RRBITC Will Be GSA’s First Fully Electric Building

The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center (RRBITC) in Washington, DC will become the government’s first fully electric building in the National Capital Region. A multi-million dollar Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) grant will fund Johnson Controls’ installation of heat pump technology and supplemental electric boilers. The project will eliminate RRBITC’s dependency on the natural gas-powered district steam plant, and will serve as a blueprint for resilience, sustainability, and efficiency of the government’s critical facilities.

The electrification project is an addition to an existing $91 million Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) to implement deep energy retrofits. It will enable RRBITC to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2,242 metric tons annually, and energy consumption by 8.7% annually. Combined with the ESPC deep energy retrofits, this equates to total annual utility cost savings exceeding $6.2 million, a total reduction in GHG emissions of 15,944 metric tons, and a total reduction in energy consumption of 47.8%.

“It’s projects like these that are smart ways to invest in America,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan remarked during a media event in June 2023 at the RRBITC. “It revitalizes manufacturing, it supports workers, it bolsters our resilience, it reduces pollution, it helps our national security, and it helps build an economy that works for everyone.”

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Spanning 3.1 million square feet, the RRBITC is GSA’s largest federal building and one of more than 100 buildings included in the GSA’s plan to upgrade with emerging and sustainable technologies. The comprehensive program aligns with the GSA’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions for all federal buildings by 2045 through the Inflation Reduction Act initiative.

“The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center will become the government’s first fully electric building in the National Capital Region, serving as a blueprint for resilience, sustainability, and efficiency of its critical facilities,” said John Kliem, director of Federal Energy Strategy at Johnson Controls. “We’re very proud to implement innovative electrification and energy conservation solutions that produce significant energy savings each year.”

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