by Shane Henson — October 5, 2012—The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has released two new studies as part of its Green Proving Ground program, unveiling technologies designed to reduce energy use in federal buildings and to have significant savings potential if widely implemented.
The two studies include an evaluation of responsive lighting systems and plug load control. Despite widespread adoption of efficient lamps and ballasts over the past several decades, lighting still accounts for more than a third of the electricity used in U.S. office buildings, says the GSA, making a study of this nature crucial toward finding ways to reduce energy costs associated with lighting. And, as the GSA notes, desk-based technologies and other electronics that plug into office building receptacles also draw a considerable amount of power, some of it 24/7.
The GSA’s Occupant Responsive Lighting study evaluated the performance of new workstation-specific lighting systems. The study was conducted in five federal buildings in California and Nevada that represented a diverse set of agencies, occupancy patterns, work styles, and lighting. Results showed energy savings that ranged from approximately 27 to 63 percent over baseline conditions depending on the workspace’s normal use.
The Plug Load Control study evaluated advanced power strips (APS) in eight GSA buildings in the Mid-Atlantic region. These power strips save energy by controlling plug-in devices according to a schedule or based on a given device crossing a power threshold. According to the GSA, results showed the APS’ schedule-based capability to be highly effective, reducing plug loads at workstations by 26 percent, and nearly 50 percent in kitchens and printer rooms.
GSA also announced that it will test and evaluate 12 additional emerging sustainable building technologies in select federal facilities. Results from these evaluations will continue to increase the performance of GSA’s buildings by reducing operational costs, increasing environmental efficiency, and assisting industry in deploying new technologies and practices into the broader market, says the agency.
