Part n e rUp d a t e

Pulte Homes, a Building America

p rogram partner, has received the Energ y

Value Housing Homebuilder of the Ye a r

Award from the National Association of

Homebuilders (NAHB) Research Center

for its homes in a Tucson, AZ

subdivision. An awards ceremony was

held March 20 at the Third Annual Gre e n

Building Conference in Seattle, WA. 

“Pulte Homes in Tucson is a larg e

volume builder that’s pushing the

envelope of production building,” says

Building America Program Manager

George James. “Pulte has committed to

quality construction and re s o u rc e

e fficiency is part of its everyday business

practices. By partnering with contractors

and suppliers, the company is able to

s t reamline production processes and

reduce costs.” 

Pulte’s award-winning home feature s

optimum value engineering; R-23 walls;

minimized ductwork runs located in

conditioned space through the use of an

CONTENTS

Alabama School Opts for

G e o t h e rmal Energ y

When the state of

Alabama issued a mandate

to eliminate temporary

schools, the Geneva Count

Board of Education was

faced with the challenge of

building a new, coste fficient school. Wi t h

assistance from R e b u i l d

A l a b a m a, the school board

did its homework, weighed

its options and selected a

g e o t h e rmal heat pump system. 

The result is the 33,000 square-foot Slocomb Elementary School, a model of

e fficiency that boasts the first geothermal system installed in a new school in Alabama.

The school opened its doors in January 2001. 

“One of the goals of Rebuild Alabama is to have at least one EnergySmart School in

Alabama constructed from the ground up using a geothermal heating and cooling

system,” says Linda Cooper, leader of Rebuild Alabama and program manager for the

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA). Cooper, assisted

by Rebuild Alabama partners, helped guide the school board through the process and

arranged to have Slocomb Elementary School participate in the Rebuild Alabama Pilot

P rogram as its EnergySmart School model. 

They considered a number of factors before arriving at the decision to go with a

g e o t h e rmal system. Among them was the fact that Slocomb’s population was

i n c reasing, but the county tax base was not growing fast enough to fund new schools.

Another consideration was Geneva County’s remote, humid location near the Gulf of

Mexico. All of this pointed to the need for an HVAC system that off e red cost eff i c i e n c y

for the long-term and ease of maintenance. 

Sherlock, Smith and Adams, Inc. (SS&A), architectural and engineering consultants o

the project, has a record of successfully designing schools throughout Alabama.

SS&A’s Frank Garcia, P. E ., designer of the system, notes that the school board became

i n t e rested in the geothermal heat pump system because of its simplicity and low

maintenance. It was also being used successfully at a nearby community college.

School board members were accustomed to the earth being used for farming in their

communities and were open to the idea of using it as an energy source to provide a

comfortable temperature for their new school building. In addition, the geotherm a l

heat pump system met the initial planning goals of the project. 

G a rcia compared conventional HVAC systems with geothermal heat pump systems

for the school board. Three re s o u rces that proved useful during design were :

• The Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium, an information clearinghouse for

U.S. Department of Energy • Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.rebuild.org • DOE/EE-0246

P u l t e - Tu c s o n

Wins Energ y

Value Housing

Aw a rd

M a rch – April 2001

Continued on page 4

Continued on page 2

2 Building America in Atlanta

3 Rebuild America CD Series

3 View From DC

5 -11 National Forum & Energy

Champions

12 Wichita Falls Schools
Building America Consort i a

Showcase Atlanta Pro j e c t s

The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) International Builders Show

in Atlanta showcased a number of award-winning energy- and re s o u rc e - e ff i c i e n t

homes built by Building America consortia members. More than 70,000 housing

industry professionals attended the Builders Show, held February 9-12 at Atlanta’s

G e o rgia World Congress Center. 

Attendees of the show could travel by shuttle bus to tour eight homes in the

vicinity of the Builders Show that involved Building America consortia members

and partners, including three highlighted below:

New American Home

The award-winning New American Home for

2001, a collaborative effort of Hedgewood

P roperties, the Southface Energy Institute and

Building America’s I B AC O S c o n s o r t i u m ,

incorporated clean industry, sustainable

manufacturing processes, re s o u rc e - e fficiency and

high energ y - e fficiency in building a four- l e v e l

home. To optimize energy efficiency, the team incorporated advanced building

technologies – including two high energ y - e fficiency furnaces, an energy re c o v e r y

v e n t i l a t o r, low-e, argon-filled windows and improved insulation – into the design

of the house which also featured a wine cellar, home theater, music room and

separate carriage house. 

Key contributions by IBACOS included durability-re l a t e d

management, landscaping practices,

the use of recycled and re c y c l a b l e

building materials, and building

materials and methods that impro v e

the indoor environment. 

Trend setting practices of the EVHAwinning builders include: 

• diagnostic testing to determine air

t i g h t n e s s

• ductwork located in conditioned

s p a c e

• guaranteed energy costs

• multimedia, educational-based

marketing campaigns that rely on the

I n t e rnet and CD-ROM

• use of low-VOC (volatile org a n i c

compounds) paints and finishes

• urban infill development

• locating homes near public

transportation and existing utilities 

EVHA award winners cover a bro a d

range of building practices and

climates. Building America pro g r a m

partner Ti e rra Concrete Homes w o n

a Gold award in the custom builder

category for their passive solar

building design. Green Village

C o m p a n y, another Building America

p a r t n e r, took home the Silver in the

a ffordable housing category for its

work on the highly energ y - e ff i c i e n t

Erie-Ellington project in Boston. For

m o re about the award winners, visit

w w w . n a h b rc . o rg. 

The EVHA is managed by the

NAHB Research Center and operated

in partnership with the NAHB Energ y

Subcommittee, P rofessional Builder

magazine, the National Renewable

E n e rgy Laboratory and Building

America. 

To find out more or to request an

application for the 2002 award s ,

contact Jeannie Leggett Sikora at 301-

430-6289 or evha@nahbrc . o rg. 

Rebuild America salutes 

our 2001 National Forum

sponsors for their 

valuable support. 

