GSA to invest $80 million on smart building technologies at federal properties
By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will invest $80 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into smart building technologies within 560 federal buildings. GSA intends to enhance operations through granular controls, expand available reporting with more advanced metering sources, and optimize the operator experience.
The installation of approximately 1,000 new meters will measure electricity, water, and gas performance to optimize federal building operations and energy use. Smart Sensors will improve comfort level and the building occupant experience in more than 70 federal buildings. GSA will measure indoor air and environmental quality, carbon dioxide levels, and other conditions to adjust building operations based on real-time data.
A user interface will be added to more than 150 federal buildings. This will consolidate information currently residing in separate applications to improve the work environment through more direct access to data about equipment operation, energy usage, and sustainability performance.
‘Best-in-class HVAC controls’ (based on ASHRAE Guideline 36) will be installed in about 15 buildings. This investment will reduce energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and utility costs while increasing comfort for building occupants.