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U.S. Department of Energy Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Federal Procurement of Energy-Efficient Products April 2012 Update

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For more information about energy-efficient product procurement, visit femp.energy.gov/procurement.

Welcome to the fourth issue of Federal Energy-Efficient Product Procurement! This bi-monthly update helps Federal procurement officials, facility managers, and others remain up to date on events, training, technology, and changes to acquisition requirements.

In This Issue:

A New Take on FEMP's Covered Product Categories Landing Page

The Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) recently redesigned its energy-efficient covered product categories landing page. The new tabbed approach is designed to be easier to read and navigate.

Federal purchases of products in these FEMP-designated or ENERGY STAR®–qualified categories must meet Federal requirements for high efficiency. Product category links lead to a summary of applicable requirements and guidance in choosing, purchasing, installing, and using a product.

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Green Products Compilation

The U.S. General Services Administration's (GSA) Green Products Compilation lists the green products for which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), DOE, or the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have issued designations or otherwise provided guidance for environmental or energy attributes. Until this year, it was available as an Excel spreadsheet on the GSA and FedCenter websites. The new Web-based GSA Green Products Compilation is designed to be more user friendly, and features:

  • A refined search function that allows users to search by keyword or browse by product category
  • Links to EPA, DOE, and USDA environmental program websites
  • Applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) requirements
  • Links to potential purchasing options, including GSA Multiple Award Schedules, GSA Global Supply, AbilityOne, and UNICOR
  • The latest changes in green product designations, including the 13 new biobased product designations effective April 4, 2013.

In the future, functionality will be added to help users find products through GSA Advantage, and product listings will be expanded to include chemicals of concern.

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Call for Best Practices in Procurement Systems

Have you recently updated your procurement processes or IT systems to better incorporate or encourage energy efficient products or sustainable acquisition? If so, we want to hear from you! We'll be sharing some of the best stories about sustainable acquisition via video and the Web and look forward to connecting your best practices and lessons learned with those struggling to find solutions. To share your story or for more information, contact Andrew Weber at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

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DOE's GreenBuy Program Recognizes Its Leaders in Sustainable Purchasing

In 2011, DOE debuted the GreenBuy Awards Program to recognize excellence in sustainable acquisition by DOE sites and programs. Key products and attributes that demonstrate a commitment to green purchasing were identified. Twenty-two DOE sites won awards at three levels–Gold (3 sites), Silver (8 sites), or Bronze (11 sites)–based on the number of products and categories in which they document effective purchasing of priority products.

Participation in the 2012 GreenBuy program strongly exceeded expectations: More than three-quarters of all DOE sites voluntarily reported purchasing performance. Agencies interested in learning more about DOE's program or interested in replicating it should email Jeff Eagan at DOE or call 202-586-4598.

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Jonathan Powers Appointed as the Federal Environmental Executive

On April 9, 2012, President Obama appointed Jonathan Powers to serve as the Administration's Federal Environmental Executive. Learn more at the Office of the Federal Environmental Executive website.

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Call for Nominations: 2012 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards

Each year FEMP, in conjunction with the Federal Interagency Energy Management Task Force, sponsors awards to honor outstanding Federal agency achievements in energy, water, and fleet management.

FEMP strongly encourages agencies to nominate individuals for the Contracting Award category and to include contracting staff in nominations for the Project and Program categories, as applicable. Nominees for the Contracting Award category should be exceptional individuals who used innovative contracting methods and excellence in procuring services to implement energy projects for an agency/organization.

Please refer to the 2012 Criteria and Guidelines for more information on how to submit a nomination. Approved nominations are due to FEMP no later than May 2, 2012, via FEMP's Awards Nomination website. For more information on the Federal Energy and Water Management Awards, please email Hayes Jones at DOE or call 202-586-8873.

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CEQ Announces 2012 GreenGov Presidential Awards and GreenGov Symposium

The White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) announced that the nomination process for the 2012 GreenGov Presidential Awards began on Monday, April 23. The GreenGov Presidential Awards honor exceptional Federal personnel, teams, projects, facilities, and programs that exemplify President Obama's charge to lead by example in sustainability. The award categories and nomination information are available on the FedCenter website.

CEQ has also announced that its third annual GreenGov Symposium will be held in Washington, DC on September 24–26, 2012, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The symposium will bring together leaders from government, the private sector, non-profits, and academia to identify opportunities to create jobs, grow clean energy industries, and curb pollution by incorporating sustainable practices into the Federal Government's operations. This year's event will be co-sponsored by CEQ and the Association of Climate Change Officers (ACCO).

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Upcoming Events

The following conferences and events can be beneficial resources for facility managers and procurement officials:

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In the News

Interesting articles regarding Federal procurement, green products, and energy efficiency:

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Contacts and Subscriptions

For questions and comments about this bi-monthly update or to subscribe, contact Amanda Sahl at amanda.sahl@ee.doe.gov.

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