Land of the free, home of the brave.

PartnerUpdate

Welcome to the new Web site of

Rebuild America located at

www.rebuild.org. Launched on

November 1, this new site represents

Rebuild America’s investment in

expanded services for its partnerships,

partners, program teams and others

interested in energy-saving practices.

The goal is to create a communications

hub for those in the building

community seeking energy-efficient

solutions.

One of the greatest challenges for the

building community is empowering our

communities and arming them with

tools and services that save energy and

money. It is in this spirit of

INSIDE

REBUILD AMERICA•BUILDING AMERICA

U.S. Department of Energy • Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy www.rebuild.org • DOE/EE-0257

November – December 2001

Continued on page 8 

Continued on page 7

2 Slaying Electricity Vampires 

3 View from DC

5 Geothermal 101

6 New Mexico’s Energy-Efficient 

Houses Win Awards

7 Preparing for the Olympics in 

Salt Lake City

10 Profile – The National Association of

Counties

Ohio Housing Authority Meets

Energy, Senior Citizens’ Goals

Stark Metropolitan Housing

Authority has reached out to

meet the needs of the senior

citizen community, increasing

climate comfort in the newly

dedicated Cherrie Turner Towers

in Canton, OH, with energyefficient technology that

guarantees lower utility bills for

the public housing authority.

In an October 15 ceremony

with Congressman Ralph Regula

(R-Ohio), SMHA unveiled the

newly retrofitted Cherrie Turner

Towers, featuring a geothermal

energy heat pump, and centralized

air and hot water. The senior citizen housing facility has incorporated energy efficiency

“top-to-bottom,” SMHA Deputy Director Mike Williams says, while meeting the

demands of a senior population seeking increased amenities.

The seniors “are more than impressed” with the facility, Williams says. “We have

tackled every aspect of energy that we could.”

Formerly Metropolitan Arms, the building was renamed Cherrie Turner Towers – for

SMHA’s former executive director – after a 2-year retrofit project launched in 1999

through SMHA’s Rebuild America partnership. The retrofit covered the gamut of energy

improvements, ranging from new roofing, efficient windows, compact fluorescent

lighting, low-flow toilets, additional insulation and the geothermal heat pump.

The partnership turned to Rebuild America Strategic Partner ENERGY STAR® as well,

using all labeled appliances in remodeling the housing units.

Williams says that the reason behind the improvements were actually, in a sense, a

market-driven response to a new senior citizen population seeking more amenities

from its housing. The residents with a little more money to spend were buying inwindow air conditioning units to combat heat – particularly in recent summers of

intense heat waves. The inefficiency of the A/C units substantially drained the

authority’s budget, since SMHA pays for senior residents’ electricity bills. Plus all the

residents could not afford air conditioners, and of those that did, units purchased did

not always fit in the window – creating safety and further efficiency problems.

In search of an economical way to heat and cool the building, SMHA turned to

geothermal energy. This alternative energy source is highly economical, using the heat

of the earth as power, and reduces the pollution load from conventional power

sources. It also allowed SMHA to install centralized air conditioning and heating –

where the authority also will save money. The other upgrades were natural

companions to the major overhaul in the heating and cooling effort.

A New Web 

Site for Rebuild

America

A newly retrofitted, senior citizen, housing facility, Cherrie

Turner Towers in Canton, OH, has incorporated energy

efficiency "top-to-bottom."
2 U.S. Department of Energy

Slaying ‘Electricity Vampires’ at Home: 

BTS Lecture Series Presents Alan Meier

Vampires as we know them

have changed, and the new

ones are everywhere.

Alan Meier, an independent

researcher for the Lawrence

Berkeley National Laboratory,

visited Washington, DC, to

discuss the new, ever present,

“electricity vampires” at a

“Buildings for the 21st Century”

lecture on October 11, hosted

by the U.S. Department of

Energy’s Office of Building

Technology, State and

Community Programs. 

These vampires, he

explained, lurk in homes and

feed on “standby” power, or power consumed by appliances

even when they are turned off.

In the lecture, Meier detailed how electricity vampires work

in the home. He explained that by focusing on high-efficiency

appliances and energy-saving measures, people can cut

standby power considerably. Standby power generally

accounts for 5-watts of electricity consumed per home when

appliances are inactive – 5 percent of energy used overall.

The amount may seem insignificant, but when applied to the

110 million homes in the United States, this adds up to over

500 million watts every day.

Some appliances with internal clocks, such as microwave

ovens and VCRs, consume more energy over the course of a

year while turned off, than they expend when in use. The

same is true for cellular telephone chargers, compact stereos

and remote controlled devices. 

Meier suggests several methods for reducing standby

energy consumption, which is the most rapidly growing end

use for electricity in this country. 

Buy more efficient components. Put the extra money in

at the onset to save energy and money in the future.

Avoid buying the energy vampires you don’t need.

Halogen lamps, for example, waste electricity by constantly

drawing and storing power in their bases. 

Gradually move to “eco-watt technologies” where

possible. These include motion sensors and controls.

Use a power strip. Plugging and unplugging appliances,

such as microwaves or televisions, repeatedly is bad for

machines. Consolidate the power sources with a power strip,

and unplug once at night.

Meier also touched on actions stated in the Global 1-Watt

Plan, an international agreement enacted to reduce overall

global standby power consumption by the year 2010. 

Mark Ginsberg, deputy assistant secretary for BTS,

introduced Meier to over 40 attendees from the electric

power industry, noting his expertise on the topic at hand, as

well as his work at Berkeley and as editor-in-chief of Energy

and Buildings and Home Energy magazines.

For more information about standby power, contact Alan

Meier at akmeier@lbl.gov or visit http://standby.lbl.gov.

Alan Meier, with the Lawrence

Berkeley National Laboratory,

delivered tips on how to slay

electricity vampires.

President Bush first identified power-hungry

appliances as “vampires” in his June address to

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and U.S.

Department of Energy employees. In his speech,

Bush called Abraham the “vampire slayer” and

referenced what eventually became Executive 

Order 13221. 

The executive order states that all newly

purchased federal appliances must consume less

than 1-watt of standby power, and directs federal

departments and agencies to purchase off-the-shelf

products that “use no more than 1-watt in their

standby power consuming mode” or, if those

products are not available, ones “with the lowest

standby power wattage.”

This order is one of the first steps towards

achieving the goals of the Global 1-Watt Plan, an

international agreement aimed at reducing standby

power consumption by 2010. The plan also states

that 50 percent of appliances manufactured in the

United States must meet the 1-watt standard by

2005. Further, the U.S. must work with the

international community to develop agreeable

codes and definitions for standby energy

performance and an internationally recognized

symbol for appliances that are 1-watt compliant.

President Bush Orders 

Federal Government to Limit

Standby Power Use
The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding a total of

$2.28 million in State Energy Program Special Projects

Awards this year to fund Rebuild America projects in 19

states. The awards range from $50,000 to $150,000.

The goal of the 2001 Rebuild America SEP Special

Projects Awards is to strengthen the Rebuild America

program representatives’ abilities to serve and expand

partnerships. States are encouraged to use their award

funds to train state representatives to strengthen the

partnership network and to use Rebuild America as the

portal or “gateway” to address the broad multi-sector

needs of communities. Our annual Special Projects

Awards serve to remind us of the important role our

state energy offices play in supporting partnership

development and in fortifying the Rebuild America

network. 

Here is a roundup of this year’s award recipients:

Michigan – $50,000 in seed money to establish

Rebuild Michigan, the state’s first partnership. 

Kentucky – $110,000 to market and implement an

EnergySmart Schools program in six northern Kentucky

counties through Rebuild Kentucky.

Alaska – $50,000 in funding for the Rural Alaskans

Conserve Energy Rebuild America partnership to provide

energy audits and training to 75 facilities, including

public schools in 25 rural communities.

Arkansas – $75,000 for the Rebuild Arkansas and

EnergySmart Schools project to initiate an education and

buildings program in elementary schools that

complements the successful Active Physics program.

Montana – $150,000 for a Rebuild America Montana

project aimed at uniting public buildings, schools and

local governments under a cohesive, comprehensive

energy initiative.

California – $150,000 for California Rebuild America

to expand partner activity and address the needs of K-12

schools.

Pennsylvania – $150,000 was federally approved for

the Gateway to an EnergySmart-Green Schools Program,

the focus of which is to improve building performance

in Philadelphia schools while providing hands-on energy

efficiency and management instruction for students.

In addition to those listed above, other states receiving

Special Projects Awards include: Colorado, Connecticut,

Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, New Hampshire, New Mexico,

New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon and Utah.

Daniel Sze is National Program Manager of Rebuild

America.

View From DC

By Daniel Sze

Rebuild America

Welcomes Covington

School District

Covington School District in southwestern Virginia may be

small, but it isn’t letting its size stand in the way of progress.

Home to only three schools – an elementary, middle and high

school – and just over 900 students, the district is changing the

way it approaches energy efficiency. 

On October 1, with preliminary energy audits already

underway, Covington School District officially joined the Rebuild

America ranks. Recognizing a need to address aging, inefficient

technologies and save money, Max Shawver, director of

administrative services for the district, and Edward Graham,

superintendent, contacted Larry Schoff, technical advisor for

Rebuild America’s EnergySmart Schools, about a potential

partnership. 

“Being a small district, we don’t have the staff and

infrastructure that a lot of other districts have,” Shawver says.

Saving money on energy will free up funds that can go back

into the schools and keep them running smoothly.”

With the partnership solidified, next steps include negotiations

with the school board to hire an architect and conduct overall

safety and quality audits. 

Upgrades will likely focus on lighting, in an effort to produce

savings and improve the quality of life for students. The middle

school will experience the changes first, and the upgrades that

are most effective will be implemented at the other two schools.

Over 186,000 square feet of space are eligible for retrofits. 