Corporate Sponsors: 

■ Philips Lighting 

■ Duke Solutions/Destination 

C o n s e r v a t i o n

Allied Sponsors:

■ Advance Tr a n s f o rmer 

■ Bayview Technology Gro u p

■ C u t l e r-Hammer Gro u p

■ Duke Solutions

■ Johnson Controls 

■ Lithonia Lighting 

■ Power Correction Systems

■ The Trane Company 

■ The Watt Stopper, Inc.

Continued from page 1

P u l t e - Tucson Wins Energy Va l u e

Housing Aw a rd

2 U.S. Department of Energy

unvented attic; solar control windows;

d ro u g h t - resistant landscaping; and 90

p e rcent furnace and a utility bill

guarantee. Pulte Homes re c e i v e d

technical support from Joe Lstiburek

and Betsy Pe t i t of Building America’s

Building Science Consort i u m.

“Other members of the building

industry should look at EVHAwinning practices as they develop

their green business strategies," says

Liza Bowles, president of the NAHB

R e s e a rch Center, Inc. According to a

recent survey by P rofessional Builder

magazine, energy efficiency is the

n u m b e r-one upgrade that

homebuyers seek in a new home.

EVHA winners are adding gre e n

building features to their new homes,

including innovations in wastewater

Continued on page 4

Hedgewood Pro p e rties’ New

American Home
At the National Forum in March, we celebrated the

achievements of many of our partnerships and partners

t h rough the Energy Champion Awards. Once again, our

local champions have demonstrated that it is possible to

bring about community improvement through energ y

e fficiency. That it is not only possible, but pragmatic,

responsible and commendable to plan and implement

e n e rg y - e fficiency programs that bring real energy and

dollar savings to communities. Rising fuel prices and

rolling blackouts on the West Coast are painful, daily

reminders to Americans that our energy supplies are not

inexhaustible and that each of us must act re s p o n s i b l y

in our use of energy. 

E n e rgy Champions like John Root of R e b u i l d

M u s c a t i n e and Elaine Barn e s of the Ohio Energy

Pr o j e c t remind us of the importance of educating both

students and teachers about the role energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

can play in the classroom. Efforts to encourage young

minds to consider energy use and meet energ y

challenges are vital steps in the effort to boost national

a w a reness about energy efficiency. When such eff o r t s

a re coupled with implementing energy-saving measure s ,

we deliver a one-two punch to energy waste.

It is time for Rebuild America partnerships to step out

of the shadows and share their many success stories.

The message that taking steps to save energy is a

beneficial and worthwhile course to pursue, is one that

many communities need to hear and to act upon.

Rebuild America partnerships are uniquely positioned to

o ffer leadership and solutions concerning energy use in

their communities. By exploring distributed generation

technologies such as fuel cells, partnerships can tap into

a world of possibilities for meeting future energ y

demands. There is no better time than now for

partnerships to expand their outreach and spread the

word that communities can help ensure their energ y

f u t u re by pursuing energy-saving solutions today. This

will lead to healthier communities, from both economic

and environmental perspectives. 

Dan Sze is a National Program Manager of Rebuild

A m e r i c a .

View From DC

By Daniel Sze

D r. Sart o r s t e i n, the

Einstein-esque “emcee” of

The BIG Picture, the newly

released Rebuild America

CD, wants everyone to

understand lighting and

e n e rg y - e fficiency issues. The

wacky professor with the

G e rman accent adds a stro n g

dose of fun to The BIG

P i c t u re as he navigates such

topics as strategic planning, financing energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

p rojects, lighting audits, measurement and verification, and

lamp and ballast technologies, among others. 

Business Partner Team Leader Doug Av e ry, who pro d u c e d

The BIG Picture, wanted to create a character to draw attention

to key points about effective approaches to energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

p rojects. He looked no further than the silver- h a i red D a l e

S a rt o r, Applications Group Leader at the Lawrence Berkeley

National Lab. Avery recalled seeing Sartor, with his hair teased

and a lab coat on, do a spoof on Einstein at a National

Association of State Energy Officials’ meeting. 

“I had him in mind from the beginning,” says Avery. “I

knew it had to be him.” For the CD, Sartor teased his hair

once again and donned a sweater, a favored piece of appare l

for Einstein, and his physical transformation into Dr. Sartorstein

was complete. A few clicks of the camera later Dr. Sartorstein

was gracing the frames of the evolving BIG Picture. 

The BIG Picture, the first in a series of energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

training CDs planned by the U.S. Department of the Energ y

and Rebuild America, is available free from Energy Eff i c i e n c y

and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (EREC). “It’s a useful

tool for anyone who trains, educates or raises awareness about

e n e rgy efficiency – or who needs to make a good case for

investing in energy efficiency,” Avery says. “On the flip side, it

can serve as a basic primer for people who don’t know much

about energy efficiency and the options available. The

solutions presented apply to both residences and businesses.”

The BIG Picture f e a t u res nine energ y - e fficiency modules.

Users can click to an online quiz at the end of each module to

gauge their pro g ress and offer comments about the CD. 

“It’s important that users take the online quizzes,” Avery says.

“Not only does it help the lessons stick, but it also gives users

the means to provide us with feedback. This helps us track

how many users we have. Their comments will help us

develop future CDs in the training series.” Dr. Sartorstein’s

new-found celebrity will surely last longer than 15 minutes,

given plans to include him in subsequent CDs in the series. 

For a free copy of The Big Picture, contact EREC at 

1 - 8 0 0 - 3 6 3 - 3 7 3 2 .

The Energy Eff i c i e n c y

Doctor Is In

U.S. Department of Energy 3
operating and maintenance costs are expected to be the

lowest of any modern school building in the county.

Funding for the project was provided by the Alabama

Public Schools and College Authority and ADECA-Science &

Technology Division (a $100,000 grant from Rebuild

A l a b a m a ) .

The geothermal system school is saving the school district

and taxpayers more than $13,000 annually in energy and

maintenance costs over more traditional heating and cooling

systems, according to Garcia. Also, the incremental cost of

the geothermal system is completely paid for with the energ y

grant. 

For more information contact Frank Garcia, P.E. at 

334-263-6481 or at Garcia_f@ssainc.com; or Linda Cooper at 

334-242-5321 or lindac@adeca.state.al.us

4 U.S. Department of Energy

i m p rovements to address airtightness and moisture contro l .

