Energy Department Announces Federal Energy Management Award Winners
October 10, 2012
The Energy Department on October 4 announced the winners of the thirty-first annual Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. These awards recognize the commitment made by federal agencies to invest in efficiency measures that save taxpayer money and increase U.S. energy security. This year's award winners saved a total of 6 trillion Btu of energy, nearly 2 billion gallons of water, and almost $165 million during fiscal year 2011. Their initiatives also helped offset more than 78 billion Btu of fossil-based energy through a combination of renewable energy generation and purchases. The energy savings are equivalent to removing more than 100,000 cars from the road for one year, or eliminating the average annual energy use of more than 55,000 households.
This year, 33 individuals, teams, and organizations from across the federal government received awards for a variety of outstanding and innovative efforts that have improved energy, water, and vehicle fleet efficiency. Winners include staff serving the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy; the Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, Interior, Transportation, and Veterans Affairs; the General Services Administration; and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Among other accomplishments, awardees implemented facility-wide changes to operations and maintenance practices, saving 580 billion Btu by upgrading heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment and by installing high efficiency lighting, building materials, and energy management control systems. This includes saving 78 billion Btu through the installation of renewable energy systems such as solar thermal and photovoltaic systems, cogeneration systems using landfill gas, and geothermal heat pumps. Some of those recognized demonstrated the substantial benefits of using performance-based contracts to meet mandated energy goals, while others pursued building facilities that meet the requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification with state-of-the-art technologies and environmentally-friendly workspaces. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the complete list of winners.