WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was honored today by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for its achievements in energy efficiency.
“Thanks to the leadership and initiative of our employees, VA serves as a model for all federal agencies in energy efficiency,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi. “The medical centers honored today will save VA millions over the years.”
The award, called Energy Starâ, is given to buildings with energy performance in the top 25 percent of their peers, using an Internet based tool called Portfolio Manager. This tool enables the performance of individual buildings to be objectively assessed and tracked continually. This information provides building managers and owners with an invaluable resource to effectively manage energy use within their building.
The medical centers recognized are in the top 25 percent in energy performance among all hospitals in the United States. This evaluation involved over 150 VA medical centers with approximately 150 million square feet of hospital space.
Medical facilities are one of the most energy intensive building types, using energy at twice the rate of office space and three times the rate of schools.
In the federal sector, there are more than 200 hospitals in the United States, which represent approximately 13 percent of the energy used in all federal buildings.
This year’s awardees are listed below:
Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Puget Sound
VA Medical Center Healthcare System
Richmond, VA Seattle, WA
Boise Central Arkansas
VA Medical Center Veterans Health Care System
Boise, ID Little Rock, AR
Louis A. Johnson Northern Arizona
VA Medical Center VA Medical Center
Clarksburg, WV Prescott, AZ
Philadelphia Pittsburgh
VA Medical Center VA Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA Pittsburgh, PA
Wilmington Portland
VA Medical Center VA Medical Center
Wilmington, DE Portland, OR
Southern Arizona Connecticut
VA Medical Center VA Medical Center
Tucson, AZ West Haven, CT
Palo Alto New Mexico
VA Medical Center VA Healthcare System
Palo Alto, CA Albuquerque, NM
Boston Fargo VA Medical Center
VA Boston Healthcare System Regional Office Center
Jamaica Plain, MA Fargo, ND
Fort Harrison
VA Medical Center
Fort Harrison, MT
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