NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL AND THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Contact: Melanie Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or Catherine Kempista, Office of Management and Budget, 302-672-5120.
Delaware’s Haslet Armory to compete in EPA’s
2011 Energy Star National Building Competition
DOVER (May 5, 2011) – The Haslet Armory, managed by the state’s Office of Management and Budget, has been selected to participate in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA's) Energy Star National Building Competition “Battle of the Buildings.” The competition encourages energy efficiency improvements in commercial buildings that will reduce energy use, save money and protect the environment.
The Haslet Armory, located at 122 William Penn Street on Legislative Mall in Dover, will battle it out against 245 other teams from buildings across the country to work off the waste through improvements in energy efficiency with help from EPA’s Energy Star program. To qualify for the competition, the Haslet Armory demonstrated efficiency improvements that reduced the building’s energy consumption by more than 40 percent over the past year.
Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed Executive Order 18 last year, which sets measurable targets for reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency in state government buildings. “As Delaware transitions to a clean energy economy, our state government buildings are leading by example and the Haslet Armory is one of them,” said Gov. Markell. “Improvements to our Armory are creating measurable energy and economic efficiencies, making it a winning choice to represent Delaware in the EPA’s energy competition.”
“Delaware’s Office of Management and Budget is honored to be part of the EPA’s Energy Star National Building Competition,” said Ann Visalli, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. “Under Gov. Markell’s leadership we are committed to continually improving energy efficiency in our buildings and ultimately reducing state government’s environmental footprint. We are excited to participate in this program and see the success of our efforts grow.”
The Haslet Armory was built to replace a previous armory destroyed by Hurricane Hazel in October 1954. Dedicated for Colonel John Haslet, who led Delaware’s First Regiment during the Revolutionary War, the Armory was used by the Delaware National Guard until it was turned over to the state in 2003. The 37,000 square foot building was renovated and converted to a state office building that now houses the Office of Management and Budget and small satellite offices for the Delaware National Guard and the Delaware Department of Finance.
“Reducing energy consumption and improving energy efficiency in our office buildings pays huge dividends for our environment and for our bottom line,” said Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara. “The Haslet Armory’s energy conservation projects and a facility-wide campaign that encourages employees to conserve resources and use less energy saves thousands of dollars a year in operating costs and reduces pollution and the greenhouse gases that lead to climate change.”
Competitors in the “Battle of the Buildings” will measure and track their monthly energy consumption using EPA's Energy Star online energy tracking tool, Portfolio Manager; make improvements to their building's energy performance; and share their progress.
Of the initial pool of 245 competitors, a small number of buildings will be selected as finalists in July. Among the finalists, the building that demonstrates the greatest percentage-based reduction in energy use intensity will be recognized as the winner on November 2, 2011.
To reduce the amount of energy being used by the Haslet Armory, the Office of Management and Budget already used night/weekend setback schedules to shut down HVAC systems during unoccupied hours, installed variable frequency drives on heating water pumps and installed motion sensor lights in many of the restrooms and common areas, among others.
To further reduce energy use, the Armory will undertake an educational campaign that encourages the building’s occupants to take actions, whenever possible, that will conserve energy consumption, including turning off lights and computers when not in use, reducing paper waste and conserving water.
The 2011 Energy Star National Building Competition includes 245 teams from 26 different types of commercial buildings – such as retail stores, schools, hotels, and museums – covering 33 states and the District of Columbia. Eleven buildings are 100 years old or greater, the smallest building is just over 6,000 square feet, and 15 buildings cover more than 1 million square feet of floor space, with the largest totaling nearly 3 million square feet.
“Buildings of all shapes and sizes are saving money and energy with help from EPA and Energy Star,” said Jean Lupinacci, Director of EPA’s Energy Star Commercial Buildings Program. “We applaud the contestants of EPA’s Energy Star National Building Competition for taking action to protect the environment and save energy in the buildings where we work, play and learn.”
According to EPA, energy use in commercial buildings accounts for nearly 20 percent of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and energy use at a cost of more than $100 billion per year. On average, 30 percent of the energy used in commercial buildings is wasted. Thousands of businesses and organizations work with EPA’s Energy Star program and are saving billions of dollars and preventing millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions from entering our atmosphere each year.
To watch the battle unfold: www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings. For more information, visit the Delaware Energy Office’s webpage, www.energy.dnrec.delaware.gov.
Vol. 41, No. 178
