To celebrate Earth Month this April, we’re highlighting several projects with impressive environmental benefits, including solar on County properties, green buildings, and energy efficient upgrades to facilities.

Greening County Government All Year

Earth Day is every day in Montgomery County’s Department of General Services. Whether we’re designing and constructing green buildings, improving energy efficiency of existing buildings, installing solar energy systems on County facilities, increasing the fuel efficiency of buses and other fleet vehicles, reducing paper use with smart printers and paperless processing, or using eco-friendly cleaning products, we ensure the County operations are as sustainable as possible.

Energy Efficient Facilities

Buildings account for approximately 40 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Montgomery County is increasing energy and water efficiency, and lowering the carbon footprint, of its buildings through cost efficient upgrades of lighting fixtures, heating and cooling systems, and plumbing fixtures. In addition, the County uses building controls to make rapid adjustments in response to changing weather conditions and customer needs, saving energy without compromising comfort.

Watch the video to learn how Montgomery County uses its Energy Management System to monitor and adjust energy use in real time – saving money and energy and County government office buildings, libraries, recreation centers, arts venues, and more.

Green roof

Montgomery County has already saved $1.5 million on utilities by improving the energy and water efficiency of its existing facilities. Over the next two decades, the County expects to save more than an additional $54 million as a result of energy and water efficiency projects.

Solar

Solar panels

Montgomery County is saving energy and money while reducing environmental impacts of buildings and operations by installing solar at libraries, recreation centers, and other facilities. The County has installed 5.3 megawatts of solar projects on its facilities, with an additional 5.7 megawatts underway. By the end of 2018, the County plans to have enough solar in place to power the equivalent of 1,100 single family homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions as much as planting 200,000 trees.

Green Buildings

Montgomery County designs new buildings to achieve a minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, with most buildings achieving a LEED Gold rating. Watch the County’s video tour of White Oak Community Recreation Center in Silver Spring to see the building’s green roof, porous pavement, geothermal heating and cooling system, and daylighting in action. More about Montgomery County’s green buildings…

Paper Waste Reduction

Copier use

Montgomery County continues to reduce paper waste from government operations, eliminating more than 6.7 million sheets of paper waste in FY2017, the equivalent of saving 978 trees. Most of the paper reductions come from the County’s state-of-the-art print management system and from the Department of Permitting Services’ conversion to an electronic permit application and review system. More about Montgomery County’s waste reduction efforts…

Fleet Fuel Consumption

Electrical vehicle

Montgomery County’s comprehensive Green Fleet Strategy combines sound management, fleet rightsizing, electric vehicles and other alternative fuels, and innovative technology to minimize petroleum consumption of County cars, trucks, and buses. In the last three years, Green Fleet efforts have saved 395,000 gallons of fuel representing a 7.4% reduction in petroleum use since Fiscal Year 2014.

Earth Month Events

Earth Month picture

Help celebrate Earth Month in Montgomery County. There is something to do each week in April to celebrate Earth Month. View the County’s calendar to find events near you and to learn more about how you can celebrate and protect the Earth throughout the year. Be sure to join us at Greenfest on Saturday, May 5 for music, kids activities, workshops, and more.

Thank you to all of the divisions and individuals with the Department of General Services for your commitment to greening County government. The projects described on this page would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Division of Building Design and Construction, Division of Central Services, Division of Facilities Management, Division of Fleet Management Services, and Office of Energy and Sustainability.