Postal Service Saves Millions in Energy Costs

News provided by

Jul 21, 2011, 12:44 ET

Energy-Efficient Facilities, Green Roof Contribute to Savings

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On the eve of the second anniversary marking completion of one of the country's largest green roofs, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has reported more than $400 million in energy cost avoidance since fiscal year (FY) 2007. Proactive steps, including actions suggested by the Go Green Adjust the Thermostat and Turn off Lights Not in Use Forever stamps, resulted in an energy reduction of nearly 30 percent since FY 2003, equal to the average annual energy use of approximately 100,000 U.S. households.

The nearly 2.5-acre Postal Service green roof, atop the Morgan Mail Processing and Distribution Facility in New York, is the city's largest green roof. Combined with other energy-saving enhancements, the Morgan green roof helped the facility save more than $1 million in energy costs and 40 percent in energy use in its first year.

"Postal employees are committed to working every day to reduce energy use at Post Offices, mail processing facilities and all our buildings," said Tom Samra, vice president, Facilities. "Energy audits since FY 2007 have helped us identify potential reductions of nearly 3 trillion Btus with potential cost savings of more than $150 million per year."

USPS has created and continues to develop robust systems to audit and analyze facility energy data to better manage energy use and identify ways to reduce energy costs.

"Our energy savings are identified, measured and managed using the Postal Service's Utility Management System, Enterprise Energy Management System and Corporate Energy Interface, three robust systems that establish our sustainability leadership in leveraging technology to encourage responsible, energy-conscious behavior," said Thomas Day, chief sustainability officer. "These systems help the Postal Service measure, monitor and manage energy use, improving our ability to take advantage of future cost-saving opportunities."

In June 2011, USPS reported an overall 8-percent decrease in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from an FY 2008 baseline. The reduction of 1,067,834 metric tons of CO2 is an amount equal to the average annual electricity use of approximately 130,000 U.S. households. Lower energy use at USPS facilities represented nearly 50 percent of the GHG reduction.

Energy-conservation actions at USPS are part of a comprehensive strategy to reduce facility energy use by 30 percent by 2015 and GHG emissions 20 percent by 2020. Details of USPS energy savings results can be found in the FY 2110 Annual Sustainability Report.

For additional information about USPS' sustainability initiatives and the Go Green Forever stamps, visit usps.com/green and the green newsroom.

USPS has won more than 75 environmental awards, including 40 White House Closing the Circle, 10 Environmental Protection Agency WasteWise Partner of the Year, Climate Action Champion, Direct Marketing Association Green Echo awards, Postal Technology International Environmental Achievement of the Year and Climate Registry Gold Status Recognition.

USPS participates in the International Post Corporation's Environmental Measurement and Monitoring System, the global postal industry's emissions reduction program to reduce the postal industry's carbon footprint 20 percent by 2020 based on an FY 2008 baseline.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

We're everywhere so you can be anywhere: www.uspseverywhere.com.

Please note: For broadcast quality video and audio, photo stills and other media resources, visit the USPS Newsroom at www.usps.com/news.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation, 150 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With 32,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $67 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 29th in the 2010 Fortune 500. Black Enterprise and Hispanic Business magazines ranked the Postal Service as a leader in workforce diversity. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency six consecutive years and the sixth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

To obtain high-resolution images for media use only, email [email protected].

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service