The Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Forest Glen annex is saving more than $265,000 per
year due to a variety of energy conservation measures implemented in 23 major buildings on
the annex campus. With a federal mandate to reduce energy costs by 30 percent, Walter Reed
awarded NORESCO a campus-wide Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC). NORESCO was
selected out of a field of 15 competitors and identified over $2.5 million in potential energy
conservation measures.
Technical Overview
Project Type: Energy improvements include lighting upgrades, constant-volume to variable-volume
conversions, heating system improvements and motor, boiler and window air conditioner
replacements. An energy management system (EMS) was installed along with heat pump
controllers and a laundry heat recovery system.
Facility Description: Hospital annex complex including a commissary, laboratories, daycare, laundry, research,
and maintenance facilities; 23 buildings; 400,000 square feet.
Contract Term: 25-year Energy Savings Performance Contract
Financing: Total project cost financed by NORESCO
Installation Period: August 1996 - August 1998
Project Summary
Energy improvements that NORESCO implemented at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center's
Forest Glen Annex include:
Energy Management System
Upgrading the existing EMS with a new EMS that controls space temperatures and set points for
boilers, chillers and variable speed drives (VSDs) on air handlers, pumps and exhaust fans.
Heat Reclamation
Replacing an inoperable waste heat recovery system in the Walter Reed laundry facility. The new
system extracts heat from laundry wastewater to preheat laundry supply water and provide hot
water for the building's heating system.
Heating and Piping Loop Insulation
Installing insulation around steam pipes, where a large percentage of heat loss can occur, in
the laundry facility.
Electric to Gas Water Heater Conversions
Replacing nine electric hot water heaters with gas-fired units. As part of the project, gas service
was installed to each of the units.
Variable Speed Drives
Adding variable speed drives (VSDs) to modulate the speed of air handling units (AHUs),
pumps and exhaust fans to match building load conditions - saving significant amounts of
electricity while improving comfort conditions.
High-Efficiency Motors
Installing new premium-efficiency motors on fans and pumps as part of heating and cooling
system improvements.
Heat Pump Upgrades and Controls
Retrofitting two heat pumps - a 2-ton and 2.5-ton unit - with controllers. The new controllers
optimize heat pump operation to deliver the maximum amount of heat or air conditioning during
each cycle. This provides greater comfort and efficiency in a short-term housing building.
Boiler Upgrades
Replacing two boilers with three new, more efficient boilers staged by the EMS to optimize
their energy usage.
High-Efficiency Window Units
Replacing 37 window air conditioners in one lab building with new units.
Measurement and Verification
The EMS at Walter Reed tracks most of the energy savings. Total energy usage is compared to
base year energy usage, which is adjusted to account for weather conditions, per the contract
correction factors. The applicable cost of energy is then used to calculate actual energy-cost
savings. Savings on lighting improvements are calculated separately based on the difference
between wattage of old and new lamps and ballasts.
Customer Comments
"NORESCO employees are extraordinary, dedicated, willing to go that extra mile. They're
a professional ESCO that makes a great working partner. I highly recommend them."
- Walter Reed Army Medical Center Assistant Energy Conservation Officer Ronald Scott
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