The New American Home, an annual showcase pro j e c t

s p o n s o red by NAHB’s National Council of the Housing

Industry, will be monitored extensively for one year while

occupied. Monitoring data will be posted on the web site

and accessible to those involved in the project. 

Genesis Homes Modular Design

Champion Enterprises worked with Building America’s

C o n s o rtium for Advanced Residential Building (CARB)

to develop a cost-effective set of technologies that allow its

new line of modular Genesis Homes to meet both EN E R G Y

STA R® and EarthCraft HouseTM re q u i rements. The custom

2,300 square-foot modular home incorporates materials

derived from recycled content and factory waste, hybrid

modular/panelized construction, low-flow plumbing fixture s ,

and the use of paints low in volatile organic compound

contractors and engineers that offers design assistance 

• ASHRAE handbooks, journals and design guides 

• The Design of Geothermal Systems for Commercial and

Institutional Buildings, by D r. Steve Ka v a n a u g h. 

Partners of the Slocomb School project sprang into action.

The Alabama Power Company agreed to pay for the cost of

test wells and the ground conductivity sampling as an

incentive for the school to use all electric. During the

engineering design of the facility, the Geothermal Heat Pump

Consortium funded design assistance by geotherm a l

designers R.J. Dooley and Associates to help SS&A lay out

and optimize the geothermal ground loop system. Smith's

Inc., mechanical contractors, installed the mechanical work

inside the building. Georgia Geothermal, the geotherm a l

c o n t r a c t o r, identified interf e rences that were not in the

original site survey that prohibited eight wells from being

drilled. As a result, all wells had to be drilled deeper to give

the same total well length.

As part of the Rebuild Alabama program, Garcia and

Kenny Spain, P. E ., C . E . M ., of the University of Alabama in

Huntsville, toured the Anderson Mill School campus in

S p a r t a n b u rg, SC, a model school that is heated and cooled

with a geothermal heat pump system. The tour afforded the

opportunity for design professionals to exchange ideas about

g e o t h e rmal technology to benefit both the Slocomb School

and future pro j e c t s .

The Slocomb School’s geothermal heat pump system is

quiet both indoors and outdoors because there is no noisy

a i r-cooled equipment, and the ground loop field is being

used as a playground for the school children. Finally, the

Continued from page 1

Alabama School Opts for Geothermal Energ y

Building Energ y • 92 vertical ground wells, 250

feet deep, 90 tons of cooling

Te c h n o l o g y : • Building energy management

s y s t e m

• De-coupled central outside

air system with waste heat

re c o v e r y

• Lighting with high-eff i c i e n c y

f l u o rescent and electro n i c

b a l l a s t s

E n e rgy Saved: • 93.5 million Btu/year

( c o m p a red with an electric

air source heat pump system)

Annual Savings: • $13,510 per year in energ y

and maintenance savings

Continued from page 2

Showcase Atlanta Pro j e c t s emissions. Champion plans to produce the modular homes

in 12 of its 60 plants across the country. 

Habitat for Humanity House

A thre e - b e d room single family home in Smyrna, GA, a

collaboration of Building America’s Building Science

C o n s o rt i u m and Cobb County Habitat for Humanity, was

designed to cut energy costs in half. The home met

“ E n g i n e e red for Life” platinum-level re q u i rements which

qualifies homeowners for utility bill guarantees. The house

f e a t u res controlled ventilation, high-perf o rmance windows

and advanced framing. 

For information on: 

• IBACOS’ energy design approach for The New America

Home, contact John Broniek at jbroniek@ibacos.com or 

4 1 2 - 7 6 5 - 3 0 2 1 .

• The Genesis line, visit www.genesishomes.com

• The Habitat for Humanity project in Smyrna, GA, contact

Betsy Pettit at Betsy@buildingscience.com or 978-589-5100
U.S. Department of Energy 5

When Rebuild America participants from all corners of the

country convene in one location, a special dynamic takes

o v e r. The 2001 Rebuild America National Forum at Atlanta,

GA’s Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel on March 13-15 serves as

a prime example. Participants were encouraged to expand

their horizons through an agenda that ventured beyond the

e n e rgy re t rofit of buildings and into a vast array of issues

involving community sustainability. 

For many, it was a time to catch up with friends and

colleagues, to share new ideas and experiences, to make

new contacts and to entertain some fresh approaches to

getting things done. A full day of sessions jointly shared by

Rebuild America and Southface Energy Institute’s Gre e n p r i n t s

2001 Conference brought a new dimension to this year’s

Forum. 

The National Forum began with an event with a diff e re n t

twist. Rebuild America partner dcPlanet.org held a media

event to launch a new web site for K-12 students about

e n v i ronmental and energy issues. U.S. Department of Energ y

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Ginsberg joined NBA Star

Shareef Abdur- Ra h i m of the Vancouver Grizzlies, To m

Ta m b l y n of Duke Solutions, Atlanta City Councilman

D e rrick Boazman, Georgia State Senator Donzella Jones,

Randy Morse of dcPlanet.org and others for the kick-off .

Other Forum highlights included a lively Mardi Gras dinner

event, sponsored by Allied and Corporate Sponsors,

complete with door prizes provided by Johnson Controls.

On March 14, the Energy Champion Awards luncheon put

the spotlight on a new line up of community champions and

their achievements.

Other highlights included a keynote address by K e n n e d y

Lawson Smith, executive director of the National Main

S t reet Center. Smith shared her pithy, insightful and often

h u m o rous observations about downtown trends and

revitalization efforts. Christine Erv i n, former DOE Assistant

S e c retary of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable

E n e rgy, addressed the Forum within the context of her

c u r rent post as president and CEO of the U.S. Gre e n

Building Council. The Greenprints Visionary dinner on

M a rch 14 drew an audience of 700 to hear featured speaker

William McDonough, the internationally acclaimed arc h i t e c t

who is known for his unorthodox, creative and eco-minded

a p p roach to design challenges. 

