Energy Spotlight Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center ... - Arlingtonva
Energy Spotlight Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center FAST FACT Barcroft’s annual energy use in 2013 was down 14 percent compared with 2009.
The Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) helps our community make smart decisions about energy and supports individual actions to sustain and improve Arlington’s quality of life. We are committed to energy practices that will make Arlington a more prosperous, healthful, and secure place to live, work, and play. AIRE began in 2007 with an ambitious goal to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from County government operations by improving energy efficiency in our buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure, and by using clean fuels and green power. We also educate and encourage Arlington residents and businesses to use energy wisely, inspiring daily actions that will make a lasting difference. By working together, we can ensure the health of our community for the long term. Come join us!
Visit us online at
www.ArlingtonEnergy.us
THE BUILDING Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center is home to Arlington’s gymnastics program and a fitness center, multipurpose gymnasium, and boxing training gym. Built in 1999, the center is in use for long hours each day and visited by thousands of Arlingtonians. The sports and fitness center is surrounded by 65 acres of parkland, with amenities such as trails, lighted athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic spaces, and natural areas. A parking garage on site helps accommodate cars during busy times.
EMISSIONS AT BARCROFT CENTER, 2007–2013 Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (mton CO2e)
ABOUT AIRE
Natural Gas
400
Electricity
300 200 100
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Calendar Year
OUR ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS To help cut electricity use at Barcroft, AIRE retrofitted some of its indoor lights with new, high-efficiency lighting in late 2009. AIRE also funded the building’s re-commissioning in 2012, which evaluated the operation of its mechanical systems and verified the proper setting of the building’s automated controls. In late 2013, all of the facility’s exterior and parking garage lights were retrofitted with low-emitting diode (LED) fixtures. The LEDs save energy, last longer than traditional lighting, and produce a clear, comfortable amount of light. The lights have the International Dark-Sky Association seal of approval, providing ground lighting while cutting down on night light pollution. The LEDs that replaced all of the original metal halide fixtures at the sports center and in the Barcroft garage have low backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) ratings. With a color temperature rating of less than 5,000 Kelvin, these LEDs have a color appearance and brightness that simulates natural light.
FAST FACT Timers and motion sensors control the lights in the parking garage, so they are on only at night when the garage is in use.
VALUE TO THE COUNTY All of these projects at Barcroft for lighting efficiency and re-commissioning had a combined cost of $174,000. Since the completion of the first of these projects, the County has saved over $30,000 on Barcroft’s energy costs. With continued expected annual savings of $18,000, the payback period for these improvements will be less than 10 years. Barcroft’s annual energy savings also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 18 percent from 2009 levels.
HOW DO WE RATE?
EVERYDAY TIPS Get an energy audit. No matter what size or style building you live or work in, understanding how you use energy equips you to make better decisions about efficiency investments that yield the most return for your wallet, your comfort, and the environment. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Consider purchasing goods made from durable, recycled, toxin-free materials with minimal packaging. Reuse, repurpose, donate, or sell unwanted items. Recycle packaging. You’ll minimize materials processing, save energy, and prevent toxic materials from getting back into our environment. Travel smart. Rethink how you get to work and around town. Traveling around Arlington is easy using the network of bike and walk paths, buses, Metrorail, and car-sharing. Consider green power. Homeowners, businesses, and organizations can choose to buy power from renewable sources such as wind and solar to reduce their carbon footprint and stimulate the market for renewable energy.
Visit us online at
www.ArlingtonEnergy.us Building Energy Report Cards To find out more about the energy consumption of this and other buildings in Arlington, check out the Building Energy Report Cards on the AIRE website.
Glossary of Terms Visit the AIRE website to learn more about key terms related to energy use and the equipment in our buildings. Have a Question? Email AIRE at
[email protected]
Barcroft has a higher energy-use intensity than the average Arlington County community center, even after the improvements. However, it is a highly used sports complex—which is inherently energy-intensive. Arlington looks forward to a national benchmark for energy use in community centers like Barcroft.
FOLLOW OUR LEAD After installing a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, Arlington had a third party commission the equipment to confirm that it was working properly and the controls were appropriate for the building’s needs. Building managers should commission new equipment as it is installed and consider periodic re-commissioning to verify that all systems are still operating as expected. Some buildings go a step further, installing energy management systems and alarms that provide continuous commissioning of building equipment to maintain peak energy performance.
Learn about the energy consumption of AIRE’s entire portfolio by visiting the Building Energy Report Cards on the AIRE website, www.ArlingtonEnergy.us.
