Photo Caption: AOC is committed to a more energy-efficient and sustainable future. By integrating sustainable practices into business operations, it strengthens a culture of sustainability with stakeholders and external organizations.

USBG Conservatory. The deteriorated condition of the sandstone and marble facades in historic buildings caused by wear and tear, weather and environmental factors has the potential to create a public safety hazard from falling stone and undermine a building’s structural integrity.

Nearly 80 percent of the facilities under AOC’s care are in excess of 25 years old and nearly one-third are older than 75 years (Figure 18). The maintenance and repair requirements of these facilities continue to expand as the buildings age and maintenance is deferred. AOC’s planning tools assist in managing the backlog of deferred maintenance and capital renewal requirements and Congress has been very supportive of AOC’s efforts to address critical projects. Going forward, AOC will require Congress’ continued support to meet this challenge and ensure the long-term preservation of the historic buildings and grounds under its care.

Energy Stewardship and Sustainability

Key Challenge: AOC has been successfully decreasing energy consumption across Capitol Hill for the past several years to reduce the cost of operations and to meet the 10-year program requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct2005) and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA2007). In addition, although it is a Legislative Branch agency and not required to comply with Executive Branch requirements, AOC is mirroring the standards set forth in the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings.

In accordance with EISA2007, AOC is aggressively implementing measures to reduce energy use by three percent annually from FY 2003 base levels, yielding a 30 percent total reduction by FY 2015. Although AOC did not meet the FY 2014 energy reduction target of 27 percent, it was challenged this year after a very cold winter that increased the demand for heating across Capitol Hill. Additionally, with the recent completion of the AOC’s three Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs), meeting the future mandated energy reduction targets will be more difficult because projects that yielded quick financial paybacks are already in place. Future energy savings opportunities have longer payback periods, require significant financial commitments, and compete with other mission requirements for limited available funds. Meeting the energy reduction goal in the final year (FY 2015) of the 10-year program requirements will be a significant management challenge.

AOC Initiatives: AOC is committed to a more energy-efficient and sustainable future. As a national leader in sustainable and responsible practices, AOC understands that historic preservation and stewardship are powerful tools to drive the accomplishment of sustainability, energy and water savings. AOC promotes a culture of resource conservation and aims to improve asset performance, integrate sustainable practices into business operations and strengthen a culture of sustainability with stakeholders and external organizations. In recent years, AOC established a Sustainability and Energy Division to advance its sustainability and energy performance management initiatives.

The Capitol Power Plant (CPP) continues to play an essential role in the AOC’s long-term energy conservation efforts. The CPP has made several operational improvements that contributed to the overall reduction in energy consumption, including the commissioning of two new, half-size chillers in December 2013, as part of the Refrigeration Plant Revitalization project. These improvements increased its energy efficiency cooling system reliability. As part of the

FIGURE 18: Age of AOC Facilities Portfolio, See Full Report, Page 34