During Forum sessions, presenters, panelists and members

of the audience rolled up their shirtsleeves and explored a

full range of topics, from successful approaches to lighting,

to how to leverage public benefits funds, to approaches to

e n e rgy efficiency that work in classrooms and on campuses,

and everything in between. The following images will help

tell the story of the Forum in pictures. See page 6 for

snapshots of The Forum. Energy Champion Aw a r d s

coverage begins on page 7. 

2001 Rebuild America National Forum Review

2001 National Energ y

C h a m p i o n s

Aw a rd Winning Lineup, from left back row: Mark Ginsberg, DOE; John

Root, Rebuild Muscatine; Bernell Loveridge, Utah Office of Energ y

S e rvices; Dan Sze, DOE/Rebuild America; and Dave Rylaarsdam, Sempra

E n e rgy Services. Front ro w, from left: Linda Cooper, Rebuild Alabama;

Elaine Barnes and Mary McCarron, Ohio Energy Project; John Manning

and Mike Sherman, Rebuild Boston; Kate Bennett, Boston Housing

Authority; and Mark Mitskovski, Rebuild Niagara Fro n t i e r. 
6 U.S. Department of Energy

Students from the Nur Academy with Randy Morse, back ro w, publisher of

d c P l a n e t . o rg, a sponsor of the National Foru m .

Jim Borland, U.S. Energy Capital, (left) and Vickie Spalding from Main Stre e t

P rogram, Perry, OK, celebrate having the most beads at a Mardi Gras event

p resented by Forum sponsors.

Snapshots: 2001 Foru m

Verlinda Underwood of Rebuild Mississippi

stumps magician Mark Irish.

Nick Keller, Customer Service; Ron Shelton, Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Rich

Zelinski, Rebuild America Products & Serv i c e s .

Aspen System Corp.’s Dennis Clough and Rebuild America’s

Mark Bailey.

F o rd Motor Co.’s and To y o t a ’s gas and electric hybrid vehicles

c reated quite a stir among Foru m / G reenprints attendees who

checked under the hood and test drove the vehicles at Atlanta’s

Centennial Park.
2001 Energy Champion Aw a rd Wi n n e r s

2001 Energy Champion Awards Roundup

The 2001 National Forum celebrated Rebuild America’s

National Energy Champion Award winners, re c o g n i z i n g

partnerships and partners for their valuable contributions to

i m p roving quality of life in their communities through energ y

e fficiency. U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Deputy

Assistant Secretary Mark Ginsberg p resented 10 awards at

the National Forum in Atlanta on March 14. Nine awards

went to Rebuild America partnerships and partners, while a

10th award, the “Rebuild America Man of the Year Aw a r d , ”

went to K-12/EnergySmart Schools Technical Advisor La rry

S c h o f f for his tireless efforts and dedication to the pro g r a m .

S c h o ff, a former director of facilities maintenance and

transportation for Montgomery County in southwestern

Vi rginia, travels extensively to build awareness of how

Rebuild America can help communities address the

deteriorating condition of their schools. He supports Rebuild

America state re p resentatives in their meetings with school

districts and has been a featured presenter at national and

regional conferences for both educational and facility

management associations. 

S c h o ff began his energ y

c a reer with the U.S. Air

F o rce in 1964. During his

13 years with Montgomery

County public schools, he

managed a $100 million

capital impro v e m e n t

p rogram for re n o v a t i o n

and new construction,

including a compre h e n s i v e

e n e rgy management and

recycling program. His experience as a facilities manager has

been invaluable in his work with Rebuild America.

Double Honors Go To Boston

Rebuild America honored both the Rebuild Boston

Energy Initiative and the Boston Housing Au t h o r i t y

( B H A ) with National Energy Champion Awards. M a r k

G i n s b e r g p resented John Manning and M i ke Sherm a n o f

the Rebuild Boston Energy Initiative with the Rebuild America

Partnership of the Year Award for its outstanding work in

p e rf o rming energ y - e fficiency re t rofits on some of Boston’s

most distressed properties. Kate Bennett re p resented the

Boston Housing Authority, a partner of the Rebuild Boston

E n e rgy Initiative, in accepting the Award for Energ y

Excellence in Public and Affordable Housing. 

“Rebuild Boston has made remarkable strides in using

e n e rgy efficiency as an economic development tool in hard

to reach communities by improving multifamily, small

U.S. Department of Energy 7

c o m m e rcial and institutional buildings,” says Rebuild America

National Program Manager, Daniel Sze. 

During 2000, Rebuild Boston successfully completed or

committed to investing more than $33 million in impro v i n g

the energy and water efficiency of 19.5 million square feet of

space. The improvements affect 4,800 housing units and over

200 commercial and institutional buildings and are expected

to generate $44 million in savings for utility customers over

the next 10 years, according to Rebuild Boston’s Sherman. 

As a promoter of energ y - e fficient solutions, Rebuild Boston

is a key participant in re s e a rch documenting and impro v i n g

the relationship between energy systems and health,

particularly to decrease the high rate of asthma among inner

city children. In addition, the partnership has extended its

scope to develop a statewide Rebuild Massachusetts

partnership to similarly target public and subsidized housing,

public schools and redevelopment districts in distre s s e d

communities. 

BHA Recognized

Rebuild America honored the BHA for reaching these and

other milestones in 2000: 

• completing energy- and water- e fficiency improvements in

2,500 apartments funded by a $17 million perf o rm a n c e

contract that uses future energy savings to pay for energ y -

e fficiency improvements. 

• completing $1.2 million in energ y - e fficiency impro v e m e n t s

in 800 apartments. 

• undertaking improvements that will result in pro j e c t e d

e n e rgy savings of $22 million over the next 10 years. 

• substantially completing an energy- and water- e ff i c i e n c y

master plan for BHA’s 68 developments and 15,000

apartments. 

Continued on page 8

F rom left: Mark Ginsberg, DOE; Kate Bennet, BHA; Mike Sherman and

John Manning, Rebuild Boston; Greg Davoren, DOE Boston Regional

O ffice; and Dan Sze, Rebuild America.

L a rry Schoff and Mark Ginsberg 
Rebuild Niagara Frontier –

Energy Excellence in Local

Government Award

Also in the

Boston Region,

R e b u i l d

N i a g a r a

Fr o n t i e r w o n

the Energ y

C h a m p i o n

Award for

L o c a l

G o v e rnments. 

