IBC and EPA's ENERGY
STAR® Challenge
IBC is committed to energy conservation through its ENERGY STAR
Challenge. Community banks across the country participate in the joint
initiative with the Environment Protection Agency. Through the program,
community banks can reduce utility costs by an average of $3,500 per
year per bank location.
ENERGY STAR is best known as a label
for products meeting energy efficiency guidelines. But the program also
identifies superior energy performance standards for commercial and
industrial buildings and reducing energy consumption by 10
percent. This initiative offers you data, tools, and strategies
to implement cost-effective retrofitting and new construction
strategies involving energy efficient lighting, climate controls,
equipment, and building design, and improved energy practices and
technologies. They can be used for a new bank location or to retrofit
an old one.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE.
ENERGY STAR offers easy-to-use tools to get you started. Begin saving
money on energy costs with one of two ways: Portfolio Manager and Sure
Savers.
PORTFOLIO MANAGER.
Assess your energy use and costs by registering with ENERGY STAR
Portfolio Manager, an online database that helps banks to track their
before-and-after energy usage and benchmark community bank numbers
against other community banks. You'll be eligible for national
recognition from the EPA. Your energy use data is confidential and not
accessible by EPA. Learn how to benefit from Portfolio Manager by
reviewing the ENERGY STAR website for energy saving tips and tools for
benchmarking energy use.
SURE SAVERS.
Sure Saver allows you to use energy-and cost-saving tips without
registering and tracking with Portfolio Manager. Banks using Sure Saves
are not eligible for recognition because savings and use cannot be
measured. Implement easy-to-use tools with Sure Savers Steps.
Most businesses achieve a 10 percent reduction in energy use and cost
by following the steps noted.
ENERGY STAR SMALL BUSINESS
NETWORK. Continue receiving energy-saving tips as well as
demonstrate your commitment to improving the energy efficiency of your
community bank by signing up for the ENERGY STAR Small Business
Network. Receive the monthly ENERGY STAR e-update, access an
informational hotline and make use of the ENERGY STAR promotional logo.
RECOGNITION.
The EPA recognizes community banks that improve energy efficiency by 10
percent. Based on results from EPA's national energy performance rating
system, ENERGY STAR Leaders recognition is provided for the following
achievements: Portfolio-wide reductions in normalized energy use of 10
percent, 20 percent, 30 percent or more; and an average energy
performance rating of 75 or better portfolio-wide
HOW TO HELP YOUR CUSTOMERS.
The EPA understands that community banks keep our nation's communities
vital by growing our towns and cities, funding small businesses, and
helping families secure a financial future. Giving small business
customers user-friendly, energy and cost savings tools allows community
banks to better serve your customers. Take the challenge and
promote the program to your customers.
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Earth-friendly plastic. The future is now...
Arthur Blank introduces the AB Recycled Card
The IBC is proud to offer community banks access to recycled plastics
through our Preferred Partner, Fifth Third Processing Solutions. For
more information on how your bank can begin using recycled plastics,
please contact Heidi Shipp Saba @ 303.399.8929 or heidi.shipp@53.com.
- Recently secure certified
- Ideal for Credit, Debit, ATM and prepaid
secure gift cards
- Same high quality printing & personalization
processes as used in our traditional plastic cards
- Available at the same price as our traditional
plastic cards
- If it's speckled and off white, it’s the
AB RecycledCard™:made from
Earthworks™ recycled plastic
- 88% Recycled Pre Consumer PVC
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