GSA Testing New Energy Auditing Tool

The General Services Administration (GSA) will test a new energy auditing tool to evaluate the energy efficiency of green building projects, according to a report on nextgov.com.

The GSA has received $4.5 billion to upgrade its facilities to green buildings. However, it lacks the necessary data to evaluate the progress of 263 efficiency projects.

The new web-based system will record information on water and energy use at the upgraded facilities, allowing the agency to track how well they are complying with performance requirements and providing data for cost-benefit analyses. The tool will also track greenhouse gas emissions and energy use data.

Although developed by the GSA, the tool will eventually be available for free to any government agency.

The GSA recently awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to an engineering subsidiary of Michael Baker Corporation to help it reduce energy usage and improve sustainability in compliance with the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.

The GSA will also purchase about 5,600 hybrids this year, bringing the total number it deploys to more than 11,100 trucks and cars, and recently announced that it has created a Chief Greening Officer role.