This is the ninth year in which the VAEEC has honored individuals, organizations, and companies for their energy efficiency achievements. Launched in 2016 at the recommendation of Governor McAuliffe’s Executive Committee on Energy Efficiency, the awards showcase how energy efficiency champions across the Commonwealth are helping businesses, governments, homeowners, and schools save money on energy bills, reduce energy consumption, and stimulate job growth and our economy.

As in previous years, this was a competitive process, highlighting the great work being accomplished in the Commonwealth. I would like to thank each and every group that submitted an application this year. It is your stories and achievements that help us talk with legislators and other decision-makers about the importance of the energy efficiency industry in Virginia.

All 2024 Energizing Efficiency Campaign participants can be viewed on the VAEEC campaign page.

2024 Award Winners

HONORABLE MENTION

• Unlocking the Energy Efficiency of Virginia’s Tangier Island
• Awarded to project:HOMES

ACADEMIC CATEGORY

• Virginia Beach City Public School’s Thoroughgood Elementary School
• Awarded to VIA design architects

GOVERNMENT CATEGORY

• Fairfax County Pender Office Building Energy Upgrades
• Awarded to Fairfax County’s Offices of Environmental & Energy Coordination, Housing & Community Development, and Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and CMTA

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY

• Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers (SERC) Grant Program
• Awarded to Community Housing Partners Energy Solutions

Summaries

HONORABLE MENTION

Unlocking the Energy Efficiency of Virginia’s Tangier Island

Awarded to project:HOMES

Project:HOMES is redefining affordable housing by addressing a wide spectrum of housing needs, from the production and preservation of high-quality affordable homes, to large-scale home repairs, and enhancing the accessibility and energy efficiency of existing homes. By challenging common misconceptions about affordable housing, Project:HOMES demonstrates that affordability does not have to come at the expense of quality or sustainability.

One of their most challenging and rewarding endeavors has been the extension of their weatherization program to the remote community of Tangier Island. Tangier Island, located 12 miles out in the Chesapeake Bay, is home to approximately 400 residents and is accessible only by boat. This unique geographic situation presents a host of challenges for the team, from logistical hurdles to increased project costs. Recognizing these challenges, we applied for and received funding from the Community Energy Innovation Prize challenge. This funding is crucial in supplementing their existing resources, allowing them to address the dual issues of a scarcity of qualified contractors and the age and deteriorating condition of many homes. The additional financial support helps bridge the gap created by these higher costs.

This initiative is supported by the Department of Housing and Community Development and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, underscoring the collaborative effort required to improve access to services to this region. A significant component of their project is the training of two local subcontractors. By equipping these teams with the necessary skills and knowledge, they aim to create a lasting impact that extends beyond the duration of their initial involvement. These contractors will be capable of sustaining the work and ensuring ongoing benefits for the community. Their immediate goal is to provide weatherization services and home repairs to at least six households on Tangier Island. These services include enhancing insulation, air-sealing, and upgrading heating and cooling systems to improve energy efficiency. In addition to these technical improvements, they are also focused on making homes safer and more accessible for residents, particularly the elderly and those with disabilities.

The Department of Energy reports an average savings of 3,500 kWh per home weatherized, annually. Multiplying by 6 would result in approximately 21,000 kWh in savings annually. This has the net equivalent of a yearly reduction of nearly 17.5 tons of CO2. Considering that many of these measures are designed to last approximately 20 years, we could realize savings of over 300 tons of CO2 over the lifetime of these measures.

ACADEMIC CATEGORY

Virginia Beach City Public School’s Thoroughgood Elementary School

Awarded to VIA design architects

Thoroughgood Elementary School, a LEED Silver-certified facility, replaced a previously overcrowded school with a state-of-the art learning environment. The 91,913-square-foot building facilitates exploration, play, and discovery as catalysts for education utilizing non-traditional elements and varied learning environments.

Energy use and efficiency were the deciding factor for multiple design and systems decisions. Building on Virginia Beach City Public School’s initiative for energy efficiency, the design team held multiple scoping meetings, traveled to other VBCPS projects, met with maintenance staff at the Maintenance Services, and spoke directly with teachers, staff, and students about their goals for the school.

One of the primary planning principles was to harvest as much natural daylight as possible, including in spaces deep within the footprint. Transparency throughout the school provides natural daylight to nearly every occupiable space, which reduces large electricity loads for building lighting.

