EPA Recognizes Transwestern with 2014 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award

HOUSTON, April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Transwestern's Houston headquarters today announced it has been recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2014 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 29, 2014. 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 2013 as a Sustained Excellence recipient – the first third-party commercial real estate services provider to achieve both designations.

"We are both appreciative and honored to have been recognized by the EPA for 11 consecutive years of excellence in this regard," said Larry P. Heard, Transwestern president and CEO. "Lowering energy consumption has resulted in cost savings that translate to superior financial results for owners and users alike in the commercial real estate space."

Having benchmarked more than 62 million square feet, Transwestern has an ENERGY STAR average portfolio rating of 74 and has reduced total site energy consumption across its managed portfolio by 37.6 million kBtu, a 1.2 percent reduction. Additionally, Transwestern's sustainability efforts have saved more than 44 million gallons of water and reduced CO₂ emissions by nearly 303,000 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 developed a comprehensive external and internal communication plan for 2013, in which it disseminated information on the importance of implementing sustainable improvements and conserving energy throughout its portfolio. Transwestern launched the "Green Team" program to inform and directly involve tenants in conserving energy in their own buildings. Transwestern also launched a publication entitled "Building Efficiencies" to share real-world case studies on how sustainable improvements have a positive impact on the bottom line. Internally, Transwestern launched an educational video series for team members to learn why sustainability and energy conservation is critical to the firm's business.

"Transwestern has earned EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award – the 2014 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award – because of its unwavering commitment to helping consumers become increasingly more energy efficient," said EPA Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe.

The 2014 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. 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 building in the commercial, industrial and public sectors. Award winners are selected from the 16,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

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 181 offices in 40 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 was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. 16,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

SOURCE Transwestern