The NIH utilizes renewable energy to increase the resiliency of the NIH campuses and facilities and to reduce operational costs. As a federal agency, the NIH is required to utilize renewable energy to meet requirements from the Energy Policy Act of 2005​ and the Energy Act of 2020. EPACT 2005 requires that at least 7.5% of the electricity used by the federal government come from renewable sources. The Energy Act of 2020 requires the federal government to implement life cycle cost effective Energy Conservation Measures (ECM)s. There are numerous applications where renewable energy is life cycle cost effective, effectiveness varies on the energy source and location of the facility.

           ​  Figure 1 Solar energy                         Figure 2 Geothermal energy

The NIH utilizes the following sources to obtain renewable energy:

• Installs renewable energy systems at NIH campuses, including photovoltaic and geothermal.
  
• Purchasing electricity and corresponding renewable energy certificates (RECs)​.
  
• Contracting for the purchase of energy that includes the installation of renewable energy on and off site.
  

The NIH Division of Facilities Stewardship Energy Management Branch tracks the NIH use of clean energy and implements clean projects at the NIH through Utility Energy Service Contracts (UESC)s​ and energy savings performance contracts (ESPC)s.

Renewable Energy Requirements

aIn accordance with Section 203 of EPACT 2005 (42 U.S.C. § 15852), each fiscal year the federal government must consume at least 7.5% of its total electricity from renewable sources. The NIH must ensure that at a minimum, 7.5% of the total amount of building electric energy and thermal energy shall be clean energy, accounted for by renewable electric energy and alternative energy sources. There is a preference for renewable energy to be generated on site, and in addition, energy can be purchased from renewable sources.​​

The Energy Act of 2020 requires federal agencies implement all life-cycle cost-effective ECMs identified in covered facility evaluations within two years of the evaluation's completion. Additionally, the Act requires agencies to use performance contracting to address at least 50% of the ECMs identified, and to report on forecasted savings from energy savings performance contracts (ESPC)s and utility energy savings contracts. ​​

Click here to view more information on how the NIH is conserving energy.

Division of Facilities Stewardship​​