M a r k

M i t s ko v s k i,

state re p resentative for Rebuild

Niagara Frontier and Rebuild New

York’s Communities, accepted the

a w a r d .

Rebuild Niagara Frontier assists

local organizations in applying for

and receiving funding through one of

its partners, the New York State

E n e rgy Research and Development

Authority (NYSERDA), and aids local

companies in securing re s e a rch and

development funding to further

e n e rg y - e fficiency programs and

technology. 

Under Erie County’s leadership, the

partnership has a number of pro j e c t s

underway. These include energ y

feasibility studies and the re n o v a t i o n

of the new County Courthouse, the

B u ffalo/Erie County Public Library,

Division of Sewage Management

facilities and the Rath Building, which

houses county offices. In addition,

the county has worked with National

Fuel Gas to develop one of the state’s

most successful aggregation pro j e c t s

to reduce energy costs through the

bulk purchase of electricity and

natural gas. 

The partnership has also assisted

two nonprofit organizations. The

Upper West Art Center accessed

NYSERDA’s services to perf o rm an

e n e rgy feasibility study on a historic

c h u rch building that is being

converted into a perf o rming arts

c e n t e r. Grass Roots Middleport

benefited from NYSERDA’s New

Construction Program in renovating a

number of historic buildings that were

ravaged by fire .

" We are so proud of the

outstanding contributions of the

Rebuild Boston Energy Initiative, the

Boston Housing Authority, and

Rebuild Niagara Fro n t i e r, in

p romoting energy efficiency and

saving money by reducing building

e n e rgy consumption," says DOE

Boston Regional Office Dire c t o r

Hugh Saussy. "These Rebuild

America National Energy Champions

have successfully used energ y

e fficiency as a tool for economic

development, saving substantial

e n e rgy dollars that can be re i n v e s t e d

in our communities."

John Root – Partnership

Leader of the Year

John Root,

e n e rg y

s e r v i c e s

advisor at

M u s c a t i n e

Power and

Wa t e r

(MP&W) and

l o c a l

c o o r d i n a t o r

for the Iowa

c o m m u n i t y ’ s

Rebuild Muscatine partnership, was

h o n o red as the Rebuild America

Partnership Leader of the Year for his

work to improve the Iowa

community through an energ y -

e fficiency initiative known as Energ i z e

M u s c a t i n e .

Root launched Energize Muscatine

in the fall of 1999 under the auspices

of Rebuild Muscatine to raise

community awareness about the

benefits of adopting energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

m e a s u res. As part of this effort, he

met with 78 business owners to

e x p l o re energ y - e fficiency solutions for

their facilities, providing data about

p rojected energy and dollar savings

f rom energ y - e fficiency impro v e m e n t s .

As a result, building owners

implemented energy-saving measure s

in 25 facilities, re p resenting nearly

750,000 square feet during the

p rogram’s first year. These

i m p rovements cost $475,000 and will

result in savings of $32,000 annually

and in the avoided emissions of 12

tons of sulfur oxides and 456 tons of

carbon dioxide, according to Root. 

Stimulating interest in energ y

e fficiency, both at school and home,

has been another priority for Root,

who reached over 1,000 students

during Energize Muscatine’s first year.

With Root’s guidance, students gained

a hands-on understanding of energ y

e fficiency and renewable energ y

practices and learned how to conduct

simple assessments of the energ y

e fficiency potential of their own

homes. Root compiled data re t u rn e d

by the students and suggested

i m p rovements for each home.

Students benefited by bringing home

the lessons of energy efficiency, and

had a chance to participate in a

drawing for a baseball cap equipped

with a solar- p o w e red fan.

Prior to joining MP&W, Root was

community coordinator of R e b u i l d

Cedar Falls (IA) w h e re he

established the groundwork for a

successful program that has

implemented more than $900,000 in

e n e rgy efficiency improvements. 

Ohio Energy Project –

Energy Excellence in K-12

Schools Award

The Ohio Energy Project (OEP), a

partner of Rebuild Ohio, was

h o n o red with a National Energ y

Champion Award for its energ y - s a v i n g

work with K-12 schools in Ohio. 

Elaine Barn e s, re p resenting Ohio’s

E n e rgySmart Schools pro g r a m ,

accepted the award.

OEP was lauded for its Ohio

E n e rgySmart Schools Program, which

works with individual schools and

school districts to develop teacherdriven, student-managed pro g r a m s

8 U.S. Department of Energy

Continued from page 7

2001 Energy Champion Aw a rd s

R o u n d u p

Mark Mitskovski

John Root
that increase energy awareness and lead to improved energ y

e fficiency and increased savings. Through its Rebuild

America partners, OEP also assists school districts in

reviewing the structural condition and energy efficiency of

their school buildings. A 1995 General Accounting Off i c e

Report to Congress that ranked Ohio last among the states in

t e rms of the structural condition of its schools has helped

focus the state’s attention on the condition of its schools,

according to Barn e s .

OEP’s work with the Columbus and Worthington school

districts helped facilitate the energ y - e fficiency re t rofit of 11.8

million square feet of school buildings, resulting in annual

e n e rgy savings of nearly $1.5 million. With Rebuild America,

the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) and the

National Energy Education Development Project, OEP

launched the state’s EnergySmart Schools Program in 1999 in

an effort to:

• empower students and teachers to help design their

l e a rning enviro n m e n t

• save dollars by saving energy through behavior

m o d i f i c a t i o n

• i m p rove student perf o rmance in state science learn i n g

c o m p e t e n c i e s

• encourage school districts to improve building energ y

e fficiency through teacher and student leadership and

re s e a rch 

OEP is engaged in a number of activities aimed at

i n c reasing teacher and student awareness of the importance

of energy efficiency to their school and to their community.

The energy workshops it presents to teachers and students

a re designed to equip students with the skills and

knowledge they need to pass the science portion of the

re q u i red Ohio proficiency tests. Using OEP activities,

teachers can meet over 50 percent of the 4th, 6th, and 9th

grade Science Proficiency Learning Outcomes, according to

B a rn e s .

“ E n e rgy and related topics cover a large portion of the

science learning outcomes and our materials have become

valued tools to teachers,” she notes. 

