Meeting the AIRE Goal: Where Are We Now?

The AIRE program was created in 2007, establishing the ambitious goal of reducing the County’s government’s greenhouse (GHG) emissions 10 percent by 2012 (using 2000 as the baseline year.)   Arlington will meet the 2012 target by continuing energy efficiency investments, renewing green power purchases and purchasing biodiesel. 

Today, emissions from government operations are virtually the same as our 2000 emissions, despite of a brief peak in 2008. Factors affecting emissions include buildings, lighting infrastructure, vehicle fleet fuel and the water utilities. Significant challenges included:

• A 16 percent increase in building square footage
• A 33 percent increase in the capacity of our wastewater treatment facility
• Thousands of new streetlights
• Dozens of new traffic signals

  Energy Efficient Buildings

• Emissions have returned to their 2000 levels, and since the creation of the AIRE program in 2007, emissions from buildings have decreased by 10 percent. 
• Since 2000, the County introduced several new facilities
  • Energy efficiency improvements led to an 8 percent energy intensity reduction.                  
  • The improvement in energy performance in 2010 was significant given record heat and the related higher electricity use in many facilities.
• Purchases of renewable energy credits (RECs, also known as green power) further reduced net building emissions. 
• Arlington expects to purchase about 6 million kWh of RECs in 2011 (double the amount purchased in 2010) at less than half the previous cost.
• Learn more about Arlington’s efforts on our Building Energy Report Card site.
  

 Streetlights, Traffic Signals and Park Field Lights 

• Lighting infrastructure energy use was nearly 10 percent lower in 2010 than in 2000 – despite thousands more street lights and traffic signals.
• The reduction is due to installing efficient LED traffic signals and streetlights.
• Improvements are expected in 2011 and 2012 following more streetlight conversions to LEDs.
  

  Vehicle Fuels 

• In 2009, vehicle emissions were 10 percent lower than in 2000, despite increases to our fleet size.
• Reductions are due to the County’s use of fuel-efficient vehicles and use of 20 percent biodiesel. 
• In 2010, the federal tax credit for biodiesel expired, and the County suspended its purchase of biodiesel;  however when the credit was restored earlier this year, and Arlington began using biodiesel again.
  

  Water Utilities

• The wastewater treatment plant received a $538 million upgrade, which led to greater capacity and energy use.
• In 2010, energy use was down slightly from 2009.
• Retrofits to large water pumps at a major pumping station in 2011 should continue to reduce energy use.
• An additional purchase of RECs may be needed to bring net emissions from this sector into line with our proportionate improvements elsewhere.