Boston Ranked High For 'Energy Star' Buildings

The Boston area has been ranked in the top 25 metropolitan areas of the country for "Energy Star" buildings for 2011.

Boston ranked No. 10, up from No. 12 in 2010.

During 2011, 161 buildings in the Boston area - with more than 44 million square feet of floor space - earned the Energy Star designation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates the buildings saved $61 million in energy costs and avoided emissions equivalent to electricity use in 4,000 homes.

The Boston Metropolitan area includes Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Middlesex and Essex counties in Massachusetts and Rockingham and Strafford counties in New Hampshire.

Energy Star, which was launched by the EPA in 1992, is a partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency.