Building Energy Efficiency Upgrades

National Press Building, Washington, D.C.
APS Office of Government Affairs Location

In response to the GHG Inventory Advisory Committee recommendation that APS work to improve the energy efficiencies of buildings the Society partially occupies, the APS Office of Government Affairs (OGA) met with the National Press Building’s (NPB’s) management team. OGA staff discussed ongoing and future efforts to implement energy saving solutions and facility upgrades with NPB management.

As a result of their meeting, NPB management shared its Energy Efficiency and Capital Improvements five-year plan with APS OGA. The scheduled improvements and potential energy savings are outlined below.

NPB’s energy efficient upgrades include the replacement of outdated air handler units (AHUs), which will be completed in two parts – the AHU serving tenant suites (2018) and the AHU serving the elevator lobbies and atrium (2022-23). The new AHUs will use 33 percent less fuel as compared to the existing models.

NPB is also scheduled to replace a boiler (2019), cooling towers (2019) and chiller (2023). These upgrades will improve annual fuel utilization and allow for greater energy efficiency, reducing electrical power consumption and the building’s GHG emissions. The new chiller, for example, can result in energy savings of up to 50 percent. A building automation system will be installed by 2019 to optimize systems when active and allow automatic deactivation when the building is not in use after hours.

Structural and building improvements include a roof replacement to better control and maintain desired building temperatures and reduce heating and cooling associated energy consumption. Management is also upgrading the lighting throughout the building with LED substitutes.