Alexandria, VA: Energy performance

Better Buildings Challenge Partners strive to decrease portfolio-wide source energy use intensity (EUI) and to increase the percent improvement compared to a set baseline. Alexandria's portfolio consists of more than 40 buildings and 1.6 million square feet. *Alexandria has improved energy performance by 10% from a 2018 baseline. Energy consumption during 2020 and 2021 was significantly lower than a typical year since COVID-19 disruptions resulted in temporary building closures and reduced occupancy for much of the year. Several major LED lighting upgrade projects were completed in City buildings (two large facilities, two midsize facilities) resulting in significant energy savings. Additional actions in other facilities to optimize HVAC schedules, install Building Automation Systems (BAS), and complete smaller LED lighting upgrades contribute to energy savings across the City’s portfolio.

Looking at the percent improvement in energy performance across all facilities can provide insight into how an organization is saving energy. Alexandria has achieved energy performance improvement of greater than 15% at more than 5 of its properties. There are 20 properties that have experienced an increase in Source EUI.  These properties have been targeted for future energy efficiency improvements.

Property-level energy performance metrics, including EUI and percent improvement to date, are critical to track progress over time and identify opportunities for additional energy savings. Alexandria's portfolio consists of properties with a wide range of baseline EUI values, most of which are from 100 to 300 kBtu/sq. ft. The majority of properties have shown energy improvement since 2018. The properties located near or below the 0% axis may present good opportunities for further savings.