Pittsburgh-based health insurer Highmark Inc., cut its energy consumption by about 5.6% and saved nearly $329,000 in energy costs by boosting its conservation efforts last year.

“Making small changes to things like our lighting, cleaning hours and heating and air conditioning systems have resulted in significant savings of energy and dollars,” said Phyllis Barber, Highmark’s sustainability coordinator, in a prepared statement. “At Highmark, we’re committed to being an environmental leader because we know that creating a healthier environment also helps to create healthier communities and healthier people. Reducing the energy consumption at our facilities is just one way that we can have a greater hand in a healthier environment.”

At its Pittsburgh Fifth Avenue Place and Penn Avenue Place offices, Highmark decreased energy consumption by 5.4% from 2007 to 2008, resulting in a cost decrease of $156,000. Among the changes were changes in cleaning hours and security guard inspections to reduce lighting use after hours, installation of energy-efficient lighting in Penn Avenue Place and installation of energy-saving devices on all beverage vending machines, the company said.

Energy consumption at its Center Street campus in Camp Hill, Pa., fell by 6.6% last year, saving $126,600, with the installation of higher efficiency HVAC equipment, control systems and lighting in newly renovated sections, reduced exterior lighting in outdoor areas and reduced HVAC equipment usage during operating hours, according to Highmark, the state’s largest health insurer.

At its Silver LEED certified Data Center facility near Hershey, Pa., energy consumption decreased by 4.7%, resulting in a cost decrease of $52,000 from 2007 to 2008, the company said. These savings are in part because of a reduction of lighting in unoccupied areas, reduction of HVAC equipment operating hours, and modifications to temperature and humidity controls.

To conserve additional energy and show its commitment to the environment, Highmark’s Fifth Avenue Place, Penn Avenue Place and Center Street buildings will go dark for Earth Hour from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28.

The Pittsburgh facilities operate some 12,000 lights, which will be turned off for the hour, along with the Highmark sign on the top of Fifth Avenue Place and the blue spire. Emergency lighting and lighting in occupied areas will be left on for the safety of employees, as well as retail patrons of Fifth Avenue Place. The Camp Hill facility has some 12,300 lights. The facility will also turn off its Highmark sign at the front entrance to the campus. Emergency lighting and lighting in occupied areas will also be left on for the safety of employees.

Highmark’s other sustainable, eco-friendly, green business include a 22,000-square-foot green roof with some 25,000 plants on its Fifth Avenue Place building in downtown Pittsburgh, paper and utilities conservation initiatives, and the use of certified green seal cleaning supplies in Highmark’s facilities.