The Federal Energy and Water Management Awards recognize individuals, groups, and agencies for their outstanding contributions in the areas of energy efficiency, water conservation, and the use of advanced and renewable energy technologies at federal facilities.

Career Exceptional Service Awards

Phil Beste
U.S. Department of the Navy
Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport, Washington

Phil Beste has been the installation energy manager at Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport, Washington for 21 years. He championed procedures, now institutionalized, for the Command as well as the entire engineering staff in the facilities department to make energy considerations a part of all projects at the base. Mr. Beste's use of alternative financing methods, Navy central energy project funding, utility company rebates, and overhead funds have greatly improved working conditions while reducing the energy consumption of the base by more than 67% during his tenure as installation energy manager. During his time as energy manager at Keyport, Mr. Beste has initiated and completed more than 400 projects ranging from locally funded low cost initiatives to a $16 million energy savings performance contract project that decentralized the base's aging central steam system and introduced geothermal heating and other cutting edge technologies.

Jonathan Dalsfoist
U.S. Air Force
673 Civil Engineer Squadron
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska

Jonathan Dalsfoist has worked as a mechanical engineer for the federal government for more than 40 years, and is currently the lead engineer for energy projects with the 673 Civil Engineer Squadron at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER), Alaska. During his tenure, Mr. Dalsfoist has planned and designed more than 10 heating, ventilation, and air conditioning improvement projects and 4 lighting projects affecting nearly 300 buildings, helping JBER significantly exceed the energy reduction goals of Executive Order 13514. He also played an instrumental role in the development of a landfill gas generating plant with five 1.4 megawatt methane powered generators installed to operate on gas collected from the nearby Anchorage Municipal Landfill-a project that has exceeded expectations and is estimated to save $73 million over 50 years. Since JBER became a joint installation in 2010, Mr. Dalsfoist has initiated, engineered and managed about $16 million in projects that are realizing annual savings of $2.6 million dollars and 193 billion Btu as of FY 2015. Mr. Dalsfoist remains an active leader in developing energy savings projects at JBER, with a current suite of projects in development and under construction that will lead to even greater savings.

Brett Jackson
Colorado Army National Guard
Centennial, Colorado

Brett Jackson is the sustainability, energy, and engineering branch chief with the Construction Facility Management Office of the Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). His 19 years of service include active duty at the Army Corps of Engineers, as well as contributions in a civilian capacity supporting the Colorado Army National Guard and Colorado Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. Mr. Jackson created innovative approaches and instituted effective strategies that enhanced the National Guard's capacity to meet its mission while maximizing energy efficiency and sustainability and increasing renewable energy use. He has enabled the implementation of exemplary energy projects by fostering a work environment of teamwork, collaboration, and group accomplishment. He facilitates activities such as education, training, and other outreach designed to promote new workplace behaviors, including establishing the first sustainability and energy management program for the Colorado DMVA. As an active community member, Mr. Jackson volunteered to support the City of Golden's Sustainability Initiative and the City of Aurora's Sustainability Program by applying the University of Colorado's Business Performance Excellence Model to both of these organizations to assist in aligning their sustainability efforts and goals.

Rick Pierce
U.S. Marine Corps Installation Command
Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina

Rick Pierce has served the United States Marine Corps for more than 33 years, and as the Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island (MCRD) installation energy manager for the last 10 years. Throughout this time, he significantly progressed energy and water-savings initiatives on base through numerous projects, including multiple chiller and boiler replacements; 1,000 ton hours of ice store for the air conditioning systems at the barracks; solar thermal in three recruit training battalions to provide 20% of domestic hot water requirements; automated control systems; expansion of the E-85 flex fuel vehicle fleet with an enforced mandate to use only E-85 fuel; and a 4.8 kilowatt grid-connected micro-wind turbine. As of FY 2015, his cumulative efforts have resulted in a 40% reduction in energy intensity from FY 2003 and a 26% reduction in water intensity from FY 2007. A crowning achievement of Mr. Pierce's career is his work to date on an energy savings performance contract that, once complete, will construct two 7.2 megawatt photovoltaic arrays and a 4.2 megawatt biomass unit to replace the installation's 75 year old steam plant. A project of this magnitude will put MCRD Parris Island on the path to complete energy independent status by 2025.

Edwin Walter
Wisconsin Air National Guard
Volk Field Air National Guard Base
Camp Douglas, Wisconsin

Edwin Walter began his energy career in 1982 at Volk Field, Wisconsin Combat Readiness Training Center in Civil Engineering Acquisition, purchasing and evaluating energy efficient products. Early in his role as energy manager, he enabled a successful partnership with the local utility provider to execute 11 projects saving more than $100,000 annually. These efforts included upgrades to inefficient interior and exterior lighting, installation of high efficiency motors and air conditioning and heating equipment, converting electric water heaters to natural gas, and insulating building envelopes. To ensure energy resiliency, Mr. Walter also spearheaded a utility energy service project to install a base wide generator that guaranteed uninterrupted power and saved about $70,000 annually in avoided utility costs. Overall, Mr. Walter's actions throughout his career directly influenced the base to surpass the mandated 30% reduction from the 2003 baseline. His progression from removing inefficient lighting to installing complex environmental controls has kept the base on track to achieve the federal goal.

Keith Yamanaka
U.S. Army Installation Management Agency
U.S. Army Garrison, Hawaii

During his 24 year career at the Army Installation Management Command, Keith Yamanaka improved the efficiency and resiliency of critical energy, water, and mechanical systems for 22 Army installations throughout Hawaii. He instituted retro-commissioning, solar hot water, central chilled water plants, and building energy monitors across a large, diverse, and historical area. His ability to motivate field personnel through educational and technical support has ensured that efficiencies are maintainable. Mr. Yamanaka continuously coordinates efforts of tenants, solar providers, and the local utility to interconnect high penetration solar photovoltaics and mitigate grid instability through demand response measures. He has consistently perpetuated programs to facilitate federal energy initiatives. For example, over several years he developed a 50 megawatt utility-owned generation plant at Schofield Barracks to increase service reliability for critical Army installations and the island of Oahu. Through his tireless efforts and knowledge of regulatory processes, he successfully obtained local approvals, kept the local utility engaged, and finally obtained upper Army support to execute the project-the Army's largest energy security project to date.

Contracting Awards

Christine Ploschke
U.S. Department of the Army
99th Regional Support Command
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey

Serving as both the environmental compliance chief and the energy manager for the 99th U.S. Army Reserve Support Command, Ms. Christine Ploschke is committed to guiding the energy program and team in securing significant energy and water security-related contracts. Under her leadership, the team has used innovative contracting approaches to implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that will allow the Command to exceed federal energy goals and save millions of dollars. Recent accomplishments include securing $5 million through the Federal Prison Industries and UNICOR for light-emitting diode LED and solar powered lights and a $2.3 million project for solar mechanical equipment upgrades and building automation, which covers energy conservation measures at six facilities and projected so save almost $200,000 per year. One of her biggest accomplishments was implementing an energy savings performance contract designed to achieve $57 million in savings over a 21-year period, which will result in three net zero electric sites.

U.S. Department of Commerce
Energy Savings Contract Team
Washington, D.C.

Following the 2011 announcement of the President's Performance Contracting Challenge, the Department of Commerce (DOC) created an inter-disciplinary, cross-organizational team that has evolved to become the Department's Center of Excellence for energy contracts. Team members from DOC headquarters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the Bureau of the Census worked diligently to develop and award five complex, long-term performance contracts valued at a total of $138 million dollars through 2015, exceeding DOC's commitment of $12 million against the challenge by more than 10 times. Together the cost-neutral contracts will generate a guaranteed annual savings of $5 million dollars in the first year growing to more than $7 million dollars per year over the course of the next 22 years. The intra-Departmental agreements now serve as the basis for expanded support across DOC to include demand-response agreements and other technically-based energy service contracts. The team also recognized that there will be significant employee turnover and attrition over time, and worked with the DOE to develop "Life of Contract" plans for the longer term contracts.

National Park Service - National Capital Region
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.

The National Park Service, National Capital Region (NCR) office supports more than 51,000 acres in 16 national parks, including a wide array of historic, natural, and recreational areas in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. In FY 2015, NCR awarded Siemens Government Technologies a $29 million, 23-year energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to help the region meet its energy reduction, renewable energy, and water conservation goals. The geographic proximity of parks within the region allowed the NCR to take an innovative contracting approach to the ESPC and created one large project at the regional level. This approach enabled the NCR to cluster projects across the region, include every park in the ESPC, and achieve the greatest total energy savings. Once the contract was awarded, the NCR created an ESPC team that includes at least one staff member from each of the 16 parks, to ensure individual park needs were being served throughout the process. This unprecedented commitment to reducing energy and water use and generating energy from renewable sources is the largest to date among the nine bureaus in the Department of the Interior.

Ronald Allard
Bonita Kenan
Elisabeth Pinsker
Jackson Reams
Tim Turano

U.S. General Services Administration
National Capital Region
Washington, D.C.

GSA put in place the Capital Solar Challenge "aggregated procurement" for solar electric systems on 18 federal buildings in Washington, D.C. Multiple performance contracts were aggregated into one power purchase agreement (PPA) solicitation, culminating in the issuance of a request for proposal in June 2015, and subsequently awarded to Washington Gas Light (WGL). Several key new innovative strategies were developed for the first time by this procurement, including one aggregated contract resulting in significant economies of scale and increased interest for the vendor community, as well as much lower procurement costs for the government. For the first time, a 10 year PPA agreement term plus 10 year optional PPA contract term was used, with non-renewal of option feature allowing most of the benefits of a full 20 year term. GSA and others can also benefit in subsequent aggregated procurements from new calculation tools, sample documents, and documented lessons-learned. The 18 photovoltaic projects range from 58 kilowatts on a Navy building to 424 kilowatts on the State Department headquarters, with a total capacity of 2,703 kilowatts, a total estimated annual energy delivery of 3.5 million kilowatt-hours per year, and cost savings of $281,000 annually.

Program Awards

U.S. Air Force
Air Force Civil Engineer Center

Operations Directorate
Asset Visibility Division
Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida

The Air Force Civil Engineer Center established the Asset Visibility Team (AVT) in 2013 to standardize, collect, and maintain accurate dynamic facility, infrastructure, and energy performance data and communicate which built infrastructure assets required sustainment resources and energy savings project investments. By 2015, the AVT completed Built Infrastructure Assessments and Level 2 Energy Audits at 27 Air Force installations, achieving an actual operational savings of more than $26 million and 102 billion Btu across the Air Force enterprise. This success hinged on the implementation of key management innovations. For example, when the AVT finds a high-payback/low-cost energy opportunity, funds are provided to the base to immediately implement the initiative. In FY 2015 AVT funded more than $500,000 and reaped more than $10 million in savings. Another effort involves working with base energy managers, engineers, and shop personnel to find, resurrect, and reprogram previously identified high-payback energy conservation measures into direct funded executable projects, using sound asset management engineering principles to ensure maximum energy efficiencies.

Noah Fillian
Gary Jackson
Kevin Osborn
Michael Tibbs
Christopher Warsitz

U.S. Air Force
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio

The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base energy management team worked with base facility managers, engineering design staff, maintenance work force, local utility companies, and the Department of Energy on a comprehensive approach to installation energy management using a combination of innovative strategies. The team developed and garnered an impressive $14.4 million project, contributing to FY 2015 savings of 301.4 billion Btu for a 15% reduction in energy intensity since the 2003 baseline. The team also built a robust rebate program to fund additional projects, culminating in an unprecedented $1 million award from Dayton Power and Light with 56.3 billion Btu in annual energy savings. The team led a concerted overhaul of the base metering program, validating 177 buildings and 413 energy meters while aggressively pursuing an Advanced Meter Reading System (AMRS). Attention to detail and forward thinking led to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center selecting Wright-Patterson for a $1.4 million state of the art AMRS two years ahead of schedule. Finally, the team administered a $9 million energy savings performance contract and a $5 million utility energy services contract expected to save 61.3 billion Btu and $1.2 million annually.

Milton Addison
Christopher Bryant
Caleb Chambers
James Eaton
George Huffstetler

North Carolina Air National Guard
145th Civil Engineer Squadron
Charlotte, North Carolina

The North Carolina Air National Guard instituted an effective team approach to energy and water conservation that resulted in a sustained annual energy reduction of more than 6% per year for the last two years, with an overall 40% reduction in energy intensity and an 84% reduction in water intensity from respective 2003 and 2007 baselines. Energy savings initiatives through conventional heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems upgrades, direct digital control and smart meter improvements, systems monitoring, and lighting upgrades are combined with base wide educational initiatives, improved maintenance, and reporting for a fully integrated program that enlists leadership support and involves the entire base population. Continuing efforts to upgrade non-ENERGY STAR devices, improve lighting, and place further emphasis on awareness, new resiliency efforts, and maximizing energy conservation in major facility upgrades will secure further reductions necessary to meet Executive Order 13693 requirements.

Aaron Brown
Brett Funck
Melinda Hakeman
Audrey Oxendine
Monica Stephenson

U.S. Department of the Army
Fort Bragg, North Carolina

Fort Bragg makes up 5% of the Army's energy consumption associated with facilities management, and in FY 2015 it reduced its energy use intensity by 27.2% compared to the 2003 baseline. The energy program employs a multi-pronged approach focused on reducing energy consumption through awareness and education of building occupants; improving system efficiency through operation, maintenance, and retrofits; and integrating energy security considerations throughout the facility planning and design process. The Fort Bragg Directorate of Public Works is proactively involved in the project development stage of all projects that directly support the mission, save energy, leverage resources, and reduce Fort Bragg's and the Army's long-term operating costs. Fort Bragg's program includes: implementing life-cycle cost effective projects; utilizing an energy savings performance contract to operate and maintain the distributed heating and cooling infrastructure; implementing an extensive utilities monitoring control system; monthly working meetings with the interior branch leads and mechanical champions to identify energy conservation measures that can be implemented daily or developed into an energy project; and a robust energy awareness program.

CW5 Thomas Comyack
Vernon Hicks
Col. Michael Lyons
Christopher Moore
Samantha Valentine

New Jersey Army National Guard
Lawrenceville, New Jersey

In FY 2015 the New Jersey Army National Guard's (NJARNG) developed its comprehensive energy and water conservation program, the Clean Cut Campaign, in collaboration with Rowan University, leading to a 64% decrease in energy use intensity from the 2003 baseline. The Clean Cut Campaign ties together all of NJARNG's existing energy and water conservation efforts under one main goal: to reduce the NJARNG's impact on the environment by promoting a sustainable culture throughout the organization. Before the creation of the campaign, the NJARNG was implementing various conservation measures throughout its facilities, but lacked a detailed plan to direct the overall effort and align them to ensure compliance with federal regulations. The campaign brought these efforts together to increase efficiency, maximize resources, and lay out a clear path to a sustainable future. Campaign components include a 15-year comprehensive energy and water master plan, a high efficiency lighting initiative, a statewide solar photovoltaic development plan, and an education and awareness campaign.

