efficiency with the Building Upgrade Value Calculator.

This Building Upgrade Manual has detailed information about implementing energy efficiency upgrades.

Replacing some office equipment? Remember to look for Energy Star Office Equipment.

Interested in learning more about energy saving opportunities? Check out the Energy Star Online Training for Businesses

Tenant's Guide to Saving Energy (and Money)

Check out these ENERGY STAR fact sheets to get even more information on energy use, energy efficiency opportunities, partnership possibilities, and key leverage points for each sector.