Secures LEED Gold Certification at US Bancorp Center in Minneapolis

Earns BOMA 360 Designation for 15 Buildings in Fourth Quarter

Acclaims Energy Star Certification for over 75% of National Office Portfolio

MINNEAPOLIS and ATLANTA - January 30, 2013 - Piedmont Office Realty Trust (NYSE: PDM) announced today that it has earned the prestigious LEED-EB (Existing Building) Gold Certification for its trophy office building, US Bancorp Center, located at 800 Nicollett Mall in downtown Minneapolis.  LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is an internationally recognized mark of excellence which provides a framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions.  

"We are proud to announce the achievement of LEED-EB Gold certification at our landmark property in downtown Minneapolis," said David Dabson, Piedmont's General Manager at US Bancorp Center.  "Our dedication to green practices and the energy savings initiatives implemented during the certification process have become part of our standard operating procedures at the building, benefitting both our tenants, in terms of lower energy costs, and the environment," added Dabson.

The addition of US Bancorp Center to Piedmont's roster of LEED certified properties brings the Company's total LEED certified properties to six across its national portfolio.  Other properties receiving the certification include 500 West Monroe Street, a trophy tower located in Chicago's West Loop, and 400 TownPark, a property located in the desirable Lake Mary submarket of Orlando.

BOMA 360 Designation
Additionally, Piedmont announced that 25 of its buildings earned the BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) 360 designation in 2012.  Currently, 44 properties in total, or approximately 60% of its national portfolio, have achieved this designation which recognizes commercial properties demonstrating best practices in building operations, energy conservation, property management, and sustainability.  Piedmont's goal is to pursue the BOMA 360 designation for all eligible Piedmont-managed office buildings over the next several years.

"The BOMA 360 program appeals to us because it analyzes multiple facets of the property management process," commented Kevin Fossum, RPA, Senior Vice President, Property Management for Piedmont Office Realty Trust.  "Given the distinguished reputation of the program recognizing superior operations on behalf of building tenants, we believe that achieving our BOMA 360 goal will continue to differentiate Piedmont among the end user and tenant representative communities," concluded Fossum. 

Energy Star Certification
As an Energy Star Partner, almost 79% of Piedmont's office portfolio has earned the Energy Star Label, including six new building additions in 2012.  Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy, designed to protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices. 

Piedmont buildings which have earned both the BOMA 360 designation and Energy Star certification in select markets include:

Atlanta
Glenridge Highlands Two

Chicago
Aon Center
500 West Monroe
Two Pierce Place
Windy Point I
2300 Cabot Drive

Dallas
6031 Connection Drive
Las Colinas Corporate Center I & II
3900 Dallas Parkway

Houston
1430 Enclave Parkway

Los Angeles
800 North Brand Boulevard
1901 Main Street
1055 East Colorado Boulevard
Fairway Center II

Minneapolis
US Bancorp Center
One and Two Meridian Crossings
Crescent Ridge Corporate Center II

New York/New Jersey
60 Broad Street
200 & 400 Bridgewater Crossing

Washington, DC
One and Two Independence Square
1201 and 1225 Eye Street
400 Virginia Avenue
4250 North Fairfax Drive
Piedmont Pointe I
9200 Corporate Boulevard

"We are proud to share these accomplishments with our customers, shareholders and employees," said C.A. "Bo" Reddic, IV, Executive Vice-President of Real Estate Operations for Piedmont. "The achievements we have earned in all three areas of LEED, BOMA 360 and Energy Star demonstrate our ongoing commitment to sustainability and operational excellence.  Much credit for our success goes to Jason Williams, who leads our sustainability efforts, working in conjunction with our regional property management teams.  Their combined efforts ensure that we operate our buildings in a superior and environmentally sensitive manner, which, in turn, increases our competitiveness in attracting quality, credit tenants," added Reddic.

About Piedmont:  Piedmont Office Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: PDM) is a fully-integrated and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) specializing in high-quality, Class A office properties located primarily in the ten largest U.S. office markets, including Chicago, Washington, D.C., New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Dallas.  As of December 31, 2012, Piedmont's 74 wholly-owned office buildings were comprised of over 20 million rentable square feet. The Company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA, with local management offices in each of its major markets. Piedmont is investment-grade rated by Standard & Poor's and Moody's and has maintained a low-leverage strategy while acquiring and disposing of properties during its fourteen year operating history.  For more information, see www.piedmontreit.com

Contact:                Kerry Hughes
Company:              Piedmont Office Realty Trust
Phone:                  1 770 418 8678
Email:                   Kerry.Hughes@Piedmontreit.com