MADISON, Wis., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Erdman, A Cogdell Spencer Company is pleased to announce that their headquarters offices, One Erdman Place, has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) prestigious ENERGY STAR, the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection. America's commercial buildings and industrial plants that rate in the top 25 percent of similar facilities for energy efficiency may qualify for the ENERGY STAR. Erdman, A Cogdell Spencer Company is a subsidiary of Cogdell Spencer Inc. (NYSE: CSA), a real estate investment trust that focuses on healthcare. The facility is owned and managed by Gialamas Company.

"We are pleased to accept EPA's ENERGY STAR in recognition of our energy efficiency efforts," said Scott Ransom, President and Chief Executive Officer of Erdman. "Through this achievement, we have demonstrated our commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship while also lowering our energy costs."

"The Company wanted to create a more collaborative, productive and energized environment -- a place where people would feel good about going to work. Knowing the impact that this type of environment has on the clients we serve, Erdman knows how important it is to do the same for its employees," said Mike Meteyer, PE, LEED AP, Mechanical Engineer for Erdman. "Headquartered in an ENERGY STAR building gives us the foundation and first-hand experience to further advance the sustainability of the healthcare facilities we design and build for our clients."

Commercial buildings that earn the ENERGY STAR use an average of 40 percent less energy than typical buildings and also release 35 percent less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Erdman improved its energy performance by managing energy strategically across the entire organization and by making cost-effective improvements to its building(s). The Company has saved $74,000 (compared to the national average of a comparable building) in annual energy bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity use from 47 households for a year*.

"Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an office building, getting the most out of your energy dollars -- while reducing your carbon footprint -- just makes sense," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.

To earn the ENERGY STAR, Erdman incorporated the following design and operations features:

-- High Performance Building enclosure: solar reflective roof membrane; foam insulated wall assembly; high performing thermal and solar transmittance glazing systems; automated solar blinds

-- Lighting: All lighting is on occupancy sensors including task lighting. Daylighting controls also used on majority of lighting. Highly efficient site lighting with individual daylight sensors.

-- Energy recovery used to capture and reuse 80% of the energy from the building exhaust air; premium efficient motors and variable speed drives; traction elevators

-- High efficient condensing boilers using low temperature hot water for space heating

-- Extensive data monitoring and real-time energy use displayed on staff desktop

-- Electrical Demand limiting control sequences

EPA's national energy performance rating system provides a 1-100 scale that helps organizations assess how efficiently their buildings use energy relative to similar buildings nationwide. A building that scores a rating of 75 or higher is eligible for the ENERGY STAR. Commercial buildings that can earn the ENERGY STAR include offices, bank branches, financial centers, retail stores, courthouses, hospitals, hotels, K-12 schools, medical offices, supermarkets, dormitories and warehouses.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2007, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

For more information about ENERGY STAR visit www.energystar.gov. For more information about Erdman, A Cogdell Spencer Company, please visit www.erdman.com. For more information about our parent company Cogdell Spencer Inc., please visit www.cogdellspencer.com.



    *Greenhouse gas emissions calculated at
http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html

About Cogdell Spencer Inc.

Charlotte-based Cogdell Spencer Inc. (NYSE: CSA) is a fully-integrated, self-administered, and self-managed real estate investment trust ("REIT") that invests in specialty office buildings for the medical profession, including medical offices and ambulatory surgery and diagnostic centers. The Company focuses on the ownership, development, redevelopment, acquisition, and management of strategically located medical office buildings and other healthcare related facilities in the United States of America. Erdman, A Cogdell Spencer Company, provides service offerings including advanced planning, architecture, engineering and construction, and development. The Company has been built around understanding and addressing the full range of specialized real estate needs of the healthcare industry. Learn more about Cogdell Spencer Inc. and its subsidiaries at www.cogdellspencer.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements reflect the Company's views about future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause actual results to differ materially. Factors that may contribute to these differences include, but are not limited to the following: market trends; our ability to obtain future financing arrangements; our ability to renew ground leases; our ability to integrate the operations of Marshall Erdman & Associates with our operations; defaults by tenants; and changes in the reimbursement available to our tenants by government or private payors. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2007. Although the Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be realized. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Cogdell Spencer Inc.