Federal Green Challenge
Federal Green Challenge - Energy
On this page:
Federal Green Challenge Energy Goals
Relative to your baseline:
- Reduce electricity, natural gas, and/or fuel oil used per year by 5% or more; and
- Increase renewable energy use by 5% or more.
Energy Efficiency
- Sure Energy Savers: Lighting
- Retrofit fluorescent lighting with T5s or T8s instead of T12s
- Replace magnetic ballasts with electronic ballasts
- Remove lights from areas with adequate lighting
Fact: Typical exit signs lit with 15-watt incandescent bulbs costs about $30 per year to operate and need replacement each year. LED exit signs cost about $5 a year to operate and can last up to 25 years without replacement.
Equipment Upgrades and Settings
- Reducing Supplemental Loads (PDF) (18 pp, 621K) (Chapter 7 of Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual (PDF) (265 pp, 4.4MB) )
- Enable power management features on computers, monitors, printers, and other electronic equipment
- Purchase energy efficient equipment
Recommissioning
- Retrocommissioning (PDF) (17 pp, 301K) (Chapter 5 of Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual (PDF) (265 pp, 4.4MB) )
- Calibrate building controls such as thermostats and occupancy sensors
- Adjust operating schedules to ensure equipment is operating only when necessary
Executive Order 13514
- Increase renewable energy generation on agency property;
- Reduce building energy intensity;
- Ensure all new Federal buildings that enter the planning process in 2020 and thereafter are designed to achieve zero-net-energy standards by 2030;
- Pursue cost-effective, innovative strategies (e.g. highly reflective and vegetated roofs) to minimize consumption of energy, water, and materials; and
- Manage existing buildings to reduce energy, water, and materials consumption.
- Learn more about Executive Order 13514
Executive Order 13423
- Improve energy efficiency through reduction of energy intensity
by:
- 3% annually through the end of FY 2015; or
- 30% by the end of FY2015, relative to the FY 2003 baseline.
- Generate renewable energy on site for agency use, to the extent feasible; and
- Ensure that at least 50% of the statutorily required renewable energy consumed in a fiscal year comes from new renewable sources.
- Learn more about Executive Order 13423 (PDF) (5 pp, 139K)
Fan Systems
- Air Distribution Systems (PDF) (27 pp, 1.1MB) (Chapter 8 of Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual (PDF) (265 pp, 4.4MB) )
- Right-size your fan system
- Use variable-speed drives (VSDs) when possible and/or upgrade variable air volume (VAV) systems with VSDs
Ventilation Systems
- Air Distribution Systems (PDF) (27 pp, 1.1MB) (Chapter 8 of Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual (PDF) (265 pp, 4.4MB) )
- Control ventilation rates to meet minimum requirements
- Install air side cooling economizer cycle
Building Envelope Upgrades
- Upgrading the Building Envelope
- Insulate roof
Heating and Cooling
- Heating and Cooling (PDF) (23 pp, 516K) (Chapter 9 of Energy Star Building Upgrade Manual (PDF) (265 pp, 4.4MB))
- Replace older chillers with more energy efficient, non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) models
- Replace older boilers and furnaces or upgrade components and controls of existing units
Renewable Energy
- Purchase renewable electricity or renewable energy certificates (RECs). Learn more in the Guide to Purchasing Green Power (PDF) (60 pp, 2.9MB)
- Design and install on-site renewable technologies
Measurement
- Measurement-Energy Star Computer Power Management Calculator (.xls) (.xls spreadsheet format, 62K)
- Energy Star's Portfolio Manager
- Green Power Equivalency Calculator
- Energy Cost Calculators for Energy-Efficient Products
- EPA's Power Profiler
Recognition
Case Studies
- Joint Base Lewis McChord in Tacoma, Washington saves .5 kWh of electricity of per square foot, 1.95 million BTU of fossil fuels per 1,000 square feet, and 0.162 gallons of water per square foot from the energy efficiency and Building Operator Certification (BOC) program. Learn more about Joint Base Lewis McChord's energy efficiency program (PDF) (2 pp, 477K) .
- Buckhorn Campground in Chickasaw National Recreation Area installed a solar water heating systems that supplies almost 37,000 kWh per year of energy. Read more about Chickasaw National Recreation’s solar water heating system project (PDF) (4 pp, 210K) .
More
case studies are available at the U.S. Department of Energy's
Federal Energy Management Page 