The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its annual list of the top 25 cities with Energy Star buildings. The Virginia Beach metro area was named 20^th overall, and among midsize cities, Virginia Beach ranked first.

VBCPS has a large role in this success. Among the 81 buildings that were Energy Star certified in 2014, 35 are in the city boundaries, and VBCPS had 20 of them. Out of the 7.4 million square feet of building space that has been certified, VBCPS has a little more than two million square feet of it.

“This is a testament to the partnership of how we build our buildings, maintain our buildings, and operate in our buildings,” said Jim Morris, assistant director of environmental and energy management. “Since we started participating in this program in 2010, we’ve had 28 buildings that have achieved Energy Star status at one time or another.”

What makes that achievement even more impressive is that in the school division’s first year, VBCPS started out with just six buildings earning Energy Star status. EnergyStar status is an annually renewable recognition.

For more information about EnergyStar, visit the EPA website.