Energy Upgrades at RRBITC
A National Deep Energy Retrofit (NDER) Project
Built in 1996, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRBITC) is the General Service Administration’s (GSA’s) largest building, spanning 3.1 million square feet with a premier conference and event center along with executive office, retail, and dining spaces. It houses 7,000 public and private sector employees in its 15-stories (10 above grade and five below) and is open 24/7/365 to welcome nearly one million visitors each year.
The GSA is taking aggressive steps to address climate change by implementing transformative infrastructure improvements at the RRBITC and other iconic buildings within and around the White House complex that will reduce energy and water consumption by 42% and 50% respectively and cut greenhouse gases emissions by more than 20,000 tons annually – the equivalent of removing 4,500 cars from the road each year.
The project is funded by an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), which allows federal agencies to implement energy-saving improvements that pay for themselves over time with minimal up-front costs and without special appropriations from Congress. Johnson Controls, an Energy Service Company (ESCO), provides financing under the ESPC and guarantees the project will generate sufficient energy savings over the term of the contract to cover the total cost of implementation.
At the RRBITC, Johnson Controls modernized the facility’s infrastructure with innovative energy and water conservation measures. A dedicated on-site Measurement and Verification (M&V) specialist ensures systems perform optimally to achieve guaranteed savings and continuously explores opportunities for additional savings through operational efficiency. This comprehensive approach reduces site utility loads, maximizes annual savings, and paves the way to electrification and decarbonization.
As the construction period for this ESPC contract neared completion, GSA awarded an additional contract to Johnson Controls to install innovative heat pump technology and supplemental electric boilers will make RRBITC the government’s first fully electric building in the National Capital Region and eliminate its dependency on the natural gas-powered district steam plant.