Ohio EnergySmart Schools has grown from a pilot pro j e c t

designed to complement building energy re t rofits to a

strategic program that is replicable and sustainable statewide,

B a rnes says. 

Rebuild Alabama – Energy Excellence in

State Partnerships Award

Rebuild Alabama has been recognized for launching the

Rebuild Alabama Pilot Program (RAPP) to boost energ y -

e fficiency efforts in Alabama communities statewide. L i n d a

C o o p e r, state re p resentative of the Alabama Department of

Economic and Community Affairs, accepted the award for

Rebuild Alabama. 

In 1999, Rebuild Alabama launched a statewide pro g r a m ,

endorsed by Gov. Don Siegelman to create community

partnerships to implement energy-saving measures in

buildings. Today Rebuild Alabama serves as the umbre l l a

partnership for 21 local partnerships dedicated to energ y

e fficiency. 

The Rebuild Alabama Pilot

P rogram focuses on

implementing energ y - s a v i n g

m e a s u res within schools,

hospitals and local

g o v e rnment buildings. To

date, Rebuild Alabama has

helped facilitate energ y -

e fficiency improvements in

1.5 million square feet,

resulting in annual savings of

$300,000. The partnership has

awarded four grants totaling $450,000 to help its community

partnerships implement energy-saving measures. (See fro n t

page story about geothermal system in Alabama school in

this issue.)

Key partnership participants in Rebuild Alabama are the

Tennessee Valley Authority, Alabama Gas, the National

E n e rgy Foundation, Alabama Electric Cooperative

(PowerSouth), USDA, Alabama Power Company and FMS

Lighting of the Southern Company.

Sempra Energy Services – Business Partner

of the Year Award

Sempra Energy Serv i c e s, based in San Diego, CA, was

awarded the 2001 Rebuild America Business Partner of the

Year Award for its

“ a b o v e - a n d - b e y o n d

call” contributions to

help local

g o v e rnments save

money by saving

e n e rgy. 

Sempra Energ y

Services Vi c e

P resident D a v e

Ry l a a r s d a m a c c e p t e d

the award. Sempra

Continued on page 10

U.S. Department of Energy 9

F rom left: Manny Anunike, Rebuld Ohio/ODOD; Mary McCarron and

Elaine Barnes, OEP; and Dan Sze.

Linda Cooper and Dan Sze

F rom left: Dave Rylaarsdam, Dan Sze and

Mark Ginsberg
recommendations for improvement. 

A p p roximately $350,000 in private investments needed to

complete the re t rofits has already yielded significant savings

for the hotel, which also serves as a meeting place for

c o n f e rences, receptions and a variety of community activities.

Utility bills for the business are proving to be 50 percent less

than that of comparable enterprises in the area, notes

Powers. 

Rebuild Mississippi is led by the Mississippi Department of

Economic & Community Development, which is committed

to using energ y - e fficiency improvements to buildings as a

tool for economic revitalization in Mississippi communities.

University of Utah – Energy Excellence in

College and Universities Award

The University of Utah, a partner of Rebuild Utah, was

h o n o red for making sweeping improvements to buildings

campus-wide in an effort to save energy and dollars.

B e rnell Lo v e r i d g e, energy efficiency program manager of

the Utah Office of Energy Services, accepted the award on

behalf of the University. 

The University of Utah, which has a student population of

about 26,000, has committed to implementing $44 million in

e n e rg y - e fficiency improvements throughout its 294-building

campus. The campus has a number of 30- to 40- year- o l d

buildings that were saddled with inefficient equipment for

heating, cooling, lighting and water use. The University is

a l ready saving $3.2 million in annual energy costs with four

of five phases completed. 

The University is using energy savings from this campuswide re t rofit to build a new high-temperature hot water and

chilled water plant to service the upper campus – something

that was impossible without the partnership, notes M i ke

G l e n n, director of the Utah Office of Energy Services and

Rebuild America adviser to the University of Utah.

To fund the energ y - e fficiency improvements, the University

embarked on an innovative financing solution by partnering

with Vi ron Energy Services, an energy services company. As

a project partner, Vi ron financed the project and managed

the construction and re t rofit of the

campus, and provided a savings

guarantee to the University. 

Glenn points out one of the

g reatest benefits of this project is

the timing, noting that the re t ro f i t s

w e re almost completed as the

C a l i f o rnia energy crisis began to

c ross into Utah. With the

i m p rovements, the University is

seeing substantial savings in

avoided costs, thus enhancing the

payback on the entire pro j e c t

while contributing to lower

electrical demand. 

10 U.S. Department of Energy

was lauded for

its role in

re t ro f i t t i n g

759,000 square

feet of city

g o v e rn m e n t

o ffice space

for the City of

R e n o, N V

partnership. 

Sempra audited city buildings, identified and implemented

e ffective energy-saving measures, and verified the energ y

savings. Improvements included the installation of energ y -

e fficient lighting to police stations, fire stations, park

buildings, community centers, shelters and other facilities.

The historic California Building was fitted with an energ y

management control system, allowing the city to centrally

monitor and control the building’s temperature. Mechanical

systems and controls were also part of the re t rofit project. 

“Sempra believes in raising the bar on technologies that

dramatically improve energy efficiency and the bottom line,”

said Rylaarsdam. “This meant using advanced controls and

other cutting edge technologies not typically found in

p rojects of this sort.”

Hotel Alice – Energy Excellence in

Commercial Buildings Award

Hotel Alice in Ellisville, MS, a partner of R e b u i l d

M i s s i s s i p p i, was honored with a Rebuild America Award for

E n e rgy Excellence in Commercial Buildings. Hotel owner

Jan Malone accepted award. Malone and her husband

Eddie, with assistance from Rebuild Mississippi, successfully

met the challenge of incorporating energ y - e fficiency best

practices into the renovation of a historic building. 

Built in 1902, Hotel Alice stood abandoned before the

Malones recognized its potential and began to transform the

aging structure into a three-story, bed-and-breakfast inn with

a restaurant and coffee shop. The hotel renovation brings

new life to a depressed area of town, notes Mel Po w e r s,

Rebuild America advisor to Hotel Alice and Rebuild

M i s s i s s i p p i .

