energy efficiency

Government Seeing Big Savings From Green Buildings

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The U.S. Treasury has always been a place where people could find something green, but this time the term is not referring to money. The U.S. Treasury building has obtained a green environmental designation, probably the oldest federal building to earn one. It has reduced its operating costs by $3.5 million annually as a result.

If the Treasury, built first in 1836, can go green and utilize smarter systems management, then most of the rest of government should be relatively easy, according to experts in the field. All it takes is a little ingenuity, a great deal of effort and a desire. And a presidential executive order helps too. Keep reading →

 /  Published January 11, 2013 at 9:00 AM

Lab Breakthrough: Record-Setting Cavities

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The Lab Breakthroughs series is a collection of digital features accompanied by a Q&A from a lead researcher showcasing how innovation at National Labs have shaped our world, and how they are defining the technology of the future. The series originally appeared at Energy.gov.

At Jefferson Lab, researchers have fabricated a niobium cavity for particle accelerators that has set a world record for energy efficiency. Gianluigi “Gigi” Ciovati, a superconducting radiofrequency scientist, discusses how he and colleagues Pashupati Dhakal and Ganapati Myneni developed the technology, and how it will be used to impact the energy industry. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 5, 2012 at 7:00 AM

White House: Energy Efficiency Won’t Cost Taxpayers

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The White House gathered the heads of 60 business, labor, municipal, and academic organizations on Friday to announce plans to invest $4 billion in building energy efficiency over the next 24 months, and none of that will be taxpayer money.

 /  Published December 5, 2011 at 4:00 PM

Energy-Efficient Infrastructure Improvements On A Tight Budget

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The green economy is more than quietly turning windmills and grand visions of new infrastructure; it is also construction boots on the ground in public buildings across the US.

With budget constraints looming on the mind of government officials at every level, the question of how to pay for mandated or wished-for infrastructure improvements that cut energy usage in public buildings has grown ever more pressing. The use of energy savings performance contracts may be part of the solution to that quandary. Keep reading →

 /  Published September 6, 2011 at 11:02 AM

GAO: Agencies Could Save Millions With More Green IT Guidance

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The Government Accountability Office has identified a number of leading green IT practices used by federal, state, and local government and private-sector organizations that could save millions of dollars if implemented by additional agencies.

According to a GAO report released last week, several agencies have taken steps to implement federal green IT requirements but aren’t able to effectively measure the results of those efforts.
GAO recommended the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, in conjunction with the White House Council on Environmental Quality, direct agencies to implement the leading practices as well as develop baselines for their green IT-related goals and, where possible, targets that measure energy or cost savings or other quantifiable benefits. Keep reading →

 /  Published August 9, 2011 at 12:00 PM

Cutting Federal Energy Costs: Power Up Your Strategy

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Reducing energy costs at federal agencies will take a lot more than getting employees to power down their computers at night and installing motion sensors to control the office lights.

It requires planning and a very specific strategy, says Rebecca Ranich, co-lead of Deloitte Consulting LLP’s Federal Government Energy Management initiative. Keep reading →

 /  Published July 27, 2011 at 11:01 AM