DENVER, CO—Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is pleased to announce that the Denver Federal Bureau of Investigation Building was named an Energy Star Certified Building, an honor bestowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), earning the top spot for its energy reduction efforts in 2012, the highest among all office buildings in the city.
The 220,000-square-foot, Class A property located at 8000 E. 36th Avenue reduced its energy consumption by 16.3 percent and prevented 454 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions over the course of the year, equal to the energy use of 68 homes. The environmental efforts were led by NGKF building engineers Don Smith and Brad Knisley, and Michelle Wright, NGKF associate director of Property Management Services.
The building’s energy output was reduced by programming changes to its lighting and automation systems, providing air balance on several key outside air vents, programming electric heat lockouts, installing high-efficiency air filters, and closely monitoring water usage.
“This is the third year the EPA has conducted its ‘Energy Star National Building Competition’ where teams from across the country compete to improve energy efficiency and lower utility costs,” noted Dan Simpson, NGKF director of Management Services. “In 2012, competitors cut energy costs by more than $50 million.”
The Denver FBI Building came away with other high honors in the Energy Star competition, including ranking No. 2 in the state for the office category and No. 3 in the state for all building categories. The building also placed 228th nationally among all 3,200 competitors for energy use reductions. It placed 30th nationally and No. 4 in Colorado for its 23-percent reduction in water usage.
NGKF began managing the building in 2010, during its construction, on behalf of building owner and developer Alex S. Palmer & Company. Improvements to the buildings’ overall utility consumption began after the FBI Building’s initial warranty period was over in August of 2011. The property management and engineering teams worked together to determine areas predicted to yield the largest results, without sacrificing tenant comfort or security, ultimately generating overall cost savings of $74,964 with minimal expense outlay and without affecting the mandatory 24/7/365 HVAC operation at the top secret secured facility.
“We enjoy working with Alex S. Palmer Company on this project and are extremely proud of the work we’ve done at the Denver FBI Building,” said Ms. Wright. “It is satisfying to work with an owner that is dedicated to searching for ways to lower energy costs and improve efficiencies, and completely supports NGKF’s sustainability, LEED, and Energy Star initiatives, to ultimately increase the value of the asset.”
Energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion per year, according to the EPA. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering the atmosphere each year.
More information on the 2012 Energy Star National Building Competition, including top overall finishers and top finishers by building category, an interactive map of competitors, and a wrap-up report, is available at http://www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings.
About Newmark Grubb Knight Frank
Newmark Grubb Knight Frank (NGKF) is one of the world's leading commercial real estate advisory firms. Together with its affiliates and London-based partner Knight Frank, NGKF employs more than 11,000 professionals, operating from more than 340 offices in established and emerging property markets on five continents.
With roots dating back to 1929, NGKF’s strong foundation makes it one of the most trusted names in commercial real estate. Its integrated services platform includes leasing advisory, global corporate services, investment sales and capital markets, consulting, program and project management, property and facilities management, and valuation services. A major force in the real estate marketplace, NGKF serves the local and global property requirements of tenants, landlords, investors and developers worldwide. For further information, visit www.ngkf.com.
NGKF is a part of BGC Partners, Inc. (NASDAQ: BGCP), a leading global brokerage company primarily servicing the wholesale financial and real estate markets. For further information, visit www.bgcpartners.com.
About Alex S. Palmer & Company
Founded in 1982, Alex S. Palmer & Company is one of Nashville, Tenn.’s most accomplished commercial real estate development companies. Palmer has developed a number of properties in Nashville and around the country, including the 18-story Palmer Plaza, the Burton Hills III and IV office buildings in Nashville’s affluent Green Hills neighborhood, and the Gateway Office Complex and Gateway II buildings in Nashville’s suburban Maryland Farms development.
Outside of Nashville, the company developed and provides tenant management for the FBI Headquarters building in Denver. Palmer also developed the IRS Compliance Services Building in Fresno, Calif., the Veterans Administration Regional Office in San Diego and Alameda County Office Building in Heyward, Calif.