Partnerships Use HOPE VI to

Transform Affordable Housing 

Rebuild America partnerships are transforming distressed public

housing units into safe, healthy, energy-smart developments using

HOPE VI funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban

Development (HUD).

HUD, a Rebuild America Strategic Partner, first offered the HOPE VI grants

in 1993, under the name Urban Revitalization Demonstration. The program

was created to help replace the estimated 86,000 units of public housing in

dire condition, according to a report by the National Commission on Severely

Distressed Public Housing.

Through the program, 114 cities have been awarded a total of $5 billion in

HOPE VI grants. Rebuild America has worked with HUD on HOPE VI projects

in Maryland, Massachusetts and Florida and has studied numerous other

opportunities for teaming up. The recently released report 1999-2002 Public

Housing Partnership: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S.

Department of Energy outlines the achievements realized through Rebuild

America’s partnership with HUD, including HOPE VI projects.

More than 57,000 units of distressed housing have been demolished under

the HOPE VI program, with 23,000 more expected. HUD recently announced

that 28 cities were awarded $484 million in HOPE VI grants for this year.

Although the program was scheduled to end in 2002, it will not be eliminated

until FY2004. The end of HOPE VI will not affect projects already in progress. 

According to HUD, when HOPE VI first began, it was the only significant

source of capital that gave cash-starved public housing authorities the base

needed to leverage other public and private funds. Although more financial

tools are available now, many housing authorities still look to HOPE VI to

replace dilapidated structures that otherwise would remain in use. This

Continued on page 8

Hagerstown (MD)

Housing Authority

is using HOPE VI

funds to replace

distressed public

housing units

with an energyefficient

development.

PARTNER UPDATE

Rebuild America

Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program DOE/EE-0278 • March – April 2003

Little Rock Leads 

in Rollout of Book

for Physics Classes 

T he Rebuild Arkansas partnership

recently hosted a two-day workshop

to prepare high school science

instructors to teach the newly published

Active Physics Light Up My Life textbook.

Little Rock is where the idea for the book

originated, and Arkansas schools are the

first to add the book to regular physics

instruction. 

The book is used in a short course

focused on energy efficiency in lighting. 

It incorporates a hands-on, inquiry-based

method of teaching science, while also

providing students with a basis for good

lighting design and energy-saving concepts

that will help them, their parents and

community in the long term.

The Rebuild Arkansas partnership – with

the help of the Arkansas Energy Office, 

a number of school districts from around

the state, and Rebuild America – organized

a 23-person trip to Little Rock so that

teachers could be trained to use the Light

Up My Life kit. The kit includes student

In This Issue

The Solution Center

Retrofitting Businesses

Big Nevada Projects

Hot and Cool Schools

A Hydrogen Future

3

4

5

6

9

Bringing you a prosperous future where energy is clean, abundant, reliable, and affordable

Continued on page 2
2 PARTNER UPDATE • March – April 2003

Little Rock Leads in Rollout 

textbooks, a teacher manual, spectrometers and light meters.

Teachers made the trip from as far away as Northern Virginia

and Kansas City.

Creation of the Light Up My Life book was spearheaded by

the American Association of Physics Teachers and the

National Science Foundation. Supported in part by Rebuild

America, Light Up My Life went through an initial field test 

in spring 2001, followed in spring 2002 by pilot testing

involving 321 students in five states. Final editorial revisions

last summer prepared it to become the seventh book in the

Active Physics series.

Sixteen Arkansas high schools currently offer Active

Physics. Little Rock School District is the largest in the state

and home to five high schools, including historic Central

High School. All incoming ninth graders are required to take

some form of physics, either general or advanced.

“Since we incorporated this unique method of learning

and now require all our Little Rock high school students to

take physics, we have seen rising test scores in math and

science across the board,” says Mayor Jim Daily. “I am

excited that we now find ourselves playing a leading role in

educational methods and in a national effort to educate our

children about energy.”

Light Up My Life publisher It’s About Time says the Active

Physics approach is being used in 667 schools around the

country. About 390,000 students currently study with Active

Physics, and more than 1.1 million students have

participated in it since 1998.

According to Dennis Glasgow, director of the Mathematics

and Science Department in the Little Rock Arkansas School

District, only 20 percent of the student body was taking

physics prior to the adoption of Active Physics, and most 

of those students were white males with strong science

backgrounds. Today, 100 percent of the student body takes

physics, allowing teachers to open doors of knowledge and

career possibilities for all of them. 

“We are so excited to capture the imagination and

enthusiasm of our high school kids, from urban and rural

schools,” says Chris Benson, director of the Arkansas State

Energy Office. “This is not just a book but a mission to

accomplish something big like saving energy, and kids are

the best motivators as they tend to be early adopters.” 

Many of the teachers at the workshop shared stories about

students who had said that being part of the Light Up My Life

pilot program and Active Physics changed the way they

looked at the world. Teachers said they didn’t have to drag

reluctant students into the subject, and that the students see

the value and understand the content.

Rob Adams, a teacher from Delaware who was a presenter

at the workshop, says his experience in the pilot testing was

extremely positive.

“I thought it was a great unit,” Adams says. “I found that at

the end of this unit, my kids responded to it well, and my kids

were saying how much it made them think about lighting.”

Most often taught in the ninth grade, Active Physics

stimulates interest in science as high school students see how

principles of physics apply to the world around them. Because

Active Physics is driven by activity and does not rely on heavy

reading and advanced mathematics, it provides a learning

experience for all students, including girls and minority

students who typically may not enroll in physics classes.

The program provides take-home lessons that can involve

and educate parents, too.

The U.S. Department of Energy, in partnership with

Arkansas officials, plans to continue to support energy and

science education regionally with the expectation that other

school districts will soon follow this innovative approach.

The Light Up My Life textbook has a host of other support,

including Osram Sylvania, General Electric, the Illuminating

Engineering Society of North America and many more

businesses and associations.

Visit http://www.1800arkansas.com/Energy/Community_

Education/Active_Physics.htm for more information about

Light Up My Life and an Arkansas Energy Office contact.

continued from page 1 Teachers at 

a workshop in 

Little Rock take 

a look at life through

spectroscopes.

Teachers get together in Little Rock to learn to use the Light Up My Life textbook.
T his is the time of year for looking around to see

how far we have come and where we are headed.

Rebuild America 2002, the program’s annual report,

with data and an overview updated through the end of

2002, should be in your hands shortly after you read this.

It is our State of the Program.

Much of the work must be documented in metrics –

square feet renovated, energy saved, money saved,

pollution avoided. There are stories to be told, too – brief

success stories from around the country to illustrate the

program’s work. And the fundamentals of the work must 

be explained, not only as a matter of record in a basic

reference document but to spread an understanding of 

the program to anyone who may read the report.

Had it not been for Rebuild America, would so much

work have been done? It’s extremely unlikely. Look at 

how many of the nation’s buildings still waste exorbitant

amounts of energy. Those unimproved buildings are

reminders that the program’s vision, expertise and

champions are needed.

The importance of the metrics raises one of the trickier

issues for Rebuild America – the need for better

quantification of results. The metrics are complicated by

project variables, by the need in many cases for lengthy

analysis, by the basic problem of taking time from the busy

schedules of operations managers or school administrators

or others. But quantifiable results are essential. They allow

us to say to the various levels of government and to the

nation, "Here is the good being done."

The White House is devoted to pragmatism. "Results, not

processes," is the catch phrase. Rebuild America needs to

capture data from its 500-plus partnerships to demonstrate

that it is, in fact, doing the public’s business in practical

ways. It needs participants to gather and transmit the

information in order to prove that tax dollars are being

spent on worthy projects with substantial results.

Equally important, the metrics are a way of illuminating

your successes. Those achievements become models for

others to follow.

Because so many hard-working partnerships have

reported their results, you will find in the annual report a

respectable amount of statistical support for the program’s

endeavors. There will be much more to come.

Dan Sze is National Program Manager of Rebuild America.

Your comments are always welcome at danielsze@rebuild.org.

View From DC 

by Daniel Sze

March – April 2003 • PARTNER UPDATE 3

Solutions at the Center 

of the Program Web Site

T he Rebuild America Web site has been an evolving

vehicle for disseminating program information. 

It has seen a 300 percent growth in visitors 

since October 2000. One enhancement that answers the

need for a variety of often-requested information is the

Solution Center. 

With the launch of the Solution Center last year, there has

been an increased awareness of the products and services

offered by Rebuild America. The Solution Center contains

information for the various market sectors and projects. It is

logically organized to provide users the information they

need to complete energy-saving and renewable-energy

projects. It contains more than 140 resources and counting.

The Solution Center has a product ordering function for all

products that are not downloaded directly. An enhanced

version of the ordering function is due to be installed this year.

As always, for the Solution Center to be effective, it must

be filled with useful information. If you have any resources

you would like posted, send it to the program for review.

For more information, contact Scott Igoe, Rebuild America

Webmaster, at rawebmaster@rebuild.org.

Multifamily Buildings Conference

T he U.S. Department of Energy, the New York State

Energy Research and Development Authority and the

New York City Housing Authority will present an

international conference on creating and maintaining

quality, healthy and energy-efficient multifamily housing.

The Multifamily Buildings 2003 Conference will take place at

the New York Marriot Financial Center Hotel in New York

City June 9-11. The theme of the conference is “Innovations

and Solutions from Building Champions.”

Program topics include:

■ New Construction/Major Rehabilitation/Development

■ Operations & Maintenance

■ Procurement & Energy Management Planning

■ Energy Technology & Process Updates

■ Existing Building Retrofits/Upgrades

Attendees include energy auditors, building owners and

managers, architects, engineers, housing authority officials,

utilities, energy service companies, manufacturers and

financial institution representatives.

For more information, contact Rhona Saffer, Association

for Energy Affordability Inc., at 212-279-3902 or email

mfconference@aeanyc.org.
4 PARTNER UPDATE • March – April 2003

Small Businesses Profit

from Savings in Kewanee

T his is the way it should happen: Local champions

push for energy-efficiency retrofits, state and federal

help is provided as needed, dozens of local

businesses agree to try retrofits, local suppliers of equipment

and services get the renovation work, and the results are so

clearly beneficial that more companies keep asking for

similar projects.

And that is the way it did happen in Kewanee, IL.