While one school, Edgemont Primary, measured quite well on

the ENERGY STAR® scale with a 72 percent rating, the other two

schools rated lower – 20 percent for the middle school and 6

percent for the high school. Bringing all school buildings up to

ENERGY STAR® standards would save Covington School District

close to $50,000 a year. Currently the district spends over

$150,000 on energy costs.

For more information on the Covington partnership, contact

Max Shawver at 540-965-1400.

U.S. Department of Energy 3

Now Available! 

Putting Energy Into Profits: ENERGY STAR® Guide

for Small Business

The newly updated, 100-page guidebook is designed to help

small businesses save money by making smart choices about

energy. Co-produced by the U.S. Department of Energy and the

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, it’s available for free from

the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse at 

1-800-363-3732 or online at www.rebuild.org/news/guides.asp.
4 U.S. Department of Energy

The Rural Alaskans Conserve Energy Rebuild America

partnership has taken great steps toward helping seafood

processing plants improve energy efficiency. The Alaskan

seafood processing industry faces rising energy costs,

competitive markets, increasing environmental regulations

and skyrocketing costs for waste disposal. Energy costs

typically run three times greater in Alaska than they do in the

contiguous United States. 

A grant, issued in 1999 by the U.S. Department of Energy

and Rebuild America, that resulted in hundreds of thousands

of dollars in energy-saving improvements was used to kickoff energy assessment audits in five Alaskan plants. The

grant, which was matched by state funds, funded extensive

technical audits conducted by engineering faculty and

students from Oregon State University. The team identified

28 improvements involving plant management, operations

and waste disposal. Seattle regional customer service

representatives provided technical assistance for the projects. 

This program is particularly critical to Alaska because the

seafood industry is the largest private employer in the state

and produces over half the volume and value of seafood in

the United States. But this production comes at a cost. All of

the technical equipment required to bring Americans fresh

fish – efficiency motors, refrigerators, boilers and wrap

machines to name a few – cost millions of dollars to

maintain. 

According to Rebecca Garrett, Rebuild program

representative and program manager for the Alaska Energy

Authority, 17 of the 28 recommendations have been

implemented and completed to date. The plants are currently

saving $741,000 annually. Rebuild America is continuing to

provide technical assistance for these projects.

Engineers identified a number of areas where upgrades

can produce $260,000 in energy savings per year, per plant

in Alaska. Here are several of them:

Self-Generation – Installing diesel generators to produce

electricity, rather than purchasing it from the local utility has

cut kilowatt hour costs by more than half from $.1424/kWh

to $.068/kWh.

Premium Efficiency Motors – Replacing selected

standard motors with premium efficiency motors allows

motors to do the same amount of work for less money and

saves an average of $13,000 per year.

Refrigeration – Refrigeration equipment operates primarily

freezers, cold storage, chillers and icemakers, and uses 65

percent to 85 percent of electricity in processing plants.

Resetting fan switches that control the minimum discharge

pressure is free and saves over $15,000 per year.

Boilers – Boilers provide steam for cooking crab and

shrimp, cooking and pasteurizing surimi seafoods, sterilizing

canned foods, heating the workplace and cleanup. Tuning

the boilers in five plants optimizes the combustion and saves

$2,500 per year. 

Lights – Installing high-efficiency lights in plants saves

about $1,000 a year.

Waste Reduction – Recycling water used to clean fish,

defrost freezers and similar uses saves upwards of $9,000 per

year, while pressing excess water out of fish waste reduces

the weight by 1,600 tons per year. Many plants pay $15 to

$30 per ton to dispense of fish waste.

For more information on the Rural Alaskans Conserve

Energy Rebuild America partnership, contact Rebecca Garrett

at rgarrett@aidea.org.

Alaska Partnership

Improves the 

Seafood Industry

BUILDING RETROFIT

Ocean Beauty is one of

many Alaskan seafood

processing plants

making energy-efficient

upgrades that will save

each plant close to

$260,000 annually.

Seeking Speaking

Opportunities?

Rebuild America is now recruiting speakers who have

practical experience in building efficiency for our Network

of Experts. The Network provides a wide range of groups

with speakers for meetings, conferences and conventions.

For more information, or to become an Expert Presenter,

visit Rebuild America’s Web site at www.rebuild.org or

contact Ellen Dragotto at 202-466-7391 or

edragotto@pcgpr.com.
U.S. Department of Energy 5

Using the heat generated below the earth’s surface,

geothermal energy is a clean, reliable and domestically

plentiful energy resource. While the technology is still gaining

in popularity, Rebuild Hawaii, featured in the

September/October 2001 issue of Partner Update, and Ohio’s

Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority, written about on

page 4 of this issue, have put geothermal energy to good use.

Partner Update recently spoke about the pros and cons of

geothermal energy with Patrick Hughes from the U.S.

Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Hughes is program manager of the ORNL’s Federal Energy

Management Program team, which among other

responsibilities, provides technical assistance on geothermal

heat pumps to federal agencies.

Question: What is geothermal energy and

how does it work?

