Project Implementation
A prototype for future buildings, this Weather Forecast Office in Caribou, Maine, incorporates recycled building materials, as well as a geothermal heating and cooling system.
Would you like to install a new renewable energy system? Purchase renewable-generated "green power" or renewable energy credits from a utility? Or work with other agencies and contractors to develop a renewable energy project on federal land? If you already have an objective in mind, you could be ready to contact your DOE Regional Office FEMP representative for detailed information about getting a project started. But if you're not sure, FEMP can provide assistance to help you decide on a project for your agency or facility that is cost-effective or meets other needs like reducing emissions or providing on-site energy.
Here are some questions to help you get started:
- What are my objectives?
- Can my agency or facility use renewable energy?
- What renewable resources are available in my area?
- What technologies or designs are best for my facility?
- How big (or small) should my project be?
- How much funding do I need?
- What kinds of assistance can FEMP provide?
Renewable energy can be a good choice in many older facilities as well as in those just being designed. You can often increase the cost-effectiveness of a retrofit project by combining new renewable energy systems with proven energy efficiency measures, such as energy-efficient lighting. In new construction, using renewable energy in combination with low-energy design principles can significantly reduce your long-term energy bills and O&M costs.
FEMP's Energy Saver Showcase facilities, recognized for excellent energy-saving projects, may also provide good project ideas.