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Mellon Financial is First New England Building to Get Energy Star Label Five Years in a Row

Release Date: 11/17/2006
Contact Information: David Deegan, (617) 918-1017

(Boston, Mass. – Nov. 17, 2006) – The Mellon Financial Corporation office and operations facility in Everett, Mass. became the first building in New England to be recognized five years in a row by the US Environmental Protection Agency with an Energy Star Label for superior energy performance given.

"Mellon Financial is a national leader in energy efficiency," said Robert W. Varney, regional administrator of the EPA's New England office. "Mellon is leading by example - showing that energy efficiency is good for business, good for customers and good for the environment.”

Mellon’s processing facility at 135 Santilli Highway achieved the energy savings mainly through better management and taking advantage of utility incentives and low-cost/no-cost initiatives.

In October of 2002 Massachusetts Electric (Ngrid) and Mellon Financial conducted a Retro-Commissioning of the Everett property and identified low cost / no cost energy savings initiatives as well as several capital projects. In the fall of 2005 Mellon retrofitted 4729 lighting fixtures throughout the property utilizing new “super T-8 technology”. In addition 444 lighting sensors were added. The project had a 1.9-year payback with an estimated savings of $74,614 per year.

The building improved its energy rating from 54 to 87 (out of a 100) in just four years. During this time, energy has been cut by more than 15 percent and energy savings exceeded a half a million dollars Between 2002-2005 the building has saved an average of $134,874.25 per year or a total of $539,497.

The building uses 40 percent less energy than the average office building of its size. That translates to preventing more than 11 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions each year - the equivalent of taking more than 1000 cars off the road – all the while saving Mellon Financial nearly three quarters of a million dollars in annual energy bills.

The EPA introduced Energy Star in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce air pollution through increased energy efficiency. The program helps businesses and consumers save energy and money while protecting the environment for future generations. In 2004, Energy Star helped Americans save enough energy to power 24 million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 21 million cars - all while saving consumers and businesses $10 billion.

The Energy Star label is awarded to buildings that demonstrate superior energy performance. Energy Star's rating system ranks building energy performance on a one to 100 scale based on energy use per square foot, normalized for weather, climate, occupancy and other factors. Buildings scoring 75 or higher that meet standards for indoor air quality, lighting, ventilation and thermal comfort are eligible for the label.

More information on EPA’s Energy Star Challenge: (energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=partners.pt_index)

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