Deep, high-temperature “geothermal energy” – think

geysers – is one of the nation’s major renewable-power

generation resources. It also is theoretically possible to

directly use this high-temperature resource for building

heating or process needs, or for generating chilled water to

serve cooling or process loads. However, the number of

buildings close enough to tap into these geyser-like resources

is insignificant. It is better to use this type of geothermal

energy for generating electric power.

The kind of geothermal energy addressed here, however, is

available essentially everywhere with the help of heat pumps.

Geothermal heat pump systems – also known as GHP

systems, geo-exchange systems, ground-source heat pump

systems and others – is the name of a broad family of space

conditioning, water heating and process serving systems that

employ a geothermal resource – the ground, groundwater,

surface water, wastewater streams – as both a heat source and

sink. Conventional systems use outside air, flowing over an

outdoor coil, as its heat source and sink.

Q: How do heat pump systems work? 

In a typical space conditioning application, a thermostat will

turn on a heat pump to provide heating when room

temperature is lower than the desired range, and turn on the

heat pump to provide cooling when room temperature is

higher than the desired range. Heat pump efficiency and

output capacity decline as the temperature difference increases

between where the heat is going and where it is coming from.

Q: Why is the GHP variety more efficient?

GHPs are more efficient than conventional systems because

the geothermal resource is warmer than outside air when

heating is required, and cooler than outside air when cooling

is required.

Q: Why is GHP considered renewable

energy?

GHPs are renewable energy systems because the natural

processes that keep the geothermal resources at friendlier

temperatures than outdoor air are always at work. These

natural processes are as renewable as the sun that shines and

the wind that blows. And unlike these other renewable

resources, the geothermal resources used by GHP systems

are available almost everywhere, whenever you need them. 

Q: What are the cost expenditures for

geothermal energy? How do those costs

compare with traditional forms of energy?

The question is posed as if GHP systems were a form of

energy supply. While thinking about them as an energy

supply is interesting, GHP systems are really about using less

energy to meet the same energy service needs. The most

economic and environmentally friendly form of energy is the

energy we avoid using in the first place.

It is better to think about GHP system costs and savings

relative to conventional heating, ventilating and air

conditioning systems. This data has been difficult to come by

in the past, but within the last year DOE’s Federal Energy

Management Program sponsored ORNL to assemble a

database of past private and federal projects. DOE programs,

including Rebuild America, look forward to using the results

of this study to help identify additional opportunities for use

of GHP systems.

One thing we discovered is GHP systems in commercial

new construction, such as for K-12 schools, for example, are

costing on average about $14.61 per square foot of gross

building area – roughly the same as conventional HVAC

systems able to provide the same level of control, flexibility

and comfort.

We also know that in commercial and large residential

retrofits – hundreds or thousands of military housing units,

for example – first costs are generally higher than

conventional HVAC systems, but simple payback periods are

three to eight years because of lower energy and

maintenance costs. 

Geothermal Energy 101

TECHNOLOGY

Continued on page 9
6 U.S. Department of Energy

energy- and resource- efficient house may be reward enough

for these builders, recognition by the building community for

building a house with market appeal was a great bonus. 

Artistic Homes won top prize for the La Encantada Award

for providing the best value in homes priced between $80,00

and $115,000. Artistic Homes also won runner-up in the same

price category for best overall home. High Mountain Homes

won in the $645,00 to $735,000 price category. Homes by

Davide and Strosnider Company received runner-up prizes for

$460,00 to $530,000 and $645,00 to $735,000 homes

respectively.

A team of judges from the home construction industry and

related professions, including architects and appraisers, chose

the winners. Energy-efficient features were not required to

compete for prizes.

Building Science Consortium and the Home Builders

Association of Central New Mexico have a unique Building

America partnership. Rather than working with just one or

two production builders, the consortium has signed contracts

with 15 builders. In addition to the

four award-winning builders, six of

the partnership’s builders are

developing their plans, and four have

started construction on energyefficient homes. 

The bar for building homes in

central New Mexico has been raised.

Friendly competition, with a dose of

shared learning, has produced better

homes. The partnership between

Building America and the New Mexico builders association is

a highly successful model that could be employed across

America.

The Building Science Consortium is one of five Building

America teams sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. 

For more information, visit www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/

building-_america/bsc.shtml.

Four Building America homes in central New Mexico

recently received awards from the residential building

community – a move that welcomes and encourages the

integration of energy-efficient housing design into the

mainstream.

These houses, constructed

under a unique partnership

between the Building

Science Consortium and the

Home Builders Association

of Central New Mexico, were

honored at the 11th Annual

Homes of Enchantment

Parade, an October event

sponsored by the Builders

Association that features 95 open houses scattered throughout

central New Mexico.

“I told you one could build a better house and still win

awards,” one home designer and Building Science

Consortium member said following the presentation

ceremony.

Artistic Homes, High Mountain Homes, Strosnider

Company and Homes by Dawn Davide were honored for

houses that meet stringent standards for energy conservation,

indoor air quality, water conservation and solid waste

reduction. 