The Arlington Initiative to Rethink Energy (AIRE) helps our community make smart decisions about energy and supports individual actions to sustain and improve Arlington’s quality of life. We are committed to energy practices that will make Arlington a more prosperous, healthful, and secure place to live, work, and play. AIRE began in 2007 with an ambitious goal to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from County government operations by improving energy efficiency in our buildings, vehicles, and infrastructure, and by using clean fuels and green power. We also educate and encourage Arlington residents and businesses to use energy wisely, inspiring daily actions that will make a lasting difference. By working together, we can ensure the health of our community for the long term. Come join us!
Visit us online at
www.ArlingtonEnergy.us
THE BUILDING Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center is home to Arlington’s gymnastics program and a fitness center, multipurpose gymnasium, and boxing training gym. Built in 1999, the center is in use for long hours each day and visited by thousands of Arlingtonians. The sports and fitness center is surrounded by 65 acres of parkland, with amenities such as trails, lighted athletic fields, playgrounds, picnic spaces, and natural areas. A parking garage on site helps accommodate cars during busy times.
EMISSIONS AT BARCROFT CENTER, 2007–2013 Metric Tons Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (mton CO2e)
ABOUT AIRE
Natural Gas
400
Electricity
300 200 100
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Calendar Year
OUR ENERGY IMPROVEMENTS To help cut electricity use at Barcroft, AIRE retrofitted some of its indoor lights with new, high-efficiency lighting in late 2009. AIRE also funded the building’s re-commissioning in 2012, which evaluated the operation of its mechanical systems and verified the proper setting of the building’s automated controls. In late 2013, all of the facility’s exterior and parking garage lights were retrofitted with low-emitting diode (LED) fixtures. The LEDs save energy, last longer than traditional lighting, and produce a clear, comfortable amount of light. The lights have the International Dark-Sky Association seal of approval, providing ground lighting while cutting down on night light pollution. The LEDs that replaced all of the original metal halide fixtures at the sports center and in the Barcroft garage have low backlight, uplight, and glare (BUG) ratings. With a color temperature rating of less than 5,000 Kelvin, these LEDs have a color appearance and brightness that simulates natural light.
FAST FACT Timers and motion sensors control the lights in the parking garage, so they are on only at night when the garage is in use.
VALUE TO THE COUNTY All of these projects at Barcroft for lighting efficiency and re-commissioning had a combined cost of $174,000. Since the completion of the first of these projects, the County has saved over $30,000 on Barcroft’s energy costs. With continued expected annual savings of $18,000, the payback period for these improvements will be less than 10 years. Barcroft’s annual energy savings also reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 18 percent from 2009 levels.
HOW DO WE RATE?
EVERYDAY TIPS Get an energy audit. No matter what size or style building you live or work in, understanding how you use energy equips you to make better decisions about efficiency investments that yield the most return for your wallet, your comfort, and the environment. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Consider purchasing goods made from durable, recycled, toxin-free materials with minimal packaging. Reuse, repurpose, donate, or sell unwanted items. Recycle packaging. You’ll minimize materials processing, save energy, and prevent toxic materials from getting back into our environment. Travel smart. Rethink how you get to work and around town. Traveling around Arlington is easy using the network of bike and walk paths, buses, Metrorail, and car-sharing. Consider green power. Homeowners, businesses, and organizations can choose to buy power from renewable sources such as wind and solar to reduce their carbon footprint and stimulate the market for renewable energy.
Visit us online at
www.ArlingtonEnergy.us Building Energy Report Cards To find out more about the energy consumption of this and other buildings in Arlington, check out the Building Energy Report Cards on the AIRE website.
Glossary of Terms Visit the AIRE website to learn more about key terms related to energy use and the equipment in our buildings. Have a Question? Email AIRE at
[email protected]
Barcroft has a higher energy-use intensity than the average Arlington County community center, even after the improvements. However, it is a highly used sports complex—which is inherently energy-intensive. Arlington looks forward to a national benchmark for energy use in community centers like Barcroft.
FOLLOW OUR LEAD After installing a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system, Arlington had a third party commission the equipment to confirm that it was working properly and the controls were appropriate for the building’s needs. Building managers should commission new equipment as it is installed and consider periodic re-commissioning to verify that all systems are still operating as expected. Some buildings go a step further, installing energy management systems and alarms that provide continuous commissioning of building equipment to maintain peak energy performance.
Learn about the energy consumption of AIRE’s entire portfolio by visiting the Building Energy Report Cards on the AIRE website, www.ArlingtonEnergy.us.
