Saturday, July 25, 2009
Officials at the Department of Energy might want to review their mission statement. One of their primary tasks is to be a leader in the efficient use of energy while operating offices and laboratories across the country. But much of the agency hasn’t done that, according to an internal audit by the department’s inspector general.
The audit report says the Energy Department spent approximately $300 million to cool and heat its 9,000 facilities in 2008, but it could have saved at least $11.5 million if officials simply made use of equipment that turns off a/c and heating systems when buildings are vacant. In offices in Washington, DC, and elsewhere, the department didn’t bother to use or fix broken equipment. In the case of the storied Los Alamos National Laboratory, home to some of the brightest scientific minds in the country, environmental conditions weren’t properly regulated because lab employees didn’t know how to adjust the thermostat.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Energy Dept. Facilities Wasting Energy (by Ed O’Keefe, Washington Post)
The Department of Energy's Opportunity for Energy Savings Through the Use of Setbacks in its Facilities (Inspector General, Department of Energy) (PDF)
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