Participants in the Homes of Enchantment Parade say they

faced many challenges in implementing innovative building

practices, including tough negotiations with reluctant

subcontractors. Dave Engleman of High Mountain Homes

and Tim Strosnider of Strosnider Company say that while it

was a difficult endeavor, the resulting houses are greatly

improved because of the effort. Both agree that it wasn’t easy

at times, but it certainly was worth the effort.

Although the satisfaction of building a more durable, more

Energy-Efficient Houses Win Awards 

This house merited Artistic Homes two awards – best value and best

overall home for $80,00 to $115,000.

High Mountain Homes won top honors in the $645,00 to $735,000

category for this house.

Strosnider Company won runner-up in the $645,000 to $735,000

category for this house.

IN NEW MEXICO

NEW CONSTRUCTION
Salt Lake City Green

Preparing for 

Olympics and Beyond

U.S. Department of Energy 7

In October, Anderson launched Salt Lake City Green’s High

Performance Buildings Initiative. This program will “ensure

that any future buildings constructed by the city or with city

funds will be designed with efficiency and the environment

in mind,” Anderson explained. “This initiative will not only

save the city energy and resource costs, but it also will set us

up to be a local and national leader in sound building

practices.” 

Rebuild America Program Representative Alan Nagle says

that Salt Lake City Green will draw upon the technical and

organizational expertise Rebuild America offers its partners.

While the details of Rebuild America’s coordination with Salt

Lake City Green are still being fleshed out, its Strategic and

Business Partners and ENERGY STAR® will surely have a role in

the project’s success.

In addition to improving energy efficiency, Salt Lake City

will create an “Olympic Forest” to improve the greenscape of

the city for attendees of the 2002 Winter Olympiad.

Following the games, the trees will be transferred to city

parks. Additionally, the efforts of Salt Lake City Green will

not conclude when the athletes depart in February. The city’s

Zero Waste Initiative, a component of the broader program,

will focus on reducing energy consumption.

Sources predict that the Winter Games will provide the

project with so much recognition that other partnerships,

towns, and local and state governments will be quick to

adopt the successes of Salt Lake City Green. And they say

that because of the scope – with many different aspects

available to all citizens and businesses – the program should

last for a long time and result in notable energy savings.

For more information on Salt Lake City Green, contact Lisa

Romney in the mayor’s office at 801-535-7939 or Denver

Regional Team Leader Dave Waltzman at

dave.waltzman@ee.doe.gov.

Salt Lake City has announced a broad “green” initiative that

ranges from the construction of energy-efficient public

buildings to increasing open green space, in a move that will

likely capture national attention during the 2002 Winter

Olympic Games in February.

Salt Lake City Green includes projects that focus on

environmental responsibility and energy efficiency and

awareness. Its breadth ensures that all of the town’s citizens,

including its corporate and business citizens, have an

opportunity to participate.

“Green solutions don’t just come from environmental

experts; truly successful, long lasting, quality-of-life solutions

require community acceptance, business commitment and

individual dedication,” Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky

Anderson said in a kick-off speech in August.

In development for many months, the program will

integrate simple behavior among residents of Salt Lake City,

such as increased recycling, and efforts by the city to meet

carbon dioxide reduction targets.

But perhaps the largest segment of the project is its energyefficient component. The Salt Lake City Green initiative

commits all future construction and renovation of city

government and publicly owned buildings to be constructed

in an environmentally friendly and energy-efficient manner.

The city will implement an Environmental Management

System to track energy use and other environmental aspects

of city government operations.

Financing for the project came from a number of sources,

including a City of Canton Community Block Grant and

performance contracting. Ohio Office of Energy Efficiency

sponsored a Rebuild America audit for the retrofit project and

the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

provided modernization funds.

Stark has 40 returning occupants for 134 available

apartments and is taking applications to fill the remainder.

Williams is confident the retrofits will live up to residents’

expectations.

“We were trying to raise the quality of housing for our

seniors while making the building incredibly energyefficient,” says Williams. “We’ve done both.”

Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority was recognized in

1999 by the U.S. Department of Energy with an Energy

Continued from page 1

Ohio Housing Authority Meets Energy, 

Senior Citizens’ Goals

Champion Award for Excellence in Public Housing. Last year,

SMHA received the Governor’s Award for Energy Excellence.

For more information on Cherrie Turner Towers, contact Mike

Williams at 330-454-8051 or Manny Anunike of the Ohio

Office of Energy Efficiency at EAnunike@odod.state.oh.us.

From left: Mike Williams, SMHA deputy director; John Devine, Rebuild

America Chicago regional team leader; Canton Mayor Richard Watkins;

Congressman Ralph Regula; Cherrie Turner, retired director of SMHA;

Manny Anunike, Ph.D., Rebuild Ohio state representative; and Philip

Shotwell, supervisor, Minority Business Development Division, Ohio

Department of Housing.
8 U.S. Department of Energy

empowerment that Rebuild America developed its

new Web site, which features dedicated sections

for Community Partnerships, Business and

Strategic Partners, news and events, and most

importantly our five market sectors: K-12 Schools,

Colleges and Universities, State and Local

Governments, Public and Affordable Housing, and

Commercial Buildings. Here you will find news

about the latest developments in the building

community, as well as information on

partnerships, events, success stories, building

processes, technology and more.