Sometimes things go just the way they should.

Since Rebuild Kewanee became a Rebuild America

partnership in 1999, about 48 energy-efficiency projects have

been funded among the town’s businesses, and the number

keeps growing. Almost all of the projects have involved small

businesses, the target market sector for this partnership.

Overall savings are conservatively estimated at $100,000 

a year, says Mark Mikenas of the Kewanee Chamber of

Commerce. 

Cost recovery was expected to be achieved in two to three

years, and it has been about that long since the building

retrofits began, which means the businesses that upgraded

are entering the phase of pure savings.

More than 250,000 square feet of building space has been

improved through the program. Companies benefiting from

projects include retailers of shoes, gifts, sporting goods and

other products, providers of insurance, car repair, day care

and other services, and a variety of manufacturers.

The Kewanee Chamber of Commerce is the lead

organization in the partnership. It got a strong boost from

the local housing authority, which was renovating family

housing and senior living facilities.

“Without their support and guidance, we would never have

been able to bring this program to Kewanee,” Mikenas says.

A U.S. Department of Energy grant of $75,000 was

channeled to Rebuild Kewanee through the Illinois

Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.

The partnership brought Pete Cali aboard as Rebuild

Kewanee energy coordinator. The partnership began going to

businesses and conducting walk-through audits with state

energy officials.

Rebuild Kewanee hosted its first intern last summer. The

intern had the opportunity to spend time gathering

information at several area

businesses. The collected data

has been calculated into many 

of the projected savings.

The partnership got the

word out on energy efficiency

through such methods as

distributing kits containing

tips on energy savings. At the

Kewanee Chamber of

Commerce-Rebuild Kewanee

Spring Expo, 100 kits were given out and 500 people signed

up to have kits mailed to them. Other kit mailings brought

the total distributed to more than 1,000. 

Business leaders were offered matching grants up to $1,000

per project, with the grant set at 50 percent of what a

company was willing to spend. It was important that the

partnership demonstrated its willingness to stand behind its

recommendations with cash, Mikenas says.

Most of the retrofit work has been with low technology.

Lighting retrofits have been a primary project, while some

shops needed a vestibule at the entrance door or an installation

of insulation. Some needed better furnaces or air conditioning.

One of the more creative retrofits was in a screen-printing

company. Dryers operating at more than 400 degrees

produced considerable heat that would rise and overheat the

ceiling and second floor while leaving the ground-floor

working area underheated in cold weather. A renovation

now channels the hot air back down from the ceiling and

distributes it at ground level, saving money on the

company’s heating bill.

Most of the work for the renovations went to local

electricians and other local businesses, such as suppliers of

furnaces and air conditioners.

“So it really had a good trickle down,” says Mikenas. “Now

they’re selling it for us.”

In a small town like Kewanee, with a

population of only 13,000, word gets

around. The effectiveness of the program

also is selling it, especially because of the

importance to small businesses of saving

money on electric power bills.

“Today we have businesses calling us on how to partner

with us,” Mikenas says. “We get calls all the time.”

Last year, Pete Cali told a Rebuild America peer forum in

Indianapolis that the Rebuild Kewanee partnership had

impacted at least 20 percent of downtown Kewanee businesses,

and the program has continued to grow since then.

For more information, contact Greg Lenaghan, Rebuild

America’s Illinois representative in the state Department of

Commerce and Community Affairs, at 217-785-3983, email

glenagha@commerce.state.il.us.

Energy Coordinator Pete Cali

“Today we have businesses calling us on how to partner

with us. We get calls all the time.”
For the state, the first contract was for the State Capitol

Complex – the Capitol Building, the State Library, the

Nevada Supreme Court, the Nevada State Museum and

several office buildings. The work included extensive lighting

upgrades and installation of such equipment as new water

boilers, window film, low-flow water devices and occupancy

sensors to work with lighting controls.

The State Office of Energy and Rebuild Nevada took a

supporting role, recommending approaches to contract

language for the project and evaluating the proposals of

energy service companies.

For the combined city-county government of Carson City,

the first contract provided for the upgrade of five buildings

at a cost of about $1.3 million, with a 10-year

performance contract guaranteeing more than

$144,000 in annual savings. The buildings

included the courthouse and jail, the sheriff’s

offices, a community center, a pool complex

and an administrative complex.

For a second contract, the city-county

government intended to take care of about 

18 more buildings – whatever needed

improvement and wasn’t covered by the first contract.

The energy-efficiency bug continues to spread. One of the

most recent partnerships to join the Rebuild America

network is the Carson City School District.

For more information, contact Dave McNeil, Nevada State

Energy Office, 775-687-4909, dmcneil@dbi.state.nv.us, or

Rebuild America Customer Service Representative Ken Baker,

208-861-5736, kbaker1@mindspring.com. Information also

can be obtained from CMS Viron at www.viron.com and

from e•three at www.energyefficiency.com.

Nevada is racking up the savings from several

performance contracts, with more to come. The

first one for the state government was a big one: 

18 buildings in Carson City retrofit in a $1.9 million project,

with annual savings guaranteed at more than $240,000 for

most years of the 12-year contract.

