2003 Award Winners
In This Section
Federal Energy and Water Management Awards
In October 2004, EPA employees and facilities were recognized by U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy and Water Management Awards for individual and cross-agency achievement:
- Rick Dreisch of the Fort Meade, Maryland, Environmental Science Center (ESC) received a Federal Award for water conservation for his efforts to consistently conserve water use at ESC. Under Dreisch's careful tracking and management, ESC's water consumption dropped more than 32 percent during FY 2003, or 2.37 million gallons, compared to FY 2002.
- Kurt Johnson, director of EPA's Green Power Partnership, received a Federal Award for exceptional service for his work in helping identify the restructuring of electricity markets, encouraging agencies to purchase renewable energy, and leading the development of EPA's Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that includes more than 350 public and private sector partners with a combined total commitment to more than 1.2 billion kWh of green power annually.
- EPA's Region 4 office in Atlanta, Georgia, in partnership with DOE and the U.S. General Services Administration, received a Federal Award for initiating a recommissioning effort at the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center, where Region 4 is located. The award recognizes the partnership's efforts to move the facility toward ENERGY STAR® certification. Analysis of the building's energy use led to ongoing metering and evaluation initiatives, pilot projects for motion sensor installation, occupant-focused energy awareness programs, and building systems recommissioning. The recommissioning effort reduced cooling loads, increased efficiency of the facility's central plant, and saved nearly 22 billion Btu in FY 2004, when compared to FY 2003 energy use.
Btu Buster Awards
In FY 2003, EPA expanded its peer awards program, collectively known as the “Btu Buster Awards,” which recognizes and encourages energy and water conservation among EPA facility managers and building design and construction personnel. The following awards were presented at EPA's Buildings and Facilities conference in San Francisco, California, in February 2004.
- The Btu Buster of the Year, FY 2003 was Frank Price of the Robert S. Kerr laboratory in Ada, Oklahoma, for his determination and persistence in achieving 50 percent energy reduction through an energy savings performance contract at the laboratory.
- The Leading Edge Award, FY 2003, went to Russ Ahlgren of the Environmental Effects Research Laboratory in Narragansett, Rhode Island, for making EPA's first major biodiesel purchase.
- An Energy Partner Award, FY 2003 (Field Staff) was given to Rick Koch of the A.W. Breidenbach Research Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the second year in a row for his support and vision leading to the acceptance of the Cincinnati Infrastructure Replacement Master Plan.
- An Energy Partner Award, FY 2003 (Headquarters Staff), went to Howard Wilson of the Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Division for his support on several facility projects that will help reduce EPA's energy use and greenhouse gas emissions for years to come.
- Another Energy Partner Award, FY 2003 (Headquarters Staff), was given to Rolly Santos of EPA's Architecture, Engineering, and Asset Management Branch for continuing to assess the energy use impacts of his projects, as demonstrated in the Region 10 Manchester Laboratory expansion.
- A new award, the H2Overachiever Award, FY 2003 was given to John Begley of the Region 7 Office in Kansas City, Kansas, for his work on that facility's water softener and cooling project, which will save approximately 900,000 gallons of potable water a year.
- Another H2Overachiever Award, FY 2003 was awarded to Rick Dreisch for water conservation projects at the Fort Meade, Maryland, Environmental Science Center, which are expected to save more than 1.9 million gallons of potable water a year.
- A final new award, the Energy Reporter of the Year Award, FY 2003, went to Andy Franke for timely and accurate energy reporting for the complex laboratory facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio.