The GSA’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded energy efficiency improvements for federal buildings help save energy even during harsh winters, finds a study of 59 federal buildings’ energy use intensity in 2014 as compared to 2008. The average EUI of the analyzed facilities was 5.5% lower over the winter of FY 2014 than FY 2008, the last winter before the ARRA was implemented.
The study measured GSA buildings in cities that either had an average monthly temperature at least three degrees below the normal monthly average or had a month with at least five heating degree days more than average, which applied to Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia. Additionally, 20 of the 59 buildings were able to reduce EUI by more than 10% over the measured time period.
“As the frequency of extreme weather events trends upward, it is important that federal buildings are able to meet the needs of occupants while also being cost-effective to operate,” says Ruth Cox, chief sustainability official for the GSA.
Is your building ready for the cold of the coming months? Take a look at the Winter Preparation Facility Checklist to make sure everything is in order.
