Wells Real Estate Funds Named EPA ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year

NORCROSS, Ga. (March 28, 2011) – Wells Real Estate Funds today announced it will be recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") as ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year at a gala awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 12, 2011.

A national real estate investment company, Wells is dedicated to improving sustainable practices across its office portfolio to drive value and help create exceptional environments for stakeholders and for the communities in which it operates.

"It has long been our practice to operate every property as responsibly as we can when it comes to green building practices," said Scott Meadows, managing director, property services, Wells Real Estate Funds. "We are proud and honored that our efforts to achieve the highest standards of energy efficiency in the office buildings we manage are recognized with the prestigious ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year stamp of approval."

Wells’ long-standing green commitments include evaluating the resource footprint of each of its properties and advancing feasible, cost-effective strategies to decrease energy costs and increase resource sustainability. Wells engages tenants and service providers to promote continuous and measurable improvements in the sustainable use of resources, and the company facilitates educational programs to encourage energy best practices.

Wells estimates that last year’s portfolio wide energy-efficiency efforts produced a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of more than 14,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to preventing the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 2,800 passenger vehicles or the CO2 emissions from the annual electricity use of over 1,700 homes.

"Wells Real Estate Funds’ robust energy management program is a national model," said Elizabeth Craig, acting director of EPA’s Office of Atmospheric Programs.

Wells Real Estate Funds is a national real estate investment company based in suburban Atlanta. Since its founding in 1984, Wells investment programs – current and closed – have invested more than $11 billion in real estate for more than 250,000 investors. For more information, see www.WellsREF.com.

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants associated with energy use. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 60 kinds of products as well as new homes and buildings. Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved $18 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas equivalent to those of 34 million cars. Products, homes and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR prevent emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the EPA. For more information, go to www.EnergyStar.gov.

Readers of this press release should be aware that there are various factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements made in this release. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, changes in general economic and business conditions, industry trends, changes in government rules and regulations (including changes in tax laws), and increases in interest rates. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. This is neither an offer nor a solicitation to purchase securities.