Department of General Services Announces Maryland Continues to “Lead by Example” by Achieving a 12.5% Reduction in Energy Use in State Buildings
Office of Energy and Sustainability Continues Energy Audits on 4 Million Square Feet of State-Owned Buildings, $36.6 Million in Energy Cost Savings Since 2018
BALTIMORE, MD—Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) today announced the Office of Energy and Sustainability’s (OES) energy auditing program concluded its second year of audits and with the assistance of the energy audits, the energy use of state government buildings has decreased by 12.5% and the state has saved over $36.6 million in utility costs since 2018.
In addition to buildings owned and operated by DGS, the audit program reviewed more than 4 million square feet of state-owned buildings in the portfolios of the Maryland School for the Deaf, Maryland Transit Administration, Maryland Department of Military, Maryland Department of Energy, and the Maryland Department of Health. “Reducing energy in the state government produces positive, environmental, fiscal and health benefits for all Marylanders” said DGS Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “By upgrading and retrofitting our state office buildings with energy efficient lighting, HVAC controls, refrigeration, and other high impact measures the state will be able to achieve cost savings within a relatively short time frame.”
The State of Maryland historically spends more than $210 million each year on energy related utilities with state facilities. In response to Governor Hogan’s energy savings executive order 01.01.2019.08, the OES developed an energy auditing program for state-owned buildings, staffing a full-time energy auditor to oversee the effort. OES audits concentrate on finding low-cost measures for increasing energy efficiency that will result in energy cost savings within five to 10 years. The information gained from the audit reports are utilized to develop new efficiency projects to help the state achieve Governor Hogan’s energy savings goal.
In addition, DGS hosts the working group on reducing energy use in state operations, a quarterly meeting composed of the twenty agencies and university campuses that are responsible for consuming over 90% of the energy used by state government operations. The working group shares information and coordinates projects dedicated to achieving Governor Hogan’s goal of a 10% reduction in the energy use in state-owned buildings.
In March 2019, DGS signed an MOU with the Small and Smart Thermal Systems Laboratory (S2TS) at the University of Maryland, College Park to perform energy audits on state-owned buildings throughout the state. S2TS is a team of graduate mechanical engineering students, with oversight from faculty and professional engineers, who have experience performing energy audits at the College Park campus.
“The partnership with S2TS is a win-win for the state,” said DGS Director of Energy and Sustainability David St. Jean. “We get professional energy audits at bargain prices, and the graduate mechanical engineers get technical training and valuable work experience. We’re proud to be helping the next generation of energy-focused engineers.”
To date, the auditing team has performed energy audits at six different agencies, finding significant energy savings opportunities at each facility. The auditing project will continue to perform energy audits at a minimum of 2 million square feet of state-owned buildings annually until at least 2029.
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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.