National Institutes of Health
Department of Health and Human Services
Bethesda, Maryland

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bethesda Campus Central Utility Plant (CUP) supports 12.6 million square feet of facility space, and its operations are vital to accomplishing the NIH research mission on the Bethesda, Maryland Campus. The CUP is comprised of a boiler, chiller, and cogeneration plant. NIH instituted a program within the CUP that focuses on work order management; documentation and record management; environmental stewardship; water and energy management; data management; training; and recognition. In FY 2015, the Division of Technical Resources implemented a series of projects to address water chemistry issues, outdated standard operating procedures, lack of a computerized maintenance management information system, outstanding preventative maintenance and repairs performed for CUP assets, lack of a data archive, and a lack of meters and sensors to monitor critical operations. These projects reduced the NIH's energy and water consumption costs by $14.2 million compared to the previous fiscal year, and have helped position the division to sustain reductions in the NIH's water and energy consumption for years to come.

David Campbell
Stephen Cole
Ken Morin
Andrew Roberts
Charles Svoboda

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Denver, Colorado

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Sustainability Inspection Compliance Assessment – Safety, Health and the Environment (SI CASHE) process consists of a training/inspection team, training process, and implementation program. The intent of the SI CASHE program was to use BLM in-house experts instead of using outside private contractors. The SI CASHE team also wished to establish a comprehensive program to speed the BLM towards successful incorporation of the Guiding Principles into the BLM's building inventory. It was clear that to have a long term sustained program, its adoption was dependent on the cultural buy in of the users. The BLM secured DOE funding to produce a two hour film to educate personnel on the processes used in their sustainable inspection program. The BLM also implemented a bureau-wide energy savings performance contract, made several renewable energy upgrades, and adopted automated reporting and collecting systems for energy performance. In FY 2015, the BLM renovated 7% of its owned inventory, bringing it to a total of 20% of applicable buildings in compliance with the Guiding Principles. The resulting work led to a greater than 34% reduction in energy use from the FY 2003 baseline and a 6% reduction from FY 2014.

USS INDEPENDENCE
Department of the Navy

USS INDEPENDENCE (LCS 2) reduced fuel use by 21,098 barrels in FY 2015 against the baseline average consumption of similar ships by eliminating unnecessary drag and waterjet movements to achieve operational energy efficiency, estimated at about $2.3 million in savings. During deployment, LCS 2 utilized trail shaft mode, using only one diesel engine for propulsion. In the normal configuration in accordance with engineering procedures, only one diesel engine remains online, and offline waterjets are forced to follow the commands of the online waterjet being utilized for propulsion. However, this configuration proved inefficient due to the drag created by the offline waterjets' closed waterjet bucket and superfluous movement as it moved to follow the online waterjet. Instead, the crew created a local operating procedure that placed the offline waterjets in a configuration with their bucket at 100% open instead of closed, placing offline waterjets at zero degrees while maneuvering. These two factors reduce the overall drag of the unutilized waterjets significantly. Additionally, the reduced drag allowed auto pilot to function properly at low speeds, resulting in further fuel savings.

Miguel Belen
Cheryl King
Quintrell Mazant
William Ortega-Ortiz

U.S. Department of the Navy
Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Maryland

In FY 2015, the Naval Support Activity Bethesda (NSAB) energy program achieved reductions in energy intensity of 41% from the 2003 baseline and water intensity of 20% from the 2007 baseline. These results are largely attributable to a comprehensive base-wide energy retrofit project implemented to improve exterior lighting systems using solid state light-emitting diode (LED) lighting and controls technology and to enhance steam trap performance and safety through a more reliable and durable steam trap system. The team utilized contracting capacity from the Department of Justice's Federal Prison Industries/UNICOR to plan, design, and execute the improvements more quickly than traditional contract approaches, creating an acquisition model for similar Defense projects in the National Capital Region. The project installed more than 4,100 LED fixtures, integrated with bi-level dimming sensors and photo cell technology, on 76 buildings and structures to save about 9.5 billion Btu annually. The steam trap upgrade replaced 799 mechanical steam traps, improving the safety and reliability of the steam and condensate systems and reducing energy and operating costs to generate annual energy savings of about 49 billion Btu and about 2.2 million gallons of potable water.