Additionally, a special password protected

section, the Rebuild Network, provides Rebuild

America Partners the ability to keep contact

information, partnership facts and project data 

up-to-date.

The new database-driven nature of Rebuild

America’s site will permit new data to be

published quickly – a feature that will be

particularly useful for the calendar and events

databases. Users may sort information by sector

and state, enabling them to zero in on what is

happening in their own sector and/or state.

This new version of our site is only the

beginning of an ambitious, longer term Web

development project. Look for new features to be

added in the coming months. Again, welcome. We

look forward to hearing what you think about the

new and improved Rebuild America Web site. 

If you have questions – What is my password?

How can I update my partnership information?

How can I get my event posted to the Web Site? – 

or you just want to comment on the site, send an 

e-mail to rawebmaster@rebuild.org.

Continued from page 1

Rebuild Grundy A New Web Site for Rebuild America

Moves Media

The Town of Grundy, VA, is moving! And it is catching the

attention of major newspapers and television networks along

the way. Heavy hitters like ABC, The New York Times and

The Washington Post have covered the very ambitious and

controversial attempt to literally move the town across the

river out of harm’s way. 

A former coal town in the Appalachian Mountains, Grundy

has, on four separate occasions, suffered tremendous flood

damage from the Lavisa River, which cuts through its center.

After much local, state and federal agency collaboration,

Grundy began clearing a 13-acre plot across the river –

working with the Virginia Department of Transportation, the

Army Corps of Engineers, and teaming up with Rebuild

America. 

ABC’s Good Morning America reporter, Diane Sawyer

interviewed Chuck Crabtree, Grundy town manager and

Rebuild Grundy partnership head, in early August,

discussing logistics of the $177 million project, with footage

of downtown Grundy’s vacant and damaged office and store

buildings. That same day, The New York Times ran a detailed

story about the Grundy project in which Crabtree discussed

some of the emotion

behind the move.

“The trick all along has

been how to do this without killing the town you are trying

to save,” Crabtree told the Times in talking about some

residents’ opposition to the task. “This is survival. We have to

make it happen.”

The Washington Post and the ABC local news affiliate also

covered the project in recent months, as did the regional

public television

program, Virginia

Currents. The program

produced an extensive documentary on the Town of

Grundy, talking to many residents and town officials whose

lives have been affected by several of the floods. One

resident stated that everyone has to make a sacrifice to save

the town and its heritage for the future. 

A bridge connecting the two areas has been built, and the

13-acre plot has been cleared, with construction set to begin

this fall. The project is expected to take 10 years to

complete.

For more information about Rebuild Grundy, contact

Chuck Crabtree at chuck@grundyvirginia.com or check out

the May/June 2000 issue of Partner Update, available at

www.rebuild.org and in hard copy from the Energy Efficiency

and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse at 800-363-3732.
U.S. Department of Energy 9

Q: Where do you best recommend

geothermal energy be used – schools, small

office buildings, manufacturing plants?

Based on market penetration the best places appear to be

K-12 schools and large housing projects (military family

housing, new subdivisions, etc.) where air conditioning is

required.

Q: When will geothermal energy emerge into

the mainstream? 

I think the technology has an excellent chance of

becoming a mainstream HVAC option within five years. The

last I heard, there were over 500 K-12 schools with GHP

systems nationwide, and $70 million worth of federal agency

GHP projects were awarded in FY2001.

For more information on geothermal energy, visit

www.eren.doe.gov/RE/geo_heat_pumps.html, or contact Patrick

Hughes at 865-574-9337.

Q: When designing geothermal installation,

do any problems arise that otherwise would

not be present?

GHP systems must interface with a geothermal heat sink

or source. Most system designers are not yet comfortable

with designing the system components for this interface. For

example, most GHP systems use “vertical bore hole ground

heat exchangers” as the interface component. Many of the

engineering firms used for commercial jobs and HVAC

dealers used for residential jobs found in the yellow pages

aren’t qualified to design this component. They may not

even know where to go to get this specialized expertise. But

great strides are being made, and more parts of the country

have access to the necessary expertise than ever before.

With GHP systems there are cost consequences to oversizing, and therefore designers pay more attention to this

issue. To design a ground heat exchanger properly you

need to perform a building energy analysis. Once designers

start thinking that way, it isn’t too much of a stretch for

them to realize that energy-efficient envelopes, glazing,

lighting and ENERGY STAR® plug load equipment will all

reduce loads and allow smaller heat pumps and ground

heat exchangers.

ORNL is experimenting with a GHP system at an

elementary school near the lab to determine the optimum

configuration for geothermal energy as a heat source and

heat sink. The test involves remote monitoring and controls

via the Internet.

