EPA Recognizes Transwestern With 2015 ENERGY STAR® Partner Of The Year - Sustained Excellence Award

Award Marks 12th Consecutive Year for Commercial Real Estate Firm to be Recognized

News provided by

Apr 06, 2015, 11:37 ET

HOUSTON, April 6, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Transwestern's Houston headquarters today announced it has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2015 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in sustainability practices and reducing overall energy consumption at its managed properties.

Transwestern's accomplishments will be recognized in Washington, D.C., on April 20, 2015. Transwestern, an ENERGY STAR partner since 2002, was previously recognized in 2004 and 2005 as an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year and in 2006 through 2014 as a Sustained Excellence recipient – the first third-party commercial real estate services provider to achieve both designations.

"It is a great honor to be recognized by the EPA for 12 consecutive years," said Larry P. Heard, Transwestern president and CEO. "Transwestern is dedicated to providing a higher level of service to our clients, which includes positively impacting the bottom lines of our managed assets. The financial benefits reaped by our clients and this award are a testament to our people."

Having benchmarked more than 71.2 million square feet, Transwestern has an ENERGY STAR average portfolio rating of 78.7 and has reduced total site energy consumption across its managed portfolio by 85.5 million kBtu, a 2.6 percent reduction. Additionally, Transwestern's sustainability efforts have saved more than 51 million gallons of water and reduced CO₂ emissions by more than 308,000 tons.

Transwestern's multi-faceted approach to sustainability and energy conservation includes a dedicated team of sustainability experts, based out of the firm's Milwaukee office, which performs services including ENERGY STAR benchmarking, energy audits, building commissioning, LEED^® certification and more.

Transwestern launched a three-pronged energy management strategy in 2014, focusing on transparency, accountability and improvement. The firm verified data in Portfolio Manager™ to achieve transparency and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, Transwestern created DROP, an innovative internal program that measures water usage at managed properties the way ENERGY STAR tracks energy consumption. Internally, sustainability training for brokers was produced and recorded for future viewing, and an educational video series was created to inform and educate all team members. Transwestern also redesigned the sustainability sections on its internal and external websites to increase awareness and promote education.

"Through their sustained participation with ENERGY STAR, Transwestern is helping Americans save money, save energy, and do their part to reduce our nation's greenhouse gas emissions that fuel climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "I applaud Transwestern for earning EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award, the 2015 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, demonstrating a strong commitment to energy efficiency and to preserving a healthy planet for future generations."

The 2015 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through superior energy efficiency achievements. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals and employing innovative energy efficiency approaches. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program, including energy-efficient products, services, new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and public sectors.

ABOUT TRANSWESTERN
Transwestern is a privately held real estate firm specializing in agency leasing, property and facilities management, tenant advisory, capital markets, research and sustainability. The fully integrated global enterprise leverages competencies in office, industrial, retail, multifamily and healthcare properties to add value for investors, owners and occupiers of real estate. As a member of the Transwestern family of companies, the firm capitalizes on market insights and operational expertise of independent affiliates specializing in development, real estate investment management and research. Transwestern has 34 U.S. offices and assists clients through more than 180 offices in 37 countries as part of a strategic alliance with Paris-based BNP Paribas Real Estate. For more information, please visit transwestern.com and follow us on Twitter: @Transwestern.

ABOUT ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR^® is the simple choice for energy efficiency achievements. For more than 20 years, people across America have looked to EPA's ENERGY STAR program for guidance on how to save energy, save money, and protect the environment. Behind each blue label is a product, building, or home that is independently certified to use less energy and cause fewer of the emissions that contribute to climate change. Today, ENERGY STAR is the most widely recognized symbol for energy efficiency in the world, helping families and businesses save $300 billion on utility bills, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by two billion metric tons since 1992. Join the millions who are already making a difference at energystar.gov.

Media Contact:
Stefanie Lewis
713.272.1266
[email protected]

SOURCE Transwestern