DOE Recognizes Denver for Energy Efficiency

The Energy Department and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development are recognizing the Denver Housing Authority (DHA) and the City of Denver for their leadership in the Better Buildings Challenge.

At North Lincoln Homes, the DHA Better Buildings Challenge showcase project, the DHA has upgraded 665 homes with solar PV systems across the 57,000-sq-foot affordable housing project and is also generating its own solar energy through a power purchase agreement (PPA). In total, DHA has installed over 10,000 solar panels, and with efficiency measures has reduced energy use by 19 percent, saving $12,000 annually at the North Lincoln Homes site.

A partner in the Better Buildings Challenge since 2011, the City of Denver has cut energy waste by 9 percent across a portfolio of seven million square feet. At its Department of Human Services Castro Building, the City has completed a number of retrofits resulting in annual energy savings of 36 percent and has installed 30 kW of solar PV panels. The building’s automation system has been upgraded, new high efficiency boilers installed, and variable frequency drivers on HVAC units allow greater control and synchronization. In addition, the Castro Building serves as a pilot site for interior LEDs as replacements for T8 fluorescent tubes as the city assesses lighting levels and gathers occupant feedback to determine how to upgrade indoor lighting systems in other city-owned buildings.