Irvine Company’s ENERGY STAR Certified Office Portfolio Ranks Among Nation’s Largest Property Managers

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Irvine Company today announced that its portfolio of ENERGY STAR certified office buildings ranks in the top ten nationally and second in California among all property managers in terms of total square feet certified for 2010. The ranking, based on an Irvine Company analysis of the EPA Registry of ENERGY STAR Labeled Buildings, represents fifty-four of Irvine Company’s 93 office buildings, or 16.6 million gross square feet (Msf), that received ENERGY STAR certification for 2010. Based on square footage, this corresponds to nearly 90 percent of the company’s high-rise office portfolio, including associated mid- and low-rise properties. Collectively, the company’s 54 ENERGY STAR labeled buildings received an average ENERGY STAR score of 83. A building that scores a 75 or higher on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 1-100 scale may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification and the numerical score is representative of a building’s percentile rank among all buildings that participate in the nationwide program. The Irvine Company is also unique among large property managers in that it owns all of its ENERGY STAR certified buildings.

“Improving the energy efficiency of our nation’s buildings is critical to protecting our environment”

According to Rich Bluth, Vice President of Energy Management for Irvine Company Office Properties, “These results certainly highlight the impact of the ongoing efforts our operations teams deliver in operating our properties with a focus on energy efficiency. Our next steps include further expansion of the program beyond our office buildings to include eligible locations in our resort, retail and apartment community portfolios.”

ENERGY STAR certification signifies that a building performs in the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide for energy efficiency and meets strict energy efficiency levels set by the EPA. Buildings that earn the EPA’s ENERGY STAR certification use about 35 percent less energy than average buildings, cost 50 cents less per-square-foot to operate, have higher occupancy rates, increased asset value and lower carbon emissions. Energy use in commercial and industrial buildings is responsible for about 45 percent of the U.S. greenhouse emissions that contribute to global warming and the ENERGY STAR program shows building owners how to reduce their buildings’ emissions though enhanced energy efficiency.

“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.”

Irvine Company became an ENERGY STAR Partner in early 2011 and is actively benchmarking 100 percent of its high rise and associated low-, and mid- rise properties. The company is expanding its ENERGY STAR benchmarking efforts across its wide portfolio of properties.

About the Irvine Company

Founded in 1864, the Irvine Company is an internationally renowned real estate development company known for its award-winning master-planned communities, its vast portfolio of high-quality investment properties, and its leadership in conservation and natural resource management. The growing real estate portfolio encompasses office, apartment, retail and resort holdings located throughout California’s premier markets, including assets in San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles Counties, and holdings in Northern California. As a steward of some of America’s most beautiful and scientifically important open space and parklands, the company has donated to Orange County more than half of the historic 93,000-acre Irvine Ranch in Orange County — 50,000 acres — to permanently preserve these lands. The U.S. Department of Interior and the State of California have designated these parklands as “Natural Landmarks,” one of the most prestigious land preservation designations. The privately held, diversified company traces its roots to the 1860s with the formation of The Irvine Ranch^® from Mexican and Spanish land grants.