Q: How difficult is retrofitting a building

with geothermal energy? How tricky is it to

install in new construction?

In areas where the design, installation and after-sales

service infrastructure is well developed, new construction of

GHP systems is no more difficult than for conventional

HVAC systems. Of course the property must have an

adequate geothermal resource and enough real estate to

accommodate it.

Retrofit applications are not rocket science in terms of

difficulty, but economic feasibility needs to be verified based

on existing conditions. If ground heat exchangers are to be

installed there are surface restoration costs to consider.

Whether existing ductwork or piping can be used can

matter, and some types of existing HVAC systems are very

costly to convert into GHP systems.

Q: What are geothermal energy’s

drawbacks?

GHP systems are still not universally accessible

everywhere. In some localities the design, installation and

after-sales service is not yet well developed. 

Continued from page 5

Geothermal Energy 101

Mark Your Calendar!

The 2002 State Energy

Program-Rebuild America

Conference is scheduled

for July 28 to August 1 at

the Hotel Inter-Continental

in New Orleans, LA.

Sponsored by the U.S.

Department of Energy, this conference capitalizes on the

common ground and audiences shared by the two

programs. The Planning Committee is underway and

currently brainstorming and developing sessions within

four areas – the changing face of technology, program

operations, market transformation, and interconnections

and linkages with other programs and partners. We also

will keep you posted via the Web site, Flash Report,

broadcast e-mail and regular mail. 
10 U.S. Department of Energy

Rebuild America and the National Association of

Counties’ strategic partnership is helping to bring energy

issues to the forefront of local government. 

Created in 1935, NACo represents more than 2,000 county

officials throughout the United States, and supports Rebuild

America partnerships by providing access to county officials

and their staff. Headquartered in Washington DC, this full

service organization provides legislative, research, technical

and public affairs assistance to its members, and acts as a

liaison with state and federal government. 

“County officials gain access to information regarding

federal and state energy programs through NACo’s Energy

Efficiency Program. The goal is to educate county officials

about their options,” says Maggie Kennedy, coordinator of

the programs. NACo provides counties with the tools they

need to make educated decisions about their energy use,

and how Rebuild America can assist them in this process.” 

The association also educates its member counties about

the benefits of energy efficiency. With its unique networking

capabilities, the association collects and shares information

about how different counties are addressing energy

efficiency. 

Additionally, since NACo is located in Washington, DC, it is

an excellent resource on current energy policy and legislative

news. This expertise helps local officials craft new energyefficient policies for county buildings, such as courthouses,

schools, hospitals, jails and administrative buildings.

Through its local connections, NACo also is helping

Rebuild America line up partners. The effort is new but

seems destined for success. So far, Maggie Kennedy and

Jack Werner, Rebuild America local government liaison,

have met with counties in Nevada, Texas, Illinois and

Pennsylvania to discuss opportunities available through

Rebuild America.

Another benefit of NACo’s involvement is free publicity for

Rebuild America partnerships. NACo has a number of

publications such as County News and the County

Environmental Reporter, which have a combined circulation

of over 37,000. County News is a bi-weekly publication, and

the County Environmental Reporter is issued quarterly. Both

publications are circulated to officials and their staff in over

2,000 counties. All County News articles are posted on the

NACo Web site, www.naco.org.

NACo continues to share Rebuild America’s vision for

saving energy and money at the local government level, and

its efforts on Rebuild America’s behalf significantly benefit

local government partnerships. 

For more information about NACo, visit www.naco.org.

Profile: The National Association of Counties –

Addressing Energy Needs at the Local Level

Earlier this fall, Rebuild America partnership representatives

sat down with national team officials and business partners

at Regional Peer Forums in Atlanta, St. Louis and Seattle to

learn from each other.

The Atlanta Regional Peer Forum, held October 17-19 in

Atlanta, explored the Rebuild America experience from the

partnerships’ perspective. Team Leader Greg Andrews

delivered a “State of the Region” address and was joined by

state representatives who provided local examples of

partnerships at work in the region. Greenville County, SC,

part of Rebuild South Carolina, provided a superb case

study of how energy-efficient efforts, coupled with a

revitalization plan, helped to transform a community and

stimulate economic growth. Peer Forum participants also

received lighting training and a tour of Lithonia Lighting. 

Lithonia played host to both the Peer Forum and the

Business Partners National Summit at its offices on October

18, providing an opportunity for the two groups to share

their perspectives and expectations about their respective

roles in the program. Peer Forum participants sharpened

their skills by attending the sessions on the LEED (Leadership

in Energy and Environment Design) Green Building Rating

System and the ENERGY STAR® Benchmarking Tools.

In St. Louis, the Chicago Regional Peer Forum, held

October 29-31, centered on exchanging ideas to help

partnerships effectively implement Rebuild America projects.

Discussions included Rebuild America partnering with

ENERGY STAR®, the launch of the new Rebuild America Web

site, and market sector, state and local energy goals. Glenda

Abney of the Missouri Botanical Garden – which now

houses the Center for Energy Efficiency partnership, formerly

MERP – coordinated and hosted the event.

