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In This Issue: DC Offers Grants for Renewable Energy Projects Pepco Energy Services to Upgrade British Embassy Review of Economic Stimulus Package for Electricity Study Supports Job Growth by Building Green DC Offers Grants for Renewable Energy Projects 
A complete description of the DC renewable energy grant program can be found here or, email lewtag@aol.com for further information. Email for the program manager is Emil.king@dc.gov. [top]
The Electrical Alliance has updated its database of LEED® certified building projects. The database includes 89 projects listed as LEED certified in VA, MD and D.C. jurisdictions. The electrical contractor has been identified on 62 of the projects. Of those, 35 were Electrical Alliance contractors. Not counting five projects in the southwest and central VA areas, the results show that 61 percent of all projects were done by Alliance contractors. Of the 24 largest LEED certified spaces reported in the Washington Business Journal, 22, more than 90 percent, were built by Electrical Alliance contractors. These results clearly prove that when owners or general contractors want electrical contractors for big jobs requiring LEED compliance, they select Electrical Alliance contractors. This notable finding is being distributed in a press release and is featured in the Client Currents newsletter that is distributed to more than 4,000 key building decision makers throughout the metro area. To receive a copy of this LEED certified projects database, complete with names of general contractors and owners, in MS Excel format, email kmiller@frostmiller.com. [top] Pepco Energy Services to Upgrade British Embassy
As part of the contract, Pepco Energy Services will design, install, and maintain a new cogeneration system at the central plant at the British Embassy. The conceptual design calls for the installation of two internal combustion engines powered by natural gas that will produce electricity for the British Embassy offices and Ambassador's residence. Construction is expected to begin this year with completion in 2010. By utilizing the waste heat from the engines to generate low temperature hot water for heating or cooling, this technology provides higher efficiency than competing designs. In addition, by having onsite generation, the Embassy will have a redundant source of power should there be an outage on the local grid. This will also allow for peak-shaving to reduce metered demand during extreme heat and cold events when stress on the grid is greatest and cost per kilowatt-hour at its highest. Pepco Energy Services also will do a comprehensive LEED assessment of the Embassy and through the design-build contract will incorporate processes and measures that will contribute to LEED certification of the complex. In addition, this project will incorporate best practices from the Energy Efficiency Partnership of Greater Washington, a Virginia Tech led initiative for energy savings initiatives in Washington, D.C. of which Pepco Energy Services is a core partner. "Pepco Energy Services is extremely pleased to be building this high efficiency cogeneration plant for the British Embassy that will substantially save energy, cut operational costs and reduce global greenhouse-gas emissions," stated John Huffman, president and chief executive officer of Pepco Energy Services. "We hope more organizations will follow their lead." [top] Review of Economic Stimulus Package for Electricity
USGBC Announces 2009 Revisions to LEED
On April 27, 2009, the next version of LEED will launch. It will "take advantage of new technologies and advancements in building science while prioritizing energy efficiency and CO2 emissions reductions." LEED 2009 is a reorganization of the existing LEED Rating Systems along with several key advancements. LEED 2009 includes three major enhancements to the LEED rating system: harmonization, credit weightings, and regionalization.
In addition, the Green Building Certification Institute has been incorporated as a non-profit and is staffed to make possible third-party testing and certification of green building professionals. It will be empowered to authorize independent agencies and firms to verify standing for the LEED registration in updated standards for New Construction, Core and Shell, Schools, Existing Buildings, and Commercial Interiors. New exams are being launched to reflect the changes in LEED standards. Testing will include three specialties; building design and construction, operations and maintenance, and interior design and construction. There are presently more than 80,000 LEED accredited professionals. You can find all the details at www.usgbc.org and www.gbci.org. [top] |
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Ever thought of installing a wind turbine or solar panels on buildings in DC? Now it's possible. District of Columbia is providing grant up to $33,000 for residents, businesses, nonprofits, and private schools. The program will provide up to $2 million for each of the next four years with money drawn from energy related taxes. Department of Energy Director, George Hawkins, says rooftops are an untapped resource for clean, renewable energy. The grants will be based on the amount of electricity the new energy systems can generate. In the future, D.C. will offer grants for solar thermal and geothermal systems, plus those burning biomass and those recovering methane. 
Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. and a leader in facilities and energy management services and solutions, reported that it was awarded a design-build contract for a central utility plant refurbishment and the addition of a co-generation unit for the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Located adjacent to the United States Naval Observatory on Massachusetts Avenue's "Embassy Row", the British Embassy is the largest embassy in Washington, D.C. with nearly 500 employees. 
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