“The building maintains its charm and historical feature s ,

making it a landmark in the community,” Powers says. “It

also serves as a catalyst for further community economic

development in the community and Jones County.”

When Hotel Alice became a Rebuild Mississippi partner in

M a rch 2000, the Rebuild Mississippi team sprang into action,

p e rf o rming technical analyses on the exterior, lighting,

windows, plumbing, gas and electric systems, heating and

cooling systems, roofing and insulation, and made numero u s

Jan Malone, Dan Sze and Mark Ginsberg

B e rnell Loveridge

Continued from page 9

2001 Energy Champion Aw a rds Roundup
A Salute To Our Energy Champion Nominees

U.S. Department of Energy 11

Rebuild America’s Energy Champion Aw a r d

nominees are at the fore f ront of community

e fforts to improve quality of life through energ y

e fficiency. Look for more information about

some of them on the Rebuild America web site:

w w w . re b u i l d . o rg. The following provides an ata-glance view of our nominees’ activities:

C h o a n o ke Area Development Association,

Inc. (CADA ) and the City of Woodland, NC,

re t rofitted the 12,500 square-foot Wo o d l a n d - O l n e y

School (a national historic landmark) and adapted

it for use as low-income senior citizen housing.

The renovation resulted in 30 energ y - e ff i c i e n t

apartments all utilizing EN E R G Y STA R® a p p l i a n c e s .

Many seniors benefiting from this project are also

f o rmer students of the school.

Chuck Crabtree has been leading R e b u i l d

G rundy (VA ) in many important projects as the

town relocates its downtown out of a flood-pro n e

a rea to safer ground. Currently, 133,000 square

feet are under redevelopment including the

re t rofit of some downtown buildings. The total

investment for the project is $160 million, and the

ultimate savings are projected to be over $177

m i l l i o n .

The City of Kettering ( O H ) used technology

to provide a working role model for 

e n e rgy efficiency and reduced energy costs.

Technologies included monitoring electrical 

usage on-line to managing “real-life” usage

p a t t e rns, re t rofitting 250,000 square feet with

e n e rg y - e fficient lighting and installing variable

f requency drives for air handling equipment. 

College Station Independent School

District (TX), with assistance from Rebuild

America partner Texas A&M University and Te x a s

E n e rgy Engineering Services Inc., has financed

$1.5 million of its capital improvement work

t h rough Rebuild America. Its schools have new

H VAC equipment and controls, better lighting,

and more comfortable temperatures and are

saving $183,000 in energy costs annually.

Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. has trained

50 high school students in basic energy concepts,

e n e rgy auditing, public relations and business

aspects of energy conservation. The partnership

also assisted students in determining low cost/no

cost energy measures in their homes. Curre n t

re t rofits being pursued throughout the school

district are expected to conserve 103,000 kWh

per year.

Housing and Community Development

Corporation of Hawaii (HCDCH) A n n u a l

savings for the HCDCH re t rofits and conservation

m e a s u res applied to new construction are

estimated to be more than 100,000 kWh. Each

unit uses about 4,000 kWh, or 42 percent less

than the average Oahu household, depending on

household energy usage pattern s .

Jason Davis successfully leads the A l a b a m a

Power Company partnership, which has

re t rofitted over 1 million square feet for Boards of

Education in Marengo, Greene, Midfield and

Chilton counties. Total annual energy savings

f rom these projects is $631,000.

Kingston School District in Kingston, NY has

upgraded its 1.2 million square feet of school

space with T-8 lighting and digital energ y

management. Efficient pulse boilers heat 400,000

s q u a re feet while new energy efficient windows

have been installed in 250,000 square feet. The

avoided emissions resulted in significant

reductions of carbon dioxide, sulfur-dioxide and

n i t rogen oxides.

The Murfreesboro Library in North Caro l i n a ,

is now equipped with the latest technology in

lighting, heating and air conditioning. It was re -

bricked and insulated to increase energ y

e fficiency, reduce operating costs and impro v e

the environment for both customers and

e m p l o y e e s .

Peter Alexander’ s successful leadership of

Rebuild New Mexico has led to additional

partners re p resenting 30 million square feet of

building space. Through his energy assessments

of both public and private buildings and

education of building owners and managers

about best energ y - e fficiency practices, he

continues to develop a solid energ y - e ff i c i e n c y

p ro g r a m .

Poudre School District of Fort Collins, CO,

encompasses 42 schools and is among the first in

the nation to establish comprehensive design

guidelines for the construction of new energ y -

e fficient schools. Benchmarking and re t ro f i t

p rojects earned four schools the DOE/EPA

EN E R G Y STA R®

label. 

Rebuild Duke University Fa c i l i t i e s

i n t roduced re c i rculation technologies to alre a d y

compliant fossil-fueled power generating facilities

and reduced NOx emissions by more than 42

p e rcent – equivalent to reducing the emissions

f rom 80 million passenger vehicle miles per year

and offsetting the heavy volume of commuter

t r a ffic in the area. Carbon monoxide emissions

w e re reduced by nearly 13 percent and

particulates by nearly 56 percent. 

Rebuild Mississippi actively re c r u i t e d

community partnerships and provided technical

assistance and training through the Mississippi

Development Authority. They are working with

g roups such as the Choctaw Indian Nations to

conduct initial audits, and reaching out to

communities in the Mississippi Delta through the

National Black Mayors Confere n c e .

The Rebuild New Yo r k ’ s

C o m m u n i t i e s / N Y S E R DA p rogram has form a l l y

established three regional partnerships in addition

to servicing existing New York partnerships.

Rebuild New York’s Communities is serving as a

gateway to access a wide variety of energ y -

e fficiency programs available.

The South Carolina Energy Office has

developed Rebuild South Carolina p a r t n e r s h i p s

to bring the benefits of energy efficiency to

public agencies and school districts. Energ y

audits have been completed for the Charleston

County School District, Lexington School District

4, the town of Wa re Shoals and the University of

South Carolina, Spartanburg .

The Roanoke Chowan (NC) partnership is

involved in seven projects re p resenting over

500,000 square feet in energy re t rofits with over

$200,000 of public and private funds invested.

