Alliance on the Move

It’s official. The Alliance has a new home. Over the June 23 weekend we executed a smooth transition to our new office space at 1850 M Street, NW. Through extensive planning and many months spent working with builders, designers, Associates and our own in-house crew of experts, the Alliance has finally completed significant improvements and renovations at the new 17,995 square foot space.

LEED Commercial Buildings

Our team specifically designed the new office space to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) Silver certification. This US Green Building Council (USGBC) designation allows the Alliance to showcase its commitment to environmental and energy sustainability, proving once again that we don’t simply ‘talk the talk’ when it comes to energy efficiency.

LEED-CI gives the power to make sustainable choices to tenants and designers, who do not always have control over whole building operations. The certification process addresses performance areas including: selection of sustainable tenant space; efficiency of water usage; optimizing energy performance including lighting and lighting controls; utilization of resources including demolition and re-use of existing materials, use of energy-efficient products, and; overall indoor environmental quality including comprehensive emissions criteria.

Pursing LEED-CI status would not have been possible without the participation, generosity, and support of our Associates. We would like to thank each of the following for their time, knowledge and contributions, without which, the comfort and sustainability of our new home would be greatly diminished.

Efficient Lighting

Efficient lighting and light metering play a key role in the LEED certification process. We started with advanced Lithonia Lighting fixtures specially ordered and specifically designed to maximize light output and accommodate the T-5 lamps donated by OSRAM SYLVANIA. These lamps are the next evolution in commercial light bulb efficiency. They are integrated with Universal Lighting Technologies’ dimmable specific ballasts. Each office’s lighting system is computer controlled using Encelium Technologies lighting controls. Each employee has the ability to adjust his/her office space light levels from the PC. In addition to this, Sensor Switch has supplied state of the art motion detector and infrared lighting sensors to further maximize lighting efficiency. Advanced Power is responsible for the installation and integration of the lighting controls and energy management system.

HVAC, Building Materials, and Equipment

Additional items selected with the LEED process in mind include direct digital controls (DDC) for the heating and air conditioning system supplied and installed by Siemens Building Technologies. These controls vastly improve the operation and performance of the HVAC system. Armstrong ceiling and floor materials were specifically selected for their recycled and rapidly renewable resource content.

Several companies donated Energy Star appliances, including a 60-inch Panasonic plasma television for the lobby and a refrigerator and dishwasher from Whirlpool. Niagara Conservation supplied high-efficiency sink aerators and shower heads and due to the Alliance’s inability to modify the building envelope, Owens Corning insulation was used for soundproofing throughout the new space.

To maximize the benefits of these high-tech energy saving devices, the Alliance has received commitments from New Horizon Technologies and Texas A&M of time and materials to coordinate a planned measurement and verification study of the performance and efficiency potential in a typical commercial interior office space with similar attributes to the Alliance’s new home.

Finally, Cardinal Glass donated tempered glass for office side lights to bring daylighting into interior spaces. As an added bonus, Cardinal Glass is providing two pieces of special glass for the lobby that display the Alliance’s mission statement and the list of donors which will be printed on 3M graphic vinyl transparent film.

Thanks

Once again, the Alliance would like to thank all of the companies, organizations and people that donated their time and resources to ensure that our new office reflects our goal of creating a cleaner environment, a healthier economy and energy security through energy efficiency.

In the coming weeks, we will formally submit the final paperwork and our application to the USGBC to secure official LEED certification. While we understand the review process typically takes 4-5 months, the Alliance is hopeful the Building Council will do everything in its power to expedite our application.