Feeling a bit bloated after Thanksgiving? Weary and inefficient?

Chances are, your facilities feel the same way. Their HVAC systems struggle to keep up with heating and cooling loads. Their electrical-distribution systems are overtaxed and unreliable. Their plumbing systems work endlessly to keep up with demand and waste water in the process.

If so, you might want to take the lead of several facilities that last week decided to trim some fat from their energy and utility bills by committing to energy efficiency and exceed environmental requirements.

A U.S. Postal Service mail center in Seattle and facilities at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon are the newest members of the Performance Track Program , run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The program, with more than 400 facilities nationwide, rewards facilities that, among other things, voluntarily exceed regulatory requirements and improve environmental management.

To date, the program's members have collectively reduced water use by 3.5 billion gallons, reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 88,000 metric tons, and conserved more than 14,000 acres of land in helping to protect local and national environments.

You also might want to check out the Environmental Energy Technology Division of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Its Building Energy Efficiency Program transfers new energy-efficient building technologies from the lab to the field.

Finally, K-12 schools in California - the nation's fountain of energy-efficiency initiatives - can check out the state energy commission's Bright Schools Program . The program offers a long menu of services and guidance on achieving energy efficiency in their education facilities. Chances are, the program's information can help any facility meet this goal.