Further reducing energy loads, all lighting is high-efficiency LED with both daylight and occupancy sensors on all fixtures. A geothermal HVAC system was incorporated, with 280 geothermal wells provided in the open play area adjacent to the building. The design also incorporated net-zero ready elements. About three-quarters of the way through construction, VBCPS entered into a contract with a solar photovoltaic company to provide solar PV systems to multiple schools, with Thoroughgood being chosen due to the incorporation of this infrastructure.

The result is a building that performs 35.9% better than a typical elementary school building, and whose utilities are expected to operate at less than $1 per square foot. The solar panels provide 27% of the school’s annual electricity usage, and VBCPS is also engaged in a ‘Demand Response’ relationship to dramatically reduce energy usage when the grid nears capacity.

The project directly impacts the students, staff, and surrounding school community. The focus on sustainable design serves as a model for the wider community and potentially influences future school projects within the district to adopt similar sustainable design elements, leading to a broader positive impact on the environment.

GOVERNMENT CATEGORY

Fairfax County Pender Office Building Energy Upgrades

Awarded to Fairfax County’s Offices of Environmental & Energy Coordination, Housing & Community Development, and Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and CMTA

The Pender Office Building is a key facility owned and operated by Fairfax County Government that serves as the headquarters for the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The building underwent an energy upgrades project through a performance contract with CMTA, an engineering consultant and energy services company.

After an extensive energy audit, a variety of measures were selected for design and implementation. The energy efficiency upgrades included LED lighting retrofits, building envelope improvements, low-E window film, transformer replacements, a new solar photovoltaic array, and new high-performance VAV rooftop units.

This project was not without its challenges. While rooftop solar PV was an exciting possibility, the current roof was prohibitive to a solar PV array. The project team worked alongside the owner to plan for a roof replacement that dovetailed into the energy project timeline and maximized renewable energy production. Ultimately, the roof was replaced with a solar-compatible white membrane “cool roof”. The reflectivity of the new roof improved the production of the solar modules and improved the building envelope by using better insulation.

The end result saves significant energy and also allowed the owner to replace the aging roof. The energy upgrades project significantly enhanced the building, occupant experience, and community impact. The large reduction in overall kWh also qualifies this building for a utility rate change to a new tariff which is projected to save Fairfax County an additional $26,000 in electric bills.

The Pender Office Building represents a model of sustainability for commercial office buildings, creating a roadmap for similar buildings in Fairfax County to implement similar upgrades through energy performance contracting. Finally, the project’s energy savings are projected to far exceed the energy savings guarantee, highlighting the amazing results that can be accomplished when the project team and building owner collaborate together.

RESIDENTIAL CATEGORY

Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers (SERC) Grant Program

Awarded to Community Housing Partners Energy Solutions

Community Housing Partners (CHP) Energy Solutions is embarking on a pioneering initiative to enhance energy efficiency and comfort in low-rise garden style multifamily communities. This ambitious project aims to deploy a mix of advanced technologies to optimize weatherization efforts, focusing on improving heating and cooling performance, indoor air quality, and moisture management.

The primary challenge lies in efficiently conditioning small, low-load dwelling units typical of garden style multifamily buildings, especially in mixed-humid climates. Conventional HVAC systems often struggle with peak heating and cooling demands while effectively removing excess moisture during shoulder seasons. Moreover, improvements to building envelopes can exacerbate moisture retention issues, impacting occupant comfort, indoor air quality, and building durability.

To address these challenges, CHP plans to integrate modern HVAC technologies beyond standard single-stage heat pumps. This includes Energy Recovery Ventilators, variable speed heat pumps, and advanced systems capable of managing latent cooling needs independent of sensible cooling requirements. The project also tackles ventilation standards set by ASHRAE, which necessitate mechanical ventilation but do not specify treatment for incoming air contaminants such as excess moisture. In mixed-humid climates, this poses significant challenges as ventilation can introduce more moisture than cooling systems can effectively remove, leading to potential health and durability concerns.

By coupling standard weatherization techniques with innovative mechanical systems, CHP aims to not only improve energy efficiency but also monitor and evaluate performance in real-world conditions. This data-driven approach will provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of these solutions, informing scalable practices for similar projects across the region. CHP’s extensive experience, coupled with their proficiency in monitoring energy consumption and air quality, positions them uniquely to pioneer these advancements.

Successful implementation of these technologies will not only benefit current residents but also set a precedent for future weatherization efforts in multifamily housing, particularly in climates with similar challenges. This collaborative approach seeks to address the unique needs of multifamily homes in mixed-humid climates, promoting sustainability, comfort, and health across communities.