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General Services > Environmental Management > Energy Conservation
Energy Conservation
5-Year Energy Conservation Plan
 Albemarle County partnered with ENERGY STAR in 2006 in an effort to drastically reduce the overall energy consumption in our municipal buildings. We have adopted an Energy Management Policy signed by the County Executive, which includes sections such as standards for operating the heating ventilation and air conditioning system efficiently, and guidelines for employees on turning off lights, computers and other electronic equipment when not in use. Our goal is to reduce our overall energy consumption by 30% by 2012, which equates to roughly 6% per year. As of October 2008, we have reduced our overall consumption by 9.7% and saved $95,000 in energy bills. This is carbon dioxide equivalent of 75 hot air balloons, planting 100 acres of trees, and removing 65 cars from the roads for a year.
In September 2008 the County Office Building on McIntire Road earned the EPA’s ENERGY STAR label for energy efficiency, which means that this building uses at least 35% less energy than the average building of its size and use.
We have conducted energy audits, employed energy efficient technologies, and conducted training for employees on best practices. 
The County Office Building has a green roof, which helps conserve energy by providing a more effective means of thermal insulation than conventional roofs. Better-insulated structures require less energy to heat and cool than those that are not comparably insulated.
 Albemarle County recently installed a solar thermal system at its 5th Street County Office Building system to gather solar thermal content through roof-mounted collectors to supplement the existing hot water system so that less natural gas is used for heating water. It is estimated that as many as 206 gallons of hot water are used in the building daily, in part due to showers installed for use by police officers and firefighters. This new solar system allows the storage of high temperature water with a smaller environmental footprint, and also increases overall system efficiency.
Efforts to reduce energy consumption in County office buildings will directly support the County’s commitment to climate protection.
Click here for some Seasonal Energy Saving Tips.
5-Year Energy Conservation Plan
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