The District of Columbia: A Case Study for Implementing a Data-Drive Approach for Sustaining Energy Consumption Reductions in Municipal-Owned Facilities

Abstract

City sustainability plans establish goals to reduce energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental impacts in anticipation of continued urban population growth. As one of the largest sources of urban energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, buildings feature prominently in these plans. City administrations face a myriad of challenges and costs in reducing the environmental impacts of publicly-owned buildings across a diverse, aging portfolio of schools, offices, fire and police stations, libraries, shelters, recreational centers and hospitals. With building management handed down from one city administration to the next, cities must deploy effective, consistent and affordable practices in their buildings operations to achieve their energy and environmental targets. This Masters Project evaluates the operational and capital energy conservation measures identified by the District of Columbia’s Project Game Change, which leverages interval electric meter data and consumption transparency to transform how the city operates its public buildings. By analyzing the potential economic and environmental impacts of their conservation measures and operational practices, this report provides guidelines to D.C. and other cities for their public built environment to meet their energy and GHG reduction targets. Final analysis indicates that a priority of implementing no-to-low cost operational conservation measures can provide a substantial return on investment and, if the measures are sustained over time with improved facilities staff training, support, and transparency, they will enable D.C. and other cities to achieve their energy and environmental targets.