Curtis Hickle
Max McAllister
Paul Songe-Moller
Tabitha Pierzchala
Chris Taylor

U.S. Department of the Navy
Navy Region Northwest, Washington

Through the years, Navy Region Northwest (NRNW) and its installations have overcome many obstacles to implement a steady stream of impressive energy and water efficiency projects. FY 2015 was no exception, with NRNW completing $48.3 million in projects that save 287 billion Btu of energy, 56 million gallons of water, and $9.2 million in costs annually. Navy Region Northwest energy team members reach across departments to improve energy performance at many levels; energy issues are briefed to upper management, and energy management personnel are valued for their ability to improve efficiency and quality of life at the same time. Advanced technologies include light-emitting diode exterior lighting and specialized industrial process improvements. NRNW also employs education, competitions and awards to encourage awareness and efficiency in day to day operations. Energy managers publicize building advanced meter data that highlights anomalies and motivates facility managers to look for opportunities to save. NRNW exceeded energy and water management goals in FY 2015, with energy and water reductions of 39% and 49% from respective baselines, making them the strongest performing region in the Navy.

Project Awards

Laramie Collier
Tom Denslow
Mark Krog
Mike Loustaunau
Hector Portillo

U.S. Air Force
7th Civil Engineer Squadron
Dyess Air Force Base, Texas

Under a multi-phase $75 million utility energy service contract, the Dyess Air Force Base energy team completed three energy projects in FY 2015 that are projected to save more than 43.6 billion Btu and $1.8 million per year. A $13.1 million ten-year task order included ten different energy savings measures, including: increased demand reduction; a new central chiller ice plant replacing 12 chillers; infrared heating; lighting upgrades in 46 facilities; grid power factor improvements; retro-commissioning and recommissioning in 29 facilities; replacement of a 30-year old heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system with a variable refrigerant flow system using 50% less energy; modernized HVAC controls; ice plant efficiency upgrades; and effluent water pump house upgrades to ensure proper operation of the unique effluent water cooling pond. Two additional projects valued at $1.75 million were awarded to upgrade more than 1,100 exterior lighting fixtures to low-maintenance light emitting diode fixtures and to modernize HVAC controls. Together, these projects help ensure that the existing 11 megawatt generators can provide 100% backup to the base in an emergency situation at all times.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mobile District
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Mobile, Alabama

In FY 2015, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Mobile District, Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway (TTWW) completed construction on projects using the first-ever energy savings performance contract (ESPC) within USACE Civil Works, with an investment value of more than $3 million. The TTWW ESPC was a "proof of concept" initiative, intended to demonstrate the viability of using an ESPC to implement energy conservation measures at a series of small, geographically dispersed facilities, including high-mast lighting at the 10 locks and dams along the 234-mile navigation channel that collectively comprise the TTWW. System-wide, the ESPC is guaranteed to deliver a 21.7% in energy savings, or about 5.1 billion Btu and $160,000 per year. This project has provided the impetus for a growing USACE ESPC pipeline, currently comprised of $16 million in contracts awarded to date, including $5.5M in investment for three similar river-based navigation systems. The pipeline now includes virtually all USACE locks and dams in the Mississippi Valley from St. Paul, Minnesota to New Orleans, Louisiana – an impressive success due to the pioneering work done on Mobile District's TTWW.

