Briggs & Stratton facility earns EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification
Briggs & Stratton Corporation announced Dec. 13 that its Menomonee Falls Distribution Center (MFDC), owned by Burke Properties, Inc., has earned ENERGY STAR certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ENERGY STAR certification signifies that the building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy-efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.
“Briggs & Stratton – Menomonee Falls Distribution Center is pleased to accept EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification in recognition of our energy-efficiency efforts,” said MFDC Facility Manager Bill Harlow. “Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs.”
Commercial buildings that earn EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use an average of 35-percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35-percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Briggs & Stratton improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its buildings. Briggs & Stratton has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 4,300 households for a year.
“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment,” said Jean Lupinacci, chief of the ENERGY STAR Commercial & Industrial Branch. “From the boiler room to the board room, organizations are leading the way by making their buildings more efficient and earning EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification.”
To earn the ENERGY STAR, Briggs & Stratton – Menomonee Falls Distribution Center took the following actions:
Created a sustainability team that remains focused and enthusiastic about energy efficiency and bettering their workplace.
Upgraded the entire production floor lighting to energy-efficient fluorescent fixtures with motion sensors, reducing lighting demand by more than 50 percent.
Converted the entire forklift and support vehicle fleet to high-frequency, off-peak charging units.
Installed motion sensors throughout the building’s conveyor system, reducing energy and maintenance costs.
Briggs & Stratton has partnered extensively with Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program for all of these energy-efficiency improvements, reducing MFDC’s electric usage by 36 percent over the past 3 years.
EPA’s ENERGY STAR energy performance scale helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a 75 or higher on EPA’s 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, data centers, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories, houses of worship, and warehouses.
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The ENERGY STAR label can currently be found on more than 60 different kinds of products, as well as new homes and commercial and industrial buildings that meet strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. During the past 20 years, American families and businesses have saved a total of nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7-billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions with help from ENERGY STAR.
Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis., is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment. Its wholly owned subsidiary Briggs & Stratton Power Products Group LLC is North America’s number one marketer of portable generators and pressure washers, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of standby generators, along with lawn and garden and turf care through its Simplicity, Snapper, Snapper Pro, Ferris and Murray brands. Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed, and serviced in more than 100 countries on six continents. For more information, visit www.basco.com or www.briggsandstratton.com.
For more information about ENERGY STAR Certification for Commercial Buildings, visit www.energystar.gov/labeledbuildings.
To calculate greenhouse gas emissions, visit www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html.
