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TMCNet:  Allianz Life Earns Third Straight Energy Star Certification

[March 27, 2012]

Allianz Life Earns Third Straight Energy Star Certification

MINNEAPOLIS --(Business Wire)--

For the third consecutive year, Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life) has earned the prestigious Energy Star certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its campus in Golden Valley, Minnesota. This award acknowledges Allianz Life's attention to superior energy performance and recognizes its headquarters as among the most energy efficient in the United States.

"Energy conservation is important for the environment, but it's also good for our business, allowing us to run more efficiently and contribute more to our community," said Allianz Life President and CEO Walter White. "We're honored to earn this certification that recognizes our ongoing corporate efforts to implement green initiatives within our business practices."

Allianz Life earned a score of 92 out of 100 (up from 91 in 2010 and 78 in 2009) putting it in the top eight percent of similar-size buildings nationwide. Energy Star buildings on average use 35 percent less energy and release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Te energy saved represents enough to power more than 300 homes and saves the company more than half a million dollars annually, according to Energy Star.


To earn the certification, over the past three years Allianz Life took the following actions:

  • Changed light bulbs to reduce wattage in every area.
  • Changed core operating hours to 6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
  • Turned off heating/cooling systems on weekends and parking ramp lights late at night.
  • Converted parking ramp lights to lower wattage and installed energy-conserving fluorescent bulbs on two floors.
  • Installed motion sensors in auditorium so the air conditioning will only go on when needed and shut off 10 minutes after no motion is detected.
  • Closed blinds on hot days to reduce heat entering building and lessen air conditioning workload.
  • In the process of migrating data center servers to more efficient blade servers that require less power and cooling.

Launched in 1992 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of the Energy Star program and its partners, saved approximately $23 billion on their energy bills while preventing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to the annual emissions of 41 million vehicles. To date, more than 1.3 million new homes and nearly 16,500 buildings across all 50 states have earned EPA's Energy Star certification. Today, the Energy Star label can be found on more than 60 different kinds of products with more than 5 billion sold over the past 20 years.

About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE's 100 Best Companies to Work For in 2012, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 150,000 employees worldwide. More than 75 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.

Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America offers insurance and annuities in all states except New York. In New York, products are issued by Allianz Life Insurance Company of New York, New York, NY.


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