Allianz Life Earns ENERGY STAR Certification from U.S. EPA

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

For the fifth 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, Minn. This award acknowledges the company's attention to superior energy performance and recognizes its headquarters as among the most energy efficient in the United States.

“Being a leader in our community, as well as being a sought-after place to work, is part of what drives Allianz Life to seek this recognition,” said Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Suzanne Dowd Zeller. “Allianz Life is not only a top workplace, but also is a top-notch facility to come to work to every day.”

Allianz Life has been ENERGY STAR certified every year since 2009. ENERGY STAR is a market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The program was launched by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992.

Allianz Life earned a score of 91 out of 100, an increase by one point from the year prior, putting it in the top three 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. The energy saved represents enough to power nearly 500 homes and saves the company more than $735,000 annually, according to EPA.

In addition to converting lighting throughout the campus to lower wattage or energy-conserving bulbs throughout its campus, installing motion sensors so air conditioning only goes on when needed, Allianz Life consistently turns off heating/cooling systems on weekends and unnecessary parking ramp lights late at night and closes blinds on hot days to reduce heat entering the building to lessen air conditioning workload. The company also recently migrated data center servers to more efficient blade servers that require less power and cooling and built “cold isle containment” and installed variable speed fans to deliver cooling only to the areas within the data center that call for it. Finally, Allianz Life continually monitors and changes its building automation system programming for better operating efficiencies.

According to EPA, more than 1.4 million new homes and nearly 20,000 buildings across all 50 states have earned EPA's ENERGY STAR certification. The ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products with more than 4.5 billion sold over since 1993.

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 2014, 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 142,000 employees worldwide. More than 78 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.