Department of Defense
Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS)
Joint Capability Technology Demonstration
Hawaii and Colorado

The Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) is a collaborative effort between the Department of Defense (DOD); the Department of Energy; the Department of Homeland Security; and five DOE National Laboratories. The project was designed to reduce the "unacceptably high risk" of extended electric grid outages by developing the capability to island DOD installations while maintaining operational surety and security while also efficiently managing an installation's electric power and consumption. The project delivered cyber-secure smart microgrids at three DOD installations in Hawaii and Colorado, providing the intelligence to maximize the efficient use of existing and new generators, batteries, and solar photovoltaics. The final phase, completed in FY 2015, increased both scale and complexity. It was the first base-wide microgrid in the DOD with the capability of long-term power using onsite industrial quality generating equipment integrated with solar energy and stationary energy storage, as well as the ability to generate up to $1 million through ancillary services to the local utility.

Defense Logistics Agency
DLA Distribution Oklahoma City
Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma

Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Oklahoma City implemented a project in FY 2015 to convert existing steam heating to a more efficient natural gas heating system in eight facilities. The project included the replacement of steam unit heaters with infrared radiant (IR) heaters in warehouse areas, which comprised the majority of the space, and replacement of steam to hot water converters with high-efficiency condensing hot water boilers for office and service areas. The project also implemented energy conservation measures in these eight buildings and an additional six identified through an audit, including: T5HO (high output) fluorescent lighting; lighting controls; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades; efficient IR gas heaters; premium efficiency motors; direct digital controls; programmable thermostats; insulation upgrades; low-flow aerators; and advanced electric and gas meters to better track energy consumption. In only the first 6 months, the project reduced energy use by 27% and saved nearly $700,000 in utilities from the prior year.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
In partnership with the U.S. Army and U.S Army Corps of Engineers
Fort Riley, Kansas

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S. Army in 2011 to help advance the Army's net zero water, waste, and energy goals on Army installations through innovative technology demonstrations. As part of this effort, the EPA, Army, Army Corps of Engineers, and Kansas United School District 475 partnered to demonstrate and monitor a green infrastructure (GI) permeable pavement parking lot on Seitz Elementary School on Fort Riley, Kansas. The GI parking lot, comprised of permeable interlocking concrete pavers, reduces storm water runoff and its associated pollutants. The lot was completed in August 2015 and is expected to capture 443,000 gallons of storm water annually that would otherwise be lost as site runoff. Through installed sensors, EPA is monitoring performance data to gain a better understanding of permeable pavement performance over time and help improve future designs of permeable paver lots. The GI parking lot is also serving as an educational platform for the school; GI approaches to storm water management will be incorporated into the school's curriculum, and students will have the opportunity to use the sensor data and see the permeable pavers in action.

Eugene Hawks
Joshua Kresge
Clifton Mower
Jared Posey
Cary Southworth

U.S Department of the Interior
Bureau of Reclamation - Provo Area Office
South Provo, Utah

In FY 2015 the Bureau of Reclamation Provo Area Office (PAO) declared 100 percent compliance with the Guiding Principles for High Performance and Sustainable Buildings – Existing Buildings. In response to an external sustainable building assessment conducted in 2010, the PAO implemented a suite of energy and water conservation measures over four years that resulted in a 47% reduction in energy use, a 46% reduction in water use, and a 47% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions annually. The project included the installation of a 24 kilowatt grid-tied solar system, which can provide up to 25% of the building's electricity. Other features include xeriscape landscaping with drip irrigation and moisture control sensors; a rainwater harvesting system; a direct digital control heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system and duct upgrades; plumbing fixture replacement; and lighting efficiency upgrades. The building is an exceptional example of taking a comprehensive approach to renovations and operations at an existing building to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve energy and water, improve environmental quality, and make progress toward federal sustainability goals.