“It was the very first performance contract done by the

state, so that in itself was a milestone,” says Dave McNeil of

the Nevada State Office of Energy, a partner in Rebuild

Nevada. “There was a fair amount of a learning curve that

had to occur on performance contracts.”

CMS Viron Energy Services, a Rebuild America Business

Partner, served as general contractor for that first state

contract. It was followed by the upgrade of several state

office buildings in Las Vegas under a performance contract

awarded to a Sierra Pacific Resources subsidiary named

e•three. Other recent performance contracts won by e•three

include one for Washoe County and four for the University

of Nevada-Las Vegas. 

Performance contracts are proliferating well beyond those

connected to the Rebuild America program. The local

government of Carson City, for example, has seen the work

of one big performance contract completed by CMS Viron,

with a follow-up contract entering final stages of agreement

in March.

Larry Nair, energy retrofit coordinator for the Parks and

Recreation Department of Carson City, explains that

skyrocketing West Coast electricity prices during 2000-2001

set the stage for action.

“All of a sudden, this program was no longer mildly

attractive. It was extremely attractive,” he says.

Energy service company CMS Viron provided the

salesmanship, Nair says, explaining, “The most active role

was taken by the vendors themselves, in sort of courting the

city, and showing the city how the financing could work.”

Much work also has been done under such contracts with

private-sector customers, such as hotels and casinos, says an

e•three executive.

March – April 2003 • PARTNER UPDATE 5

The Nevada State Museum received an energy-efficiency retrofit.

Energy-Efficiency Projects Multiply in Nevada 

as Performance Contracting Takes Firm Root

“It was the very first performance contract done by 

the state, so that in itself was a milestone. There was

a fair amount of a learning curve that had to occur 

on performance contracts.”
6 PARTNER UPDATE • March – April 2003

TECHNOLOGY:

Specialists Learn Intricacies of Saving Energy 

on Heating, Ventilation and Cooling of Schools

F or heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)

in schools, there are many types of systems available,

and that poses a potentially costly challenge: to

choose wisely.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory recently hosted a

seminar in Washington, DC, to help specialists sort through

the options. The featured speaker was Thomas H. Durkin,

director of engineering and senior partner with Veazey

Parrott Durkin & Shoulders, an architectural design and

engineering firm based in Evansville, IN. The firm is a

Rebuild America Business Partner.

Durkin’s presentation not only contrasted available HVAC

systems but allowed him to stress many of the pitfalls he

sees in air-handling systems as currently designed. 

The Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools,

developed by NREL and issued as seven climate-specific

publications last year, can serve as a starting point for

anyone considering the design or retrofit of schools in ways

that would meet the goals of Rebuild America’s EnergySmart

Schools program.

Durkin offered a more individualized view of HVAC

systems, drawing on the extensive experience of his firm 

in working with Indiana schools. He especially highlighted

the need for humidity control, which may be a concern 

in almost all U.S. regions east of the Rocky Mountains.

“Control of humidity is one of those factors in design 

of schools that is very, very frequently

ignored,” Durkin said.

In analyses of the indoor air-quality problems

of about 40 Indiana schools over the last five

years, the No. 1 problem was lack of humidity

control in summer, he said.

Durkin said the two primary causes of high

humidity are valve control of constant-volume

air handlers, and use of direct-expansion (DX)

equipment with continuous ventilation and

intermittent compressor operation.

“Unfortunately, many schools are still being

designed with these elements,” he noted. 

Other causes of high humidity that he listed

were: 24-hour operations, a building under

negative pressure (less pressure than the outside

air, causing air to “leak” in), oversized

equipment, structural problems such as a leaky

roof, and housekeeping problems such as dampness from

carpet cleaning. To dry carpets after shampooing without

encouraging growth of mold and mildew, use room

dehumidifiers, not carpet fans or the HVAC system, he said.

To deal with the full range of problems, not just humidity,

Durkin went through a list of recommended elements:

1. Individual space control. Otherwise, occupants may

resort to such things as bringing in their own heaters.

2. Where hydronic heating is used, hot water is

preferable to steam, and hot-water boilers should be

condensing modular boilers. Water temperature

should be set at 135 degrees, not the 180 or 200 that

is typical. The lower setting will allow the condensing

boiler to work more efficiently, and that type of boiler

does not need the higher temperature to prevent

corrosion. Maintenance also will be less with

condensing than conventional boilers.

3. With hydronic cooling, chiller size should take into

account load diversity, especially if a building includes

large assembly spaces such as gyms and cafeterias. Use

air-cooled chillers for up to 200 tons. Water-cooled

chillers are best above 400 tons. Include chemical and

biological water treatment in cooling towers.

4. Variable-speed drives should be considered for any

motor larger than 10 horsepower.

5. Variable-speed primary pumping schemes should be

considered for boiler and chiller circuits to minimize

20 Buildings in Evansville, Indiana

Before Two-Pipe After Two-Pipe

Utility Bill = $1,264,000 Utility Bill = $808,000

In one school district, following the advice of Tom Durkin, two-pipe systems were added to 20 schools and 

cut space-conditioning costs dramatically as part of extensive energy-efficiency retrofits in the 1990s. 

Gas

$257,000

Now available for

educating kids!

