Page 22 - April 2009 • Southern California Gaming Guide

April 2009 Gaming News (Continued)
Barona Resort & Casino Earns the Energy Star for Superior Energy
BEfficiency
arona Resort & Casino has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for superior energy e ciency and environmental protection. Commercial buildings, including hotels and resorts, that rate
in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy e ciency may qualify for the Energy Star. Barona was one of only 85 hotels in the state of California to receive this recognition.
“Barona is pleased to accept an Energy Star in recognition of our energy e ciency e orts,” said Jay Bart, Director of Safety, Health and Environment at Barona Resort & Casino.“ rough this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to environmental stewardship and lowering our
carbon emissions.” Commercial buildings that
earn the Energy Star use an
average of 40 percent less
energy than typical buildings
and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Barona has prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used from approximately 180 households for a year.
“Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an o ce building, getting the most out of your energy dollars—while reducing your carbon footprint—just makes sense,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
Barona achieved an Energy Star rating due to its energy e cient equipment and diligent training of sta members. e resort property features a highly e cient HVAC, a system that heats, ventilates and air- conditions each room throughout the hotel and casino.
Also, Barona’s sta have been trained to turn o lights and set thermostats to unoccupied mode when guests are not in the room. Additionally, Barona has replaced all incandescent
light bulbs with uorescents throughout the entire hotel.
e EPA’s national energy performance rating system provides a 1 to 100 scale that helps organizations assess how e ciently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the Energy Star. Commercial buildings that can earn the Energy Star include o ces, bank branches, nancial centers, retailers,
courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical o ces, supermarkets, dormitories and warehouses.
Energy Star was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy e ciency. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 50 di erent kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the Energy Star designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-e ciency speci cations set by the government. In 2006, Americans, with the help of Energy Star, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles. For more information about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov.
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SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
April 2009
Gaming News (Continued)