EPA Recognizes Crescent Real Estate as ENERGY STAR Leader

FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC an ENERGY STAR 2009 Top Performer.  Crescent is one of only six commercial real estate companies in the U.S. and one of only two in Texas to be recognized by EPA for improving energy efficiency more than 10 percent. Each of Crescent's 35 premier office buildings totaling 17 million square feet in select markets throughout the United States are enrolled in the ENERGY STAR Leader energy efficiency program.

Crescent led the Houston, Dallas and Las Vegas markets with ENERGY STAR label office buildings.  In Houston, Crescent qualified 16 office buildings totaling more than 10.3 million square feet.  In Dallas, Crescent qualified three buildings with more than 3.6 million square feet.  In Las Vegas, Crescent qualified the largest office building in Nevada as ENERGY STAR Label.

EPA established the ENERGY STAR Leader program to encourage building owners across the country to improve energy efficiency and reduce pressure on U.S. power systems, help businesses, governments, and other organizations save money, and protect the environment.  If energy efficiency in every commercial and industrial building nationwide improved by 10%, Americans would save about $20 billion on energy costs each year while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 30 million vehicles, according to EPA.

Crescent's energy efficiency programs saved its customers approximately $2.5 million in reduced energy costs during 2009. The 28.6 million kilowatt hours of electricity saved is enough to power 2,685 homes each year on average.

"Crescent has a strong commitment to being the environmental leader among existing office buildings," said John Goff, Chairman and CEO of Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC. "Acting as good environmental stewards is our responsibility to the environment, and our responsibility to our customers. When Crescent reduces energy costs by $2.5 million, it reduces our impact on the environment and provides a direct savings to our customers."

Crescent works to continuously reduce energy, water consumption and waste, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions, operating expenses and energy consumption.  Crescent's energy efficiency strategies avoided emissions of 8,783 metric tons of CO₂ to the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing 3,929 cars from our roads.  Crescent achieved dramatic energy savings and reduced environmental impact by implementing new chiller equipment efficiencies, changing control automation schedules and procedures, adding variable frequency drive and lighting and sensor retrofit technology, making maximum efficiency motor replacements, replacing plumbing fixtures, as well as recycling and reusing available resources.

The Crescent office portfolio ranks in the top 13 percent of all energy efficient buildings.  With an average Energy Performance Rating of 87, Crescent's 35 buildings are more energy efficient than 87 percent of similar buildings in the U.S.

In addition to being one of only six commercial real estate portfolios to achieve ENERGY STAR Top Performer status in 2009, Crescent currently is seeking Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for all of its buildings.  Developed by U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building employs strategies to improve energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and indoor environmental quality through building design, operations and maintenance. Crescent expects certification of at least 3 million square feet of Class A office space in Texas during the third quarter of 2010 with other buildings in the Crescent portfolio achieving certification later in 2010 and 2011.

"Crescent is honored that we are one of a distinguished few real estate companies to achieve ENERGY STAR 2009 Top Performer status. We expect to achieve similar leadership in LEED certification in the near future," said Goff.  

"Crescent is strongly committed to environmental leadership in our office building environment," Goff added.  "We recognize the responsibility and importance of conserving resources and reducing energy consumption through energy efficiency technologies, environmental strategies and innovative thinking. Through all of this we achieve optimal energy utilization and a quality building environment. This culture benefits the communities where Crescent operates, the environment, our customers, and our bottom line."

ABOUT CRESCENT

Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. Through its subsidiaries and joint ventures, Crescent owns and manages a portfolio of 35 premier office buildings totaling over 17 million square feet located in select markets across the United States with major concentrations in Dallas, Houston, Denver and Las Vegas. Crescent also holds investments in resort residential developments in locations such as Scottsdale, Vail Valley, and Lake Tahoe; luxury hotels; and the wellness lifestyle leader, Canyon Ranch®. For more information, visit Crescent's Web site at www.crescent.com.

SOURCE Crescent Real Estate Holdings LLC