Electric

$551,000

Electric

$671,000

Gas

$593,000 Savings

$456,000

Gas

Electric

Gas

Electric

Veazey Parrott Durkin & Shoulders
March – April 2003 • PARTNER UPDATE 7

the number and horsepower of hydronic pumps.

6. Simultaneous operation of boilers and chillers should

be avoided.

7. Outside air is free. Air-handling equipment should be

able to use up to 100 percent fresh air for cooling. 

8. Rejected heat from a chiller is free, so systems should

use heat-recovery chillers for heating water or other

heating purposes concurrent with cooling. “This is

going to save you energy in almost every application,”

Durkin said. “It is almost never done. It was considered

decades ago. This is an effort to resurrect it.”

9. Indoor swimming pools should include

dehumidification systems and energy and water

recovery schemes.

10. Energy management systems should be installed, with

the capability of room or zone monitoring and

scheduling. Pneumatics can be used for actuation but

should not be used for control.

11. Controls should have defined sequences for both

“occupied” and “unoccupied” areas and time periods.

Too much focus on occupied places can overlook

energy waste from unoccupied places.

12. Management systems for outside air are advisable.

Outside air is the source of much excess heat or cold

air and almost all humidity. Outside air management

should allow for “smart scheduling” reflecting levels

of occupancy. Carbon dioxide sensors can be used.

13. Maintainability should be discussed with the owner.

14. Coordination among architects and engineers should

take into account daylighting.

15. There should be a degree of equipment redundancy,

so that no failure of a single piece of equipment can

Construction Life Utility Cost Maintenance Humidity

Cost (per sq. ft.) (yrs.) (per sq. ft.) Burden Control

Rooftop Single Zone $8 12-15 $1.05 Avg./High Poor

Rooftop with Heat Wheel $12 12-15 $0.90 High Good

Air Source Heat Pumps $15 12-15 $0.70 High Poor

Split System UV with DX $17 15 $0.95 High Poor

Geothermal Heat Pumps $18 12-15 $0.65 High Poor

4-Pipe UV with Valve Control $18 25 $0.90 Avg. Poor

Variable Air Volume $20 20 $1.00 Avg./High Very Good

Anything with Separate MUA $25 15 $1.25 Very High Excellent

2-Pipe UV with F&BP $13-14 25 $0.60 Low Good

UV: unit ventilators. DX: direct expansion (cooling system). MUA: make-up air. 

F&BP: face and bypass control (modulating amounts of air flowing through or around heat exchangers).

prevent the school from operating.

16. If coiled circulating pumps are used, they should be

installed in the by-pass position and be sized for no

more than one-third of rated flow.

17. If an emergency generator is provided, it should be

large enough to carry minimal heating pumps and 

a boiler, to prevent freeze-ups.

18. A final point in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001,

attacks: A “safe area” should be provided, in a large

assembly space, with an air handler capable of 100

percent recirculation (not outside air) and highefficiency air filters.

Durkin also is noted for his advocacy of two-pipe HVAC

systems. Those systems lost popularity decades ago, but he

has been leading a renaissance of the systems. Done

correctly, circulation of heated and chilled water throughout

a building using two pipes saves on equipment and energy

costs and increases occupant comfort in comparison to the

more common four-pipe systems.

Suppliers of HVAC systems among Rebuild America

Business Partners include Applied Energy Recovery, McQuay

International and Trane. Business Partners supplying

controls for HVAC systems include Honeywell, Johnson

Controls, Novitas and Siemens.

For more information on school HVAC systems, check the

Energy Design Guidelines for High Performance Schools,

available in PDF format through the Rebuild America

Solution Center (at www.rebuild.gov) or in printed form or

on CD-Rom through the Rebuild America Clearinghouse at

252-459-4664. To contact Tom Durkin, call Veazey Parrott

Durkin & Shoulders at 317-574-5970 or visit the company

Web site at www.vpdsweb.com.

School Mechanical System Options

Veazey Parrott Durkin & Shoulders
8 PARTNER UPDATE • March – April 2003

opportunity allows public housing authorities to reevaluate

the design of public housing, including how energy is used

in their properties.

In Maryland, the Hagerstown Housing Authority (HHA) –

a Rebuild America community partnership and HUDrecognized High Performer – was awarded a $27 million

HOPE VI grant in 2001 to replace the aging Westview

apartments. The property, built in 1952 to house many of

the railroad workers in the neighborhood, reflects the typical

public housing development of the era. Six to eight units

were housed together in barrack-style structures,

disconnected from the surrounding neighborhood. The

structures used central heating for each building, and there

was no individual metering. 

Using the HUD grant as leverage, HHA was able to secure

state and city funds to replace Westview with a mixed-use

complex. Although the HOPE VI grant only covers one-third

of the cost, it was the catalyst to get the project started. 

The new development, to be called Gateway Crossing, will

reconnect the units to the existing neighborhood’s street

plan. A majority of the units will be duplex homes. 

Gateway Crossing will be a model of energy-efficiency for

public housing. High-rated ceiling and wall insulation, highperformance windows and energy-efficient heating,

ventilation and air conditioning will be installed. Plans also

call for energy-saving interior and exterior lighting and

ENERGY STAR® appliances. 

Construction crews are wrapping up demolition of

Westview this spring. Groundbreaking on the first phase of

Gateway Crossing is expected to follow shortly thereafter.

