Question: What is the status of the ACPS energy manager position? Is it still vacant? Is it being outsourced and is there a potential for savings through shared services? (Councilman Elnoubi)
Response:
Response from ACPS Staff:
The Energy Manager position was repurposed to support other critical staffing needs within the Department of Facilities and Operations. Currently, we leverage contracted support on an as-needed basis for energy-related assessments and projects that cannot be addressed in-house by our staff. This approach allows us to maintain flexibility while ensuring that energy management needs are met effectively and efficiently.
Response from the Office of Climate Action:
The City and ACPS continue to build stronger relationships between energy and facility staff, which could lead to additional savings. It is difficult at this time to project exact savings that might be available from a Shared Services model. However, there are several areas in which coordination could lead to improvements in process, reduced operating costs, and improved facilities for both ACPS and the City.
Energy Purchasing & Other Joint Procurement
Combining efforts in purchasing natural gas contracts could result in increased savings by creating a larger bulk purchase.
Energy Efficiency Targets and Planning
The City’s Energy Manager could provide an overview of the City’s Building Performance Program, including the training that has been provide to City facility staff, which could be adapted by ACPS. Likewise, the City could benefit from ACPS’ trainings and procedures. With several joint facilities that have combined ACPS & Recreation Centers, there could be efforts to develop shared energy improvement plans at a limited number of facilities.
Participation in Energy Saving & Other Programs
There are numerous programs that the City and ACPS can take advantage of to both generate additional subsidies for improvements of energy performance. Including Demand Response programs and Energy Savings Performance Contract programs managed by Virginia Department of Energy.
New Construction
Through the City’s development review process and implementation of the City’s Green Building Policy, there are numerous opportunities for continued collaboration. Deepening the cooperation between the City and ACPS could expedite some of these design and review discussions in relation to the City’s Green Building Policy and lend the City’s expertise to ACPS design staff.