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HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill., March 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized Sears Holdings with a 2016 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award for its continued leadership in protecting our environment through superior energy efficiency achievements. Sears Holdings' accomplishments will be recognized in Washington, D.C. on April 13, 2016.

Sears Holdings, an ENERGY STAR partner since 1998, will be honored for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency. The company's related accomplishments in 2015 included:

• Energy Savings: Sears Holdings continues to have success year-over-year in reducing its energy consumption. In 2015, the company's total weather normalized source energy usage decreased by nearly 1 billion kBtu, and the average weather normalized source energy intensity declined to 115.8 kBtu/sqft, both six percent reductions compared to 2014. In addition, Sears Holdings has reduced electricity usage by more than 670 million kWh since 2008; the equivalent of powering 63,000 homes or taking 97,000 cars off the road for one year.
• Product Selection: With the introduction of ENERGY STAR certified dryers in 2015, Sears Holdings worked to promote bundled energy efficient laundry pairs and experienced a significant increase in attachment rate. We also worked with Kenmore and GE to continually market the benefits of heat pump electric water heaters. The Kenmore brand introduced new ENERGY STAR certified products in every applicable category in 2015, receiving numerous Consumer Reports Best Buy designations. Our lighting team increased our assortment of ENERGY STAR LED products by seven percent over the previous year.
• Training: We introduced SEGNO Expertise, a new interactive product and selling process training platform for our sales associates in 2015. The platform contains videos, product listings and guidelines that emphasize the benefits of energy efficiency for all applicable product categories. The Home Appliance Business sales associate product training road show was again conducted in 2015, including product detail for ENERGY STAR certification.
• Marketing: In 2015, we initiated the process of updating our online rebate finder to increase customer engagement. Social media and the Shop Your Way^® Platform continued to be important tools for promoting the ENERGY STAR brand to our members. We also issued our first Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability report in 2015 and prominently highlighted our partnership with EPA ENERGY STAR and the benefits of ENERGY STAR certified products.
• Partnership: SHC's collaborative relationship with over 60 utility partners continues to differentiate us in our effort to reduce energy consumption through the promotion of ENERGY STAR certified products. We optimize these relationships to help drive traffic to our stores, increase success for the programs, and add awareness of the ENERGY STAR brand. Especially noteworthy in 2015, SHC devoted significant time supporting the ENERGY STAR Retail Products Platform business model development in preparation for launch in 2016.

"Sears Holdings truly values our partnership with ENERGY STAR and is honored to receive the Partner of the Year Award for the seventh consecutive year in Retail and fifth consecutive year in Energy Management," said Kristin Coleman, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Sears Holdings. "Our company remains committed to continuing our work to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy efficiency and protect the environment."

Since its inception in 1992, ENERGY STAR and its partners have helped prevent a total of more than 2.4 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2014 alone, ENERGY STAR and its partners provided more than $11 billion in societal benefits due to reducing damages from climate change.

"By continued collaboration with ENERGY STAR, Sears Holdings is helping Americans save money, save energy and do their part to reduce our nation's greenhouse gas emissions that exacerbate climate change," said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. "I'm proud to recognize Sears Holdings with the highest form of ENERGY STAR recognition, as the winner of the 2016 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award. Sears Holdings demonstrates a strong commitment to energy efficiency and to preserving a healthy planet for future generations."

The 2016 Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Awards are given to a variety of organizations to recognize their contributions to reducing harmful carbon pollution through superior energy efficiency efforts. 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.

For a complete list of 2016 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR's awards program, visit .

About Sears Holdings Corporation
Sears Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: SHLD) is a leading integrated retailer focused on seamlessly connecting the digital and physical shopping experiences to serve our members – wherever, whenever and however they want to shop. Sears Holdings is home to ^®, a social shopping platform offering members rewards for shopping at Sears and Kmart as well as with other retail partners across categories important to them. The company operates through its subsidiaries, includingÌý, Roebuck and Co. and Corporation, with full-line and specialty retail stores across the United States. For more information, visit .

About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR^® is the simple choice for energy efficiency. For more than 20 years, people across America have looked to EPA's ENERGY STAR program for guidance on how to save energy, save money, and protect the environment. Behind each blue label is a product, building, or home that is independently certified to use less energy and cause fewer of the emissions that contribute to climate change. Today, ENERGY STAR is the most widely recognized symbol for energy efficiency in the world, helping families and businesses save $362 billion on utility bills, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 2.4 billion metric tons since 1992. Join the millions who are already making a difference at energystar.gov.

CONTACT:
Sears Holdings Public Relations
(847) 286-8371

Kristinn Leonhart
ENERGY STAR Brand Manager
(202) 343-9062
Leonhart.Kristinn@epa.gov

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SOURCE Sears Holdings Corporation