In addition to HHA, other Rebuild America partners have

seized the opportunity to use HOPE VI funds to replace

aging developments. Boston Housing Authority (BHA), a

partner of Rebuild Boston, is redeveloping the 60-year-old

Maverick Gardens housing complex in East Boston using

Hope VI funds.

Over 280 new rental units will be built at the current

Maverick Gardens site, near the Maverick transit stop, with

110 more to be built at another location. With involvement

from the housing residents, BHA held a design charette for

the multi-use, mixed-income project being funded in part by

the $35 million Hope VI grant. Other funding is being

provided by the city of Boston, state and private sources.

The new Maverick Gardens emphasizes green space and

sustainability in construction. The design incorporates

energy-efficient building materials, lighting and appliances.

Photovoltaic panels and a solar hot water heating system

will be installed at Maverick Gardens, made possible by a

grant from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. 

BHA is working to adapt the project to LEED Green

Building Rating SystemTM standards, with Rebuild America

providing technical and process assistance. Construction on

the new development will begin in spring 2003.

Rebuild America also teamed up with HUD and the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency to assist Miami-Dade

County, FL, with a HOPE VI project. The Miami-Dade

Housing Agency was awarded funds to replace two public

housing complexes plagued by aging infrastructure and

crime problems. Rebuild America co-sponsored a design

charette and provided expert design review to ensure that

the new project will be energy-efficient.

HUD reports that 20,000 new units of safe, attractive and

vibrant developments have been built so far thanks to HOPE

VI grants. With several billion

dollars in awarded funds not

yet spent, HOPE VI will

continue to make an impact

on public housing for many

years to come.

For more information,

contact Matt Pesce, at 803-

980-8467 or email

mpesce@aspensys.com. For a

copy of 1999-2002 Public

Housing Partnership: U.S.

Department of Housing and

Urban Development and U.S.

Department of Energy, visit

http://www.rebuild.org/

attachments/SolutionCenter/

HUDRBA_Report2003(1).pdf.

Partnerships Use HOPE VI 

continued from page 1

Efficiency at HUD 

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is involved in a variety of efforts to

make existing public housing more energy efficient. 

In 1999, HUD entered into an Interagency Agreement (IAA) with the U.S. Department of Energy

and Rebuild America. The IAA, which expired in December, promoted energy efficiency in public

housing through research, training workshops, forums and demonstration projects. 

More than 30 new Rebuild America partnerships were formed through the IAA to improve public

housing. Additional partnerships were formed with groups that are involved with public housing, and

six existing Rebuild America partnerships started new energy projects because of the IAA.

Rebuild America provided various types of technical assistance to these projects. Through the IAA,

Rebuild America provided energy training on various topics at nearly two dozen conferences and

workshops, and reviewed HUD’s Energy Efficiency Action Plan.

DOE and HUD continue to work together under a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed

with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Through the MOU, the agencies will work together 

to expand the use of ENERGY STAR® products throughout HUD’s affordable housing programs.
March – April 2003 • PARTNER UPDATE 9

U.S. Places Big Bets 

on Hydrogen Fuel Cells

I

f the hopes being placed on hydrogen come true,

building retrofits someday will include installation of

one or more hydrogen fuel cells. Those low-pollution

power generators will allow a building’s occupants to

achieve at least a degree of independence from the regional

energy grid.

An office building might run entirely on its own fuel cells

during normal operations. If internal demand exceeds that

supply, the building could draw on the conventional supply

of the regional power grid. During times of low internal

demand, the building might feed surplus electricity into the

grid, with compensation required from the utility.

The risk of a regional blackout might be eliminated for a

building operating its own fuel cells. Regional spikes in

electricity prices also can be mitigated with such “distributed

generation.”

Those are the dreams. The Bush administration now is

trying to hasten the day when they become reality. It has

proposed a new, $1.2 billion program to research hydrogen

fuel and vehicles running on hydrogen. Added to other

existing programs, the total would be $1.7 billion over five

years for hydrogen, fuel cells and hydrogen-powered cars.

David Garman, assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency

and Renewable Energy (EERE), stressed the potential of

distributed generation March 11 when he appeared before

the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

“These distributed energy technologies include fuel cells,

microturbines, and biomass systems, to name a few,”

Garman testified. “Using distributed generation, we increase

the available supply, improve reliability, and reduce demand

on our constrained power system.”

It is more than talk. On March 14, the Los Angeles

Department of Water and Power unveiled a new fuel-cell

power plant in the department’s headquarters. Manufactured

by FuelCell Energy Inc., the plant has a capacity of 250

kilowatts (kW), its hydrogen fuel derived from the building’s

natural gas supply. Much of its output will be sent into the

city power grid.

In February, the Long Island Power Authority said it would

install 45 of manufacturer Plug Power’s 5 kW fuel cells at

various sites. Last year, manufacturer UTC Fuel Cells, a unit

of United Technologies Corp., provided 200 kW fuel cells to

sites in New York, New Jersey and Texas. 

Typically there is a government component in such

actions. In New Jersey, a subsidy from the Board of Public

Utilities promotes cleaner alternative fuels. In New York,

EnergySmart Students

Hear Case for Hydrogen

S

cience and energy students from Rebuild America

partnership programs were chosen to hear President

George W. Bush make the case for hydrogen as the

revolutionary fuel of the future.