Debbie Beck
Todd Criswell
Timothy Fuller
Cathy Nigg
John Stokes

U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge
Wapello, Iowa

The Headquarters and Visitor Contact Station is a 5,100 square-foot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold-rated facility in Port Louisa National Wildlife Refuge, Iowa. The building design, construction, and operation exemplifies the sustainable goals of Executive Order 13693. Contributing to the building's ultra-low carbon footprint, a 15-ton ground source heat pump, two solar hot water collectors, and a 25 kilowatt net-metered solar photovoltaic array generate 146 million Btu of renewable energy annually. The facility's remarkable energy performance is at least 56 percent better than an average building. Thirteen new and underutilized technologies are incorporated using numerous energy-efficient, sustainable strategies seen throughout the all-electric building. Sustainable designs include: passive solar architecture; thermal mass; superinsulation; a cool roof; abundant daylighting; low-e glazed operable windows; and energy-efficient fluorescent and light-emitting diode lighting with occupancy sensors and timers. Located on a prairie restoration situated on a scenic bluff overlooking the Mississippi River floodplain, the attractive facility teaches more than 32,000 visitors a year about the benefits of sustainability.

Bryon Krug
James Quinn
Steve Rigdon
Don Sciarrotta
Thomas Servilla

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Pasadena, California

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, together with CEG Solutions LLC, completed a comprehensive, high-impact multi-phase energy savings performance contract (ESPC) project in 2015 that included a broad range of energy and water-saving technologies. Upgrades were made to more than 120 buildings housing mission-critical data centers, laboratories, offices, support facilities, cafeterias, shops, and testing facilities. Most of the available "low-hanging fruit" energy conservation measures were included in previous ESPC projects, so the team uncovered non-traditional measures, including groundwater harvesting, compressed air system optimization, solar photovoltaics, building automation, advanced lighting, irrigation, building envelope, and reverse osmosis water treatment. The project had a total investment cost of $18.8 million and is saving 47 billion Btu of energy and more than 18 million gallons of water annually, for almost $1.2 million in annual cost savings. The team worked closely with local utilities to identify more than $860,000 in incentives and rebates to improve project economics. Ongoing retro-commissioning services coupled with rigorous measurement and verification will not only sustain but also grow the project's savings over time.

Jeffrey Chung
Steven Latting
Richard Mack
Dave Martin Masias
Darlene Swaffer

U.S. Department of the Navy
Naval Base Ventura County, California

Naval Base Ventura County (NBVC) is a premier naval installation composed of three operating facilities supporting approximately 80 tenant commands, with a base population of more than 19,000 personnel. The energy team continues to ensure energy and water conservation measures are integrated into new construction, building renovations, and repairs. The team achieved successful completion of a "Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization for Energy" contract vehicle, combined with other local supported tenant energy projects and water conservation best practices, which resulted in energy savings of almost 3.6 billion Btu, water savings of 85 million gallons, and a total cost avoidance of $505,000 annually. Projects included the installation of high efficiency T-8 light fixtures with lighting controllers and occupancy sensors; a reduced water schedule for irrigation and limited application of herbicide with mulching mowers to reduce evaporation and labor cost; and an improved process for leak detection, reporting, and repair within three days for water main breaks. Another noteworthy achievement was the use of solar tubes in two new construction projects, which resulted in 87% daylighting and a near net zero application with light fixtures.

Pamela Komer
Jeffrey Means
Andrew Mercker
Phyllis Stange
Reginald Williams

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Integrated Service Network 11
Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan

Facing an unmanageable cost of $24 million to directly fund the replacement of a failing central boiler plant at Veterans Affairs Marion, Indiana, Veterans Integrated Service Network 11 successfully leveraged $10 million in capital funds to include the project within a $19.2 million, 30-year energy savings performance contract. This approach minimized the up-front project cost, resulting in lower finance periods, costs, and rates, producing savings of more than 28.7 billion Btu, 446,000 gallons of water, and $817,000 annually over the full life cycle of the project. A decentralized approach was used to fit the facility's needs, minimize initial cost, maximize energy and water performance, improve reliability, and provide the greatest net savings and environmental performance. About half the facility was designed to use a new smaller central boiler plant, and the other half now uses a combination of ground source heat pumps, air source heat pumps, distributed boilers, and gas furnaces. As an added benefit, the project converted several buildings from window air conditioners and an assortment of split systems to central air conditioning with building control upgrades.