Henrico honored for green building programs

Henrico County and the University of Virginia received the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council’s fifth Virginia Energy Efficiency Leadership Awards today at the VAEEC Spring Forum.

The program honors innovative efforts statewide that drive energy efficiency in schools, libraries, university construction and government buildings.

Henrico has built or renovated 16 government buildings and schools to LEED certification standards since 2011 and is pursuing certification of LEED Silver or higher on six current projects. These efforts have reduced energy use by approximately 30 percent. Henrico County Energy Manager Carrie Webster oversees the program.

“Our goal with these awards is to showcase how energy efficiency can drive local economic growth, create jobs and reduce utility bills,” said Chelsea Harnish, executive director of the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council. “It’s encouraging to see these programs make such a positive impact on their communities.”

UVA’s Delta Force Program is responsible for achieving energy efficiency and savings across the university’s nearly 18 million square feet of building space. Since 2009, UVA has invested $17.4 million in energy projects, for a savings of $28.7 million in energy costs and 180,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.

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