The 92 students and 12 chaperones gathered February 6 at 

the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, to hear

the president’s remarks. While there, they took part in

hands-on science activities provided by a Rebuild America

Strategic Partner, the NEED (National Energy Education

Development) Project.

The students were from Thomas Jefferson Middle School

(Arlington County, VA), Barnard Elementary School (District

of Columbia) and Alexandria Country Day School

(Alexandria, VA), all participants in Rebuild America

partnerships.

In each of the schools, NEED’s energy education materials

are used in conjunction with Rebuild America EnergySmart

Schools technical support as the schools try to reduce energy

use, deploy energy-efficient technologies and, in the case of

Barnard Elementary, build entirely new schools. The schools

also utilize NEED materials to meet the requirements of the

Virginia Standards of Learning for Science and the District of

Columbia Standards for Science.

President Bush directly addressed the students as he

promoted his vision: “I also want to thank the students who

are here, the science and technology students who are here –

our future scientists, those who are going to take what

appears to be dramatic innovation today and improve on it

in the coming years.”

“And so thanks for your interest and thanks for caring about

your country. Keep studying hard,” he said. And then, to

laughter, he added, “Don’t watch too much TV. Read a lot.”

For more information on the nonprofit education

association NEED, visit www.need.org.

Continued on next page

Students listen to President

Bush speak at the National

Building Museum.
Upcoming Events

May

1-3 Building the Town Green Conference and Expo,

Houston Hall, University of Pennsylvania,

Philadelphia, PA. Contact Linda Knapp at 

215-546-0724 or email lknapp@netreach.net.

14-16 The National Association of Energy Service

Companies Mid-Year Conference, Loews

Coronado Bay Resort, San Diego, CA. Call 

202-822-0954, visit www.naesco.org or email

mlb@dwgp.com.

18-21 9th National Clean Cities Conference 

and Exposition, Palm Springs Convention 

Center, Palm Springs, CA. Visit

http://www.ccities.doe.gov/conference.shtml.

20 Environmental Leadership Workshop, Mammoth

Cave National Park, Mammoth Cave, KY. 

Contact Mary Conner at 270-758-2254 or email

mary_conner@nps.gov.

June

9-11 NYSERDA Multifamily Buildings 2003

Conference, New York Marriott Financial Center

Hotel, New York, NY. Contact Rhona Saffer at

212-279-3902 or email mfconference@aeanyc.org.

23-26 National Workshop on State Building Energy

Codes, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, Atlanta, GA.

Presented by the U.S. DOE’s Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Visit http://

www.energycodes.gov/news/2003_workshop/

index.stm.

10 PARTNER UPDATE • March – April 2003

there is state pressure on utilities to increase their use 

of alternative energy.

There has been much research done on both stationary

and mobile applications for fuel cells. Stationary fuel cells

may be closer to commercialization for several reasons:

■ Weight and size are less of a problem for fuel cells

going into buildings

■ Repair is less of a problem for stationary fuel cells than

for vehicles that may break down far from the nearest

fuel-cell specialist

■ Hospitals, police stations, jails and many corporations

already have a strong incentive to install backup

generators to protect against power failures

■ Surplus electricity from a building’s fuel cells can be

sold into the power grid

The essence of a fuel cell is a device that strips electrons

away from hydrogen atoms. While the electrons are moving

separately from the protons of the hydrogen, they provide

the fuel cell’s electrical power. The electrons and protons

then rejoin and combine with oxygen to form water vapor.

The hydrogen is most often obtained by breaking it loose

from the carbon in natural gas, while the oxygen comes

from the air.

An infrastructure for hydrogen fuel is needed for both

production and distribution. And because much hydrogen

may come from gas and coal, carbon disposal strategies may

be needed to avoid pouring carbon compounds into the air

as byproducts.

U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced on

February 27 that the United States would take the lead in a

$1 billion public-private effort to construct a fossil-fuel

power plant that would be virtually free of pollution. He said

the project, named FutureGen, will produce both hydrogen

and electricity, and that its carbon would be sequestered.

Carbon sequestration may involve capture of carbon

dioxide (CO2) for pumping down into geologic formations.

Another method of sequestration would channel CO2 gases

over limewater, causing a chemical reaction that binds the

carbon into limestone.

Visit www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/ for

information on the federal Hydrogen, Fuel Cells &

Infrastructure Technologies Program. Call FuelCell Energy at

860-350-9100, Plug Power at 518-782-7700 or UTC Fuel Cells

at 860-727-2200 for details on their fuel cells.

Number of Partnerships:

513

Total Number of Committed or 

Completed Square Feet:

1,098,947,330

as of March 27, 2003 

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

continued from previous page

Rebuild America Progress Calculator
Snap Shot: Larry Schoff

Vital Statistics 

Larry Schoff has lived in

Blacksburg, VA, for 19

years with his wife, Allyne,

a special needs teacher. He

has a graduate degree in

civil engineering and, like

his daughter, is a licensed

Professional Engineer. Larry

retired from the U.S. Air

Force in 1984. He has been

working in facilities

maintenance and

operations for more than 38 years. The Rams are his favorite

football team (since 1950).

