Energy Department Recognizes Shari's Café & Pies and King County International Airport for Leadership in Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recognized two Seattle-area Better Buildings Challenge partners, King County and Shari's Café & Pies, for their successful energy-efficient upgrade achievements at the King County International Airport and the local Shari's in Lynnwood, Washington. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, these two partners committed to reducing energy use across their properties by at least 20% in 10 years.

In order to meet its energy reduction goals, King County performed an energy retrofit to one of the oldest and busiest non-hub airport terminals in the nation—the international terminal in the King County International Airport. To date, the airport has achieved 63% energy savings by adding advanced lighting controls and upgrading the mechanical and lighting systems located throughout the interior of the terminal, as well as installing LED lighting in the outdoor terminal parking lot.

Shari's Café & Pies in Lynwood is the first full-service restaurant to join the Better Buildings Challenge, committing to a 20% reduction in energy intensity by 2025 across nearly 400,000 square feet of restaurant space. By upgrading their interior and exterior lights with LED lighting and by replacing five heated dipper wells with new manual wells, Shari's Better Buildings Showcase Project has realized a 28% reduction in energy use and a 43% reduction in water use. Also, further water, sewer and gas savings are captured through a smart irrigation system that uses precipitation data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to avoid watering when rain is in the forecast.

More than 345 organizations from diverse sectors have now stepped up to the Better Buildings Challenge. Across the country, partners have shared energy performance results for nearly 38,000 properties. On average, they are now saving more than 2% per year and are on track to meet their energy savings goals of 20% over the next 10 years.

Learn how partners are catalyzing change and investment in energy efficiency, and discover their proven solutions in the Better Buildings Solution Center.