Constellation New Energy Wins $119.8 Million Retrofit Contract from GSA

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) awarded an energy savings performance contract (ESPC) to Constellation New Energy, Baltimore, MD, an electric utility that also does a big business in  energy retrofits, for energy savings and conservation measures at five GSA-owned facilities in the National Capital Region.

These projects, part of GSA’s plan to reduce approximately $450 million in energy costs across its federal; real estate portfolio through the Inflation Reduction Act, will modernize building systems, improve energy efficiency, cut greenhouse gas emissions and convert four of the buildings to operate exclusively on electric power in Washington DC.

This award leverages $119.8 million in Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funding for energy retrofits through energy conservation measures. The five buildings to be updated under this contract are the Elijah Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse; the William B. Bryant Annex; the Orville Wright Federal Building; and the Wilbur Wright Federal Building; all located in Washington DC, and the Harvey W. Wiley Federal Building in College Park, MD.
The scope of the work will vary by building, and will include LED lighting retrofits, building envelope enhancements, utility distribution upgrades, water conservation measures, and heating and cooling plant electrification. GSA anticipates the measures will annually save $2.2 million in utility costs and reduce the buildings’ carbon emissions by 5,734 metric tons, equivalent to taking over 1,300 gas-powered cars off the road.

The most significant energy conservation measures are lighting, building controls and electrification (fuel switching from steam to electric heat) at the Wright buildings, Prettyman U.S. Courthouse, and William Bryant Annex. Upon completion of the electrification project, these buildings will be removed from GSA’s fossil fueled-powered steam distribution system and will operate on more efficient electric energy. 
An energy savings performance contract, is a partnership between a federal agency and a U.S. Department of Energy-qualified energy service company. The service company conducts a comprehensive energy audit of federal facilities and identifies improvements to save energy. In consultation with the federal agency, the service company designs and constructs a project that meets the agency’s needs and arranges the necessary funding. ESPCs partner with the private sector to help stretch appropriations further, and deliver more with the available resources.The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3.4 billion for GSA to build, modernize and maintain more sustainable and cost-efficient high-performance facilities.