The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awards ENERGY STAR certifications to buildings that rank within the top 25 percent of similar commercial buildings nationwide by meeting strict energy performance levels set by the EPA.
"We are very pleased to be recognized with the 2013 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, an honor we've received five years in a row," said Katheryn Burchett, SVP of Property Development. "Our stores that proudly display the ENERGY STAR label generate fewer greenhouse emissions than non-certified structures, and each certified building saves the Company thousands of dollars in energy costs every year."
JCPenney has taken many steps to drive energy efficiency at the store level. Projects such as LED lighting retrofits in hundreds of locations, advanced metering technologies that track electricity usage and in-store energy management systems have all contributed to meaningful energy savings. Additionally, JCPenney has installed rooftop solar energy systems in 12 retail locations.
"JCPenney has long been a pioneer in corporate energy management, even becoming the first retailer to earn the ENERGY STAR for one of its stores in 2007," said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR program for commercial buildings and industrial plants.
"Now, 500 ENERGY STAR certified stores later, JCPenney's long-standing commitment to protecting the environment can inspire us all to continue to save more energy, save more money and reduce more greenhouse gas emissions than the day before."
In addition to ENERGY STAR certification achievements, JCPenney has made remarkable strides in its 20 by 2015 initiative, which aims to reduce energy consumption by up to 20 percent per gross square foot by the year 2015. Within the first three years of the initiative, JCPenney has successfully reduced energy usage by nearly 17 percent, resulting in the reduction of scope 1 and scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.
JC Penney