Energy managers within Naval Facilities Engineering Command and other Naval District Washington commands have devised an energy checklist in an effort to improve building and utility infrastructure and vehicles by incorporating technology and management practices.
The NDW-NAVFAC Capital Improvements Energy Checklist is being used alongside the US Green Building Council’s LEED green building rating system, particularly in renovation and construction of high performance and sustainable navy buildings around the Washington DC area.
The energy checklist is a tool to help bridge the gap between more than 40 energy mandates and the end products and services, explained NAVFAC architect Mike Gala, the checklist leader.
It is composed of 15 different areas covering various aspects of buildings and systems, including efficiency, data measurement and verification, fuel choices and renewable energy sources. As goals are continually met and more are set for the future, Gala adapts the checklist to ensure it meets the changing needs in the NDW.
The checklist is not automatically used in every energy project, however, depending on the scope and scale of an energy project.
Some smaller projects might only need to renovate certain key components within a building or system without necessitating the broader strokes of the checklist. The true power of the checklist, Gala said, is when architects and energy personnel are able to affect a broader range of projects, such as constructing all new infrastructure that incorporates LEED certifications.
In September, the Office of Naval Research announced plans to pump $30 million into Energy Excelerator, a Hawaii-based program that funds development of new ideas in energy innovation. The program, part of ONR’s Asia-Pacific Technology and Education Program, is an effort to discover groundbreaking energy technologies and supports startup companies in bringing those technologies to the market.