After an informal “get-to-know-you” session, participants

Value of Regional Peer Forums Evident in Atlanta 

Continued on page 11
U.S. Department of Energy 11

Scott Igoe is Rebuild America’s

Webmaster. Employed by Aspen

Systems, Scott has been with the

program since October 2000.

Vital Statistics

A resident of Falls Church, VA,

for eight years, he lives with his

wife, Valerie, and pet basset

hound, Reginald.

What is the most

rewarding aspect of your work?

I believe Rebuild America is part of an evolution toward

better energy solutions for communities around America. It

has a great team that is passionate about improving energy

efficiency, and it’s exciting to be a part of that team. 

What brought you to Washington, DC?

I wanted to go to graduate school to pursue a degree in

Information Management. So I found a facilities management

position with American University where I was able to

conduct training, manage a help desk call center, implement

and oversee a facilities management maintenance system,

Snap Shot

and set up Web sites for the university administration.

Washington’s climate also is an improvement from my

small hometown outside of Buffalo, NY – where there are

only two seasons, winter and the 4th of July.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to spend time with my family hiking, biking and

sailing. I also volunteer at our church and a homeless shelter

in Falls Church. And I just recently completed building a

backyard shed that is energy efficient but without any

computers!

What is your dream job?

Helping folks use technology as a tool that helps them

solve problems and find information. Rebuild America gives

me the chance to further that dream.

What is your dream vacation?

I hope to travel with my wife to the land of my

grandparents, Ireland, and retrace the steps of my forefathers. 

and St. Louis

rolled up their sleeves and got to work. Highlights from the

conference included exciting projects in the K-12 and public

housing market sectors.

Blanche Scheinkopf, EnergySmart Schools coordinator,

encouraged attendees to focus on energy efficiency as a way

to improve the quality of learning for students. The energy

bike – a bike that students pedal to generate energy – was

also discussed as an innovative energy-awareness,

educational tool. 

In a spirited discussion, Mark Ternes, Public and Multifamily Housing Sector manager at the U.S. Department of

Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, detailed measures

for securing financing and implementing retrofits for public

housing authorities. Representatives of Stark Metropolitan

Housing Authority in Canton, OH – one of the most

successful Rebuild America partnerships in the public

housing market sector – offered insight from their own

experiences. Stark recently completed renovations of 

Cherrie Turner Towers, a newly renovated energy-efficient

residency for elderly people. (See page 4 of this issue, for

the complete story.)

Participant comments about Rebuild America Peer Forums

have been overwhelmingly positive. One businessman said

his few days in St. Louis completely changed his outlook

towards conducting energy-efficient improvements. Prior to

the conference, the gentleman believed public housing

authorities typically were not interested in energy

improvement work and had no incentive to do it. Ternes’

discussion and Stark’s success stories changed his mind.

You’ll find coverage of the Seattle and Boston Peer

Forums, held November 13-15 and December 3-5

respectively, in our next issue. 

Scott Igoe
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 to report on Rebuild America

activities, Partner Update now incorporates

news from Building America and High

Performance Buildings, energy-efficient

initiatives of the Office of Building Technology,

State and Community Programs.

REBUILD AMERICA 

Office of Building Technology, 

State and Community Programs

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20585-0121

Address Correction Requested

Upcoming Events

High

Performance

BUILDINGS

December

4-5 Boston Regional Peer Exchange, Nashua, NH 

Contact Greg Davoren at greg.davoren@ee.doe.gov.

6 High Performance School Building Workshop,

Washington, DC

Contact Ellen Larson at 202-628-7400, 

extension 211.

6-8 National Science Teachers Association Regional

Convention, Memphis, TN

Visit www.nsta.org.

8 National League of Cities: Congress of Cities and

Exposition, Atlanta, GA

Contact Fonda Richardson at 202-626-3107.

January

13-17 The Association of Higher Education Facilities

Officers Bi-Annual Institute, Tampa, FL 

Visit www.app.org/education/institute.

February

13 National Association of State Energy Officials

2002 Energy Outlook Conference,

Washington, DC 

Contact Melanie Minesinger at 703-299-8800.

To submit news or story ideas, contact: 

Maureen O’Brien, 202-466-7391, or email

mobrien@pcgpr.com

NEW!

From left: Jim Delbridge of Cutler-Hammer, Dave Ryslaarsdam of Sempra

Energy Services and Jim Himonas of Novitas explore the Business

Partners’ role with Rebuild America at the Business Partners National

Summit. Lithonia Lighting hosted both the Summit and Atlanta Regional

Peer Forum at its offices in Conyers, GA, on October 18.

Check Us Out: www.rebuild.org or 1-800-DOE-3732

New Partnerships

• Antilles School, U.S. Virgin Islands

• City of Stone Mountain, GA

• Covington City Public Schools, VA

• Oakland Housing Authority, CA 

• Rebuild Capital/ Saratoga, NY

• Save the Bay, RI

Marketing and Communications Rebuild

America Help Line 202-466-7868