SPOKANE, Wash., March 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Advantage IQ,
Inc., a leading provider of strategic energy management
solutions and a subsidiary of Avista Corp. (NYSE: AVA), announced
today that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded
Advantage IQ with a 2011 ENERGY STAR® Sustained
Excellence Award in recognition of its continued leadership in
protecting our environment through energy efficiency. This is the
fifth consecutive year Advantage IQ has achieved this
recognition.
"This is a tremendous accomplishment for us," says Jeff Heggedahl, president and chief executive
officer of Advantage IQ. "We are honored to be recognized for our
partnership with our clients in their energy management efforts.
Benchmarking is an essential element of strategic energy
management. As a result of our automated integration with the EPA's
Portfolio Manager, we helped clients earn the ENERGY STAR for 309
buildings in the past year and assisted 28 client buildings in
improving their energy performance rating by 10 or more points.
These energy reduction efforts are instrumental in corporate
sustainability initiatives and result in cost savings that
positively impact the bottom-line. "
In 2010, Advantage IQ provided energy performance ratings to
more than 38,000 buildings, an 11 percent increase over 2009. These
38,000 buildings represent approximately half of all buildings that
are receiving automated benchmarking services. The firm continues
to promote the importance of energy management through a variety of
efforts including a monthly educational webinar series, "Energy
Game Plan," that educates attendees on the fundamentals of energy
management.
"Advantage IQ has earned EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award - the
2011 Sustained Excellence Award," said Elizabeth Craig, Acting Director of EPA's Office
of Atmospheric Programs. "Advantage IQ's long term leadership
and commitment to energy efficiency demonstrates the types of
accomplishments that we can all achieve in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions and protecting our global environment. We look forward to
their continued partnership and leadership."
The 2011 Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a select group
of organizations that have exhibited outstanding leadership year
after year. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by
setting and achieving aggressive goals, employing innovative
approaches, and showing others what can be achieved through energy
efficiency. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the
ENERGY STAR program including energy-efficient products, services,
and new homes and buildings in the commercial, industrial and
public sectors. Award winners are selected from more than 12,000
organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.
About Advantage IQ
Advantage IQ partners with Fortune 1000 organizations to
maximize business results by reducing energy and other facility
expenses, managing risk, and improving environmental performance.
These outcomes are achieved through performance reporting, energy
supply management, carbon tracking, and expense management.
Advantage IQ's patented systems provide online access to critical
cost and consumption data, enabling informed strategic management.
Advantage IQ collaborates with clients to process, measure,
analyze, and improve resource administration in the key expense
categories of energy, telecom, waste, and leasing. Advantage IQ is
the primary non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp, NYSE: AVA. For
more information about Advantage IQ, visit
www.advantageiq.com or call 800-791-7564.
About Avista
Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production,
transmission and distribution of energy as well as other
energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating
division that provides electric service to 359,000 customers and
natural gas to 319,000 customers. Our service territory covers
30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern
Oregon, with a population of 1.5
million. Avista's primary, non-regulated subsidiary is
Advantage IQ. Our stock is traded under the ticker symbol
"AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit
www.avistacorp.com.
About ENERGY STAR®
ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary,
market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and
other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR
label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new
homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of
ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on
their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to
those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have
earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict
energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For more
information, go to energystar.gov.
SOURCE Advantage IQ, Inc.