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Emory honored in Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed (left) presented the MVP award to Emory's Ciannat Howett, director of sustainability initiatives; Joan Kowal, senior director of energy and utilities; Todd Kerzie, associate vice president for facilities management; and Kelly O'Day Weisinger, assistant director of sustainability. Photo by Gene Phillips Photography.

Emory University has been recognized by the City of Atlanta for its commitment to energy and water conservation through the 2016-2017 Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge.

The Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge invites participating building owners — both commercial businesses and nonprofits — to commit to a 20 percent reduction in energy and water use by year 2020.

Organizations that commit to the challenge work collaboratively, creating public-private partnerships and sharing implementation models to help the market adopt higher efficiency standards at a quicker pace.

Winners in the 2016-2017 challenge were announced this month by Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. 

Emory was the only college or university in the metro Atlanta region to receive this year’s MVP Award, which recognizes participants that were not only top performers, but also champion advocates for the challenge, according to the mayor’s office.

Thirty-five campus buildings and Emory University Hospital Midtown-Summit Parking Deck were also named as Top Performers.

The annual challenge is led by the Mayor’s Office of Resilience in partnership with Livable Buckhead, Central Atlanta Progress, Southface and Midtown Alliance.

“The collective contributions that our Atlanta Better Buildings Challenge participants have made to Atlanta’s environmental footprint over the last six years are remarkable,” Reed said. “I would like to congratulate the honorees and thank the Atlanta business community for their dedication to protecting our planet, as well as for advancing Atlanta’s economy with their efforts."

Atlanta was among one of the first cities selected by President Barack Obama in 2011 to participate in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge program. The sustainability program has since expanded throughout the country.

Emory buildings recognized as Top Performers produced the highest levels of energy and water savings in 2016. Those buildings and their affiliated savings include:

  • 1462 Clifton Road: energy 20 percent; water 23 percent
  • Emory Clinic, 1525 Clifton Road: energy 22 percent; water 71 percent
  • Cox Hall: energy 24 percent; water 23 percent
  • Whitehead Biomedical Research: energy 27 percent  
  • Woodruff Health Sciences Administration: energy 29 percent; water 72 percent
  • North Decatur Road Building: energy 30 percent; water 84 percent
  • Rita Anne Rollins Building/Ethics: energy 32 percent; water 34 percent
  • Bowden Hall: energy 33 percent  
  • Woodruff Library: energy 34 percent  
  • O. Wayne Rollins Research Center: energy 34 percent; water 26 percent
  • White Hall: energy 35 percent; water 33 percent
  • Tarbutton Hall: energy 37 percent  
  • Candler Library: energy 38 percent; water 63 percent
  • Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts: energy 41 percent; water: 73 percent
  • MacMillan-Gambrell Hall: energy 41 percent; water 93 percent
  • Facilities Management, Building C: energy 42 percent  
  • Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing: energy 42 percent; water 42 percent
  • Math & Science Center: energy 43 percent  
  • Callaway Memorial Center: energy 44 percent; water 25 percent
  • Cannon Chapel: energy 47 percent; water 36 percent
  • Modern Languages building: energy 50 percent  
  • B. Jones Center: energy 50 percent  
  • James B. Williams School of Medicine building: energy 51 percent 
  • Grace Crum Rollins School of Public Health, energy 52 percent  
  • Goizueta Business School: energy 52 percent; water 30 percent
  • Woodruff PE Center: energy 52 percent; water 34 percent
  • Atwood Chemistry building: energy 52 percent; water 61 percent
  • Michael C. Carlos Hall: energy 63 percent  
  • Rich Memorial building: energy 71 percent; water 68 percent
  • Woodruff Memorial Research building: water 32 percent
  • 1599 Clifton Road building: water 34 percent
  • Psychology & Interdisciplinary Sciences building: water 36 percent
  • Facilities Management, Building B: water 62 percent
  • University Administration building: water 62 percent
  • Peavine Division of Animal Resource Facility: water 73 percent

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