Today the EPA released their annual top 25 metropolitan areas with the most Energy Star certified buildings.

Three California cities are in the top ten with Los Angeles ranked 1st, San Francisco at 3rd, and Riverside is ranked 9th. According to the EPA, Los Angeles has been in the top spot since 2008.

California has a total of six cities on the list with Sacramento (12th), San Diego (19th), and San Jose (21st) making the Golden State the host with the most.

How do Energy Star buildings differ from buildings that carry LEED certification?

The Energy Star label was created by the EPA in 1992 as a “voluntary labeling program” for energy-efficient products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and it began with computers and monitors. Three years later the label included office equipment, residential heating and cooling equipment. In 1996 the Department of Energy joined the EPA to create the part of the program we are familiar with when we enter a store: the labeling of home appliances and electronics. The logo is now placed on over 60 different kinds of products.

Commercial and industrial buildings, and houses can also get the stamp of approval and currently 1.3 million new homes carry the designation.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification is a wider program run by the United States Green Building Council and is younger than Energy Star. Both certifications can be awarded to the same building and part of the LEED process includes having energy efficient appliances and fixtures.

The EPA says the energy usage in commercial buildings which includes K-12 schools, stores, and office buildings causes 20 percent of the country’s GHGs and costs more than $100 billion per year. Energy Star Certified buildings use 35 percent less energy, on average, and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide.

The savings Energy Star buildings have provided their owners on utility bills has been astronomical and is placed at about $230 billion. Monetary savings aren’t the only perk and these buildings have stopped 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon pollution from being released.

"More and more organizations are discovering the value of Energy Star as they work to cut costs and reduce their energy use," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "This year marked the twentieth anniversary of the Energy Star program, and today Energy Star certified buildings in cities across America are helping to strengthen local economies and protect the planet for decades to come."