M o re than 120 buildings have been targeted for

potential re t ro f i t s .

Texas A&M University’ s E n e rgy Systems

Laboratory, in partnership with the Brazos Va l l e y

E n e rgy Conservation Coalition, launched a

Continuous CommissioningS M p rogram to help

c o n t rol campus utility costs. To date, $3.1 million

has been invested in the energy re t rofit of 5.2

million square feet. Measured chilled water, hot

w a t e r, and electricity savings currently exceed $12

million cumulatively.

Ted Alexander is leading Rebuild Shelby, NC

in the process of re t rofitting 21 public and

c o m m e rcial buildings which re p resent over

233,200 square feet. The project is in its

beginning phases.

S a rnafil Roofing of Canton, MA, a Rebuild

America Business Partner, is working with several

partnerships to formalize contracts and upcoming

p rojects. These projects will help Rebuild

America and its Business Partners improve the

level of support available to community

partnerships. 

Wa rwick Public Schools and the City of

Wa rwick (RI), this partnership stre a m l i n e d

e n e rgy conservation throughout the community.

Annual savings from the re t rofits has exceeded

$260,000 – a diff e rence of almost 16 perc e n t .

The energy savings of over 489,534 kWh in 12

months equals the reduced emissions of 103

automobiles removed from the highways

a n n u a l l y .

Washington State Department of General

Administration (GA) was able to incorporate

over $40 million worth of re t rofits for clients with

little or no capital through perf o rm a n c e

contracting, allowing Washington to adopt

e n e rg y - e fficiency measures with minimal

e x p e n d i t u re of capital. Their broad scale energ y

audits in state buildings identified potential costsavings measures resulting in annual savings of

$5 million.

Wausau School District (WI) surveyed the

physical plant for the district and implemented

re t rofits which have produced substantial savings.

Annually, the district is conserving 418,907 kWh

of electricity and 66,300 therms of natural gas.

Wichita Falls Independent School District

in Texas has re t rofitted over 1.4 million square

feet, providing annual savings of appro x i m a t e l y

$295,000. (See story on back page of this issue.)

Wisconsin K-12 Energy Education Pr o g r a m

(KEEP) p rogram provides teachers with training

and materials to integrate energy education in

their classrooms, improving energy literacy. They

have reached over 1,300 teachers throughout the

state – 96 percent of whom would re c o m m e n d

the program to colleagues. Over 40,000 students

have benefited from the curriculum.
Rebuild America is a

network of partnerships –

focused on communities –

that save money by saving

e n e rg y. These voluntary partnerships choose to

i m p rove the quality of life where they live, work

and play through energy eff i c i e n c y. Rebuild

America supports them with customized

assistance backed by technical and business

e x p e rts and re s o u rc e s .

Published bimonthly by the U.S. Depart m e n t

of Energy to re p o rt on Rebuild America

activities, P a rtner Update now incorporates

news from Building America and High

P e rf o rmance Buildings, expanding on

community-focused activities of the Office of

Building Te c h n o l o g y, State and Community

P ro g r a m s .

REBUILD AMERICA 

O ffice of Building Te c h n o l o g y, 

State and Community Pro g r a m s

U.S. Department of Energ y

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20585-0121

A d d ress Correction Requested

Check Us Out: w w w. re b u i l d . o rg or 1-800-DOE-3732

Upcoming Events

High

Performance

B U I L D I N G S

Wichita Falls School

District Commended

The Wichita Falls (TX) Independent School District (ISD) w a 

h o n o red February 19 by Rebuild America for making energ y

i m p rovements to 1.4 million square feet in the school district and

realizing annual savings of $293,000.

Rebuild America Program Representative M i ke Myers p re s e n t e d

Wichita Falls ISD School Superintendent Connie We l s c h, Facilities

D i rector Dan Shelton and Energy Manager Skip Alderm a n w i t h

recognition certificates for completing a district-wide energ y

i m p rovement pro g r a m .

“The success in Wichita Falls is a prime example of how a midsized school district can save energy and improve building

p e rf o rmance,” says Myers.

In 1997, the school district, which re p resents 29 public schools –

mainly pre-schools and kindergartens – began to identify energ y

equipment upgrades and improvements needed to increase eff i c i e n 

and reduce costs. The school district worked with Rebuild Te x a s

and Texas A&M University’s Energy Systems Laboratory, led by

Bahman Ya z d a n i, to upgrade lighting and HVAC systems and inst

e n e rgy management systems.

The schools have also qualified for the EN E R G Y STA R® Label for

Buildings. Texas A&M is continuing to monitor the school district’s

e n e rgy perf o rmance. 

For more information, contact Mike Myers at mt4myers@aol.com.

Rebuild America Pro g r a m

R e p resentative Mike Mye

p resents Dan Shelton,

Wichita Falls (TX)

Independent School Distr

facilities dire c t o r, center, a

Skip Alderman, energ y

m a n a g e r, with a re c o g n i t i o 

c e rtificate for their energ y 

saving eff o rts in schools.

MAY

7 - 9 Denver Peer Exchange, Hyatt Regency 

Austin at Spring Lake, Austin TX. For 

m o re information, visit the Rebuild America 

website or contact Sherry Sykes at 

s s y k e s @ a s p e n s y s . c o m

9 - 1 1 Ninth National Conference on Building 

Commissioning (the Cherry Hill 

Hilton) Cherry Hill, NJ. Learn more 

about the conference at www.peci.org / n c b c

8 I m p roved Plant Perf o rmance with 

Steam Best Practices, San Diego, CA, 

in conjunction with the West Coast 

EMC 2001 Symposium and exhibition 

on May 9 & 10, 2001. For more 

i n f o rmation, call Aleceia Cox at 310-549-9962

2 2 - 2 4 Redefining Deregulation, 2001 

M i d - Year Conference (the Hyatt 

Regency Crown Center) Kansas City, 

MO. Learn more at www.naesco.org

JUNE

3 - 6 New Horizons – Solutions for the 21st 

Century, Kansas City, MO

Visit the department of Energy’s 

website at www.energ y 2 0 0 1 . e e . d o e . g o v

To submit news or story ideas, contact: 

Elise G. Rand, 202-466-7391, or email

erand@pcgpr.com