GSA picks green building tech for federal test bed
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The General Services Administration announced a list of nine technologies it will evaluate as part of its 2014 Green Proving Ground program to develop energy saving systems for federal buildings.
The General Services Administration announced a list of nine innovative green building technologies it will evaluate as candidates for uses in federal buildings across the country.
The technology lineup was chosen as part of GSA’s 2014 Green Proving Ground (GPG) program, which aims to improve energy performance in federal buildings. It includes not only energy-efficient lighting and heating, but also IT-enabled programs such as:
- Predictive energy use optimization that uses cloud-based software to layer weather and building-use data on top of existing building automation systems, optimizing HVAC operational strategies per each 24-hour period.
- Virtual energy audit software that analyzes building operations and existing equipment to prioritize energy conservation measures tailored to specific buildings or to a portfolio of like buildings.
The GPG program uses GSA’s nationwide building portfolio as test bed locations for promising energy technologies, according to a recent post by Kevin Powell, GSA’s GPG program manager in the Public Building Service.
Along with the list of 2014 promising green building technologies, the GPG program issued a 2015 request for information for further technologies to test in GSA buildings.
The program is designed to “lead market transformation through early adoption and deployment of innovative, transformational building technologies,” Powell said.
The 2015 RFI encourages organizations to submit technology candidates, noting that projects will be deployed in a pilot installation at a federally owned building and receive measurement and verification by third-party evaluators.
“Project results are intended to help spur GSA’s deployment of high impact technologies and to inform public- and private-sector investment decisions,” according to the RFI.
The 2015 RFI was highlighted at a Sept. 16 White House event announcing new private sector commitments to reduce greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.
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