How long have you been working with the Rebuild

America program?

I began with Rebuild America in August 1998 after working

with Montgomery County (VA) Public Schools and the

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. I began as

the K-12 School Sector Manager and, for the past three years,

have served as the EnergySmart Schools National Technical

Analyst for Rebuild America. During this time I have served

on behalf of the United States on the International Energy

Agency Annex 36 Working Group dealing with energy

retrofits of educational facilities and the development of an

Energy Concept Advisor for decision-makers (to be released

this fall).

How did you get into this line of work?

A 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force as a Base Engineering

Officer and having the responsibility at all levels for energy

conservation programs, in addition to the operations,

maintenance and construction of base facilities. After

retirement, I served as the Director of Facilities Maintenance

and Transportation for Montgomery County Public Schools

for more than 13 years. I was responsible for maintenance

and operations of over 1.4 million square feet of facilities

and the construction of over 200,000 square feet of new

schools with operating budgets of more than $7 million

annually. I was also responsible for transporting over 7,000

students to and from school daily.

What do you find most rewarding about your work?

Seeing schools and school districts increasing their awareness

and efforts to improve energy efficiency and to upgrade the

learning and teaching environment for students and staff.

Reading and hearing that school decision-makers are now

asking designers and engineers for inclusion of high

performance design elements in their construction and

renovation school projects. Receiving notification from

school personnel that recommendations concerning

operations of the utility systems are being implemented and

energy and dollars are being saved to be used for education.

What is your favorite thing to do in Virginia?

Travel to the many historical places and learn more about our

past. Also, attend Virginia Tech football and basketball games.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Rest!

What is your dream vacation?

A fully equipped cottage, with satellite TV, hot tub, etc., on

the water (lake, river or ocean) in a cool area of the country,

with snow-capped mountains visible from several views, and

many trails to walk and relax.

March – April 2003 • PARTNER UPDATE 11

Larry Schoff is the National EnergySmart

Schools Sector Technical Analyst with

Rebuild America’s EnergySmart Schools.

Glenbard Township High School District 87, IL

Duvall County Public Schools, FL

Tucson Unified School District, AZ 

Johnson County, KS

Heritage Harbor Museum, RI

Rock Valley College, IL

Rebuild Quincy, IL

Labor of Love Ministries, Inc., GA

Village of Oak Park Community Energy Program, IL

NEW PARTNERSHIPS
REBUILD AMERICA 

Office of Energy Efficiency 

and Renewable Energy

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20585-0121

Address Correction Requested

Rebuild America is a network

of partnerships – focused 

on communities – that save

money by saving energy.

These voluntary partnerships choose to improve

the quality of life in their communities through

energy efficiency. Rebuild America supports them

with customized assistance backed by technical

and business experts and resources.

Published bimonthly by the U.S. Department 

of Energy, Partner Update also incorporates news

of other programs within the Office of Energy

Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Newsletter contact: 

Alan Kovski, 202-466-7391 or

akovski@pcgpr.com

Energy efficiency and clean, renewable

energy will mean a stronger economy, a

cleaner environment, and greater energy

independence for America. By investing in

technology breakthroughs today, our nation

can look forward to a more resilient

economy and secure future. 

Far-reaching technology changes will be

essential to America's energy future.

Working with a wide array of state,

community, industry, and university

partners, the U.S. Department of Energy's

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Energy invests in a portfolio of energy

technologies that will:

• Conserve energy in the residential,

commercial, industrial, government,

and transportation sectors 

• Increase and diversify energy supply,

with a focus on renewable domestic

sources 

• Upgrade our national energy

infrastructure 

• Facilitate the emergence of hydrogen

technologies as a vital new “energy

carrier.” 

The Opportunities

Biomass Program

Using domestic, plant-derived resources to

meet our fuel, power, and chemical needs

Building Technologies Program

Homes, schools, and businesses that use

less energy, cost less to operate, and

ultimately, generate as much power as 

they use

Distributed Energy & Electric Reliability

Program

A more reliable energy infrastructure and

reduced need for new power plants

Federal Energy Management Program

Leading by example, saving energy and

taxpayer dollars in federal facilities 

FreedomCAR & Vehicle Technologies

Program

Less dependence on foreign oil, and

eventual transition to an emissions-free,

petroleum-free vehicle

Geothermal Technologies Program

Tapping the earth's energy to meet our

heat and power needs

Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure

Technologies Program

Paving the way toward a hydrogen

economy and net-zero carbon energy

future

Industrial Technologies Program

Boosting the productivity and

competitiveness of U.S. industry through

improvements in energy and environmental

performance

Solar Energy Technology Program

Utilizing the sun's natural energy to

generate electricity and provide water 

and space heating 

Weatherization & Intergovernmental

Program

Accelerating the use of today's best

energy-efficient and renewable

technologies in homes, communities, and

businesses 

Wind & Hydropower Technologies Program

Harnessing America's abundant natural

resources for clean power generation

To learn more, visit www.eere.energy.gov

Marketing and Communications Rebuild America Help Line 202-466-7868

Check Us Out At: www.rebuild.gov or 252-459-4664

A Strong Energy Portfolio for a Strong America