The fifth annual EBie awards took place on June 20, at the Hard Rock Café LIVE Theatre in New York City. Established to “celebrate excellence in existing buildings,” the EBies recognize champions of sustainability in the built environment. These changemakers are building operators, facility managers, owners, engineers and other building professionals. Their end goal is to implement changes which lead to more cost-effective and energy- and water-efficient buildings. The awards are the result of a national juried competition consisting of eight categories.
This year, Southface’s Principal Engineer for Resource Efficiency, Jean Pullen, won the All Together Now award, which celebrated the most improved building portfolio across multiple sustainability categories. The portfolio consisted of 14 Boys & Girls Clubs across the Southeast that participated in the BGCA Energy & Water Efficiency Program, a partnership between Southface and BGCA funded by The JPB Foundation. Pullen and her team implemented energy, water, and resource efficiency projects that resulted in roughly $175,000 saved in annual utility costs in 2015. The key data points used to measure portfolio success were indoor environmental quality, materials use, potable water, source energy use intensity, tenant engagement and waste management.
According to Les Nichols, National Vice President of Child & Club Safety with BGCA, “this is the first time that BGCA has ever been involved in a project that made a concerted effort to save energy and find a way to reduce energy consumption in clubs.”
These savings mean more room in Boys & Girls Clubs budgets and more ways to help kids across the country!
