St. Mary’s Medical Center in Blue Springs, Mo., is now the only hospital in the Kansas City area to receive an energy efficient certification from the federal government.

A release says the Environmental Protection Agency gave St. Mary’s its Energy Star certification, which puts the hospital in the top 25 percent of similar facilities for its nationwide energy efficiency performance levels.

Commercial buildings that receive this designation typically use 35 percent less energy and emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide, the release says.

The hospital took on the Energy Star Challenge five years ago. It began using high-efficiency light bulbs and motion sensors and has reduced heating and cooling demands with a new HVAC system and Energy Star roofs.

View Article