(HOUSTON) - Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today that it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award in recognition of continued leadership in protecting the environment through energy efficiency.  Hines will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 29, 2014. 

           This is the tenth time Hines has been recognized by the EPAand the seventh time Hines has received the Sustained Excellence Award.

            Hines' portfolio of ENERGY STAR buildings consists of 185 facilities and more than 60 million square feet. With an average performance rating of 82.4, the portfolio is 39.7 percent more energy efficient than the national average.   This translates into estimated annual greenhouse gas reductions equivalent to removing more than 45,987 automobiles from the road for one year.          

Across the U.S., top companies and organizations are leading the way toward a more energy-efficient future through participation in ENERGY STAR.  Through 2013, with help from ENERGY STAR, American families and businesses have saved $297 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 2.1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

            "Hines is honored to receive this award," said Hines President and CEO Jeffrey C. Hines.  "We use ENERGY STAR in tandem with Hines' proprietary building management tools to support our engineering efforts to maximize performance, minimize risk and preserve long-term value."

            Hines Global Sustainability Officer Gary Holtzer added, "Our participation in the ENERGY STAR program is an important aspect of the firm's sustainability program.  ENERGY STAR signals lower expenses for our tenants, higher returns for our investors, partners and clients, and a better environment for everyone."

            The 2014 Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions through superior energy efficiency. These winners have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by setting and achieving aggressive goals, and employing innovative energy efficiency approaches. These awards recognize ongoing leadership across the ENERGY STAR program, including energy-efficient products, services, new homes, and buildings in the commercial, industrial, and public sectors. Award winners are selected from the 16,000 organizations that participate in the ENERGY STAR program.

Hines is a privately owned real estate firm involved in real estate investment, development and property management worldwide. The firm's historical and current portfolio of projects that are underway, completed, acquired and managed for third parties includes 1,283 properties representing more than 516 million square feet of office, residential, mixed-use, industrial, hotel, medical and sports facilities, as well as large, master-planned communities and land developments.  Currently, Hines manages 378 properties totaling 151.9 million square feet, which includes 84.3 million square feet for third parties.  With offices in 111 cities in 18 countries, and controlled assets valued at approximately $25.2 billion, Hines is one of the largest real estate organizations in the world. Hines is also a world leader in sustainable real estate strategies, with extensive experience in LEED®, ENERGY STAR, BREEAM, Haute Qualité Environnementale and DGNB green building rating systems.  Visit www.hines.com for more information.