USPS ahead of pace to reduce energy consumption
Many businesses have invested in improving energy efficiency standards, whether through building design or facility operations. At the same time, mailing software has allowed companies to reduce the amount of bulk mail that is mislabeled, which results in fewer resources wasted in an effort to deliver and return mail items.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service recently announced its 2003 initiative to reduce its energy consumption has been largely successful. The USPS indicated it has cut the amount of energy its 32,000 facilities use by 34 percent since making the pledge 11 years ago. In that span of time, the postal service has saved energy equivalent to what's needed to power 110,000 homes in the U.S., explained Vice President of Facilities Tom Samra.
The federal mailing agency cited the Enterprise Energy Management System and Utility Management System as key to identifying and measuring ways to reduce energy costs. Samra told Electrical Contractor, a magazine dedicated to electrical construction, the Morgan postal facility in New York has saved more than $1 million since officials integrated a green roof and other measures to save energy. The Facilities Energy Program supports internal energy audits, which gives the USPS the ability to analyze its energy consumption to help plan future sustainability efforts.