Green Building Resource Center

The City of Alexandria invites members of the public to attend the ninth Eco-City Alexandria, Green Building and Energy Conservation Workshop entitled Greening Your Congregation at Grace Episcopal Church & School, 3601 Russell Road on Sunday, September 23, 2012 from 2:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. Speakers will discuss the benefits of conserving energy, water, and other resources at your house of worship. The workshop is presented in partnership with Grace Episcopal Church & School and the local Interfaith Power & Light program, which supports congregations across Northern Virginia, DC, and Maryland in saving energy, going green, and responding to climate change.

Participants are encouraged to RSVP by e-mail to erica.bannerman@alexandriava.gov. Door prizes will be awarded.

The City of Alexandria is beginning to install solar panels at the Beatley Central Library, 5000 Duke Street thanks to the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The 42.3 kilowatt system features 180 solar panels that spread across each of Beatley's five roof peaks. The solar panels will help offset a portion of its electricity consumption, reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the building’s "peak demand" energy usage.

A green rooA green roof is a roof that is covered in vegetation rather than traditional roofing materials such as tile or shingles. They are often incorporated as part of a green building design plan because they offer a number of environmental, as well as aesthetic and financial, benefits. Green roofs apply to residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and are also commonly called “living roofs,” “vegetated roofs,” “greenroofs,” and “rooftop gardens.”