Johns Manville and Colorado Governor's Energy Office Team Up To Insulate and Maximize Energy Efficiency of New Office Space
Governor's Energy Office targets 20-percent cut in Colorado state government energy use by 2012; Energy-efficient buildings are key component of "Greening Government" goals
On February 1, 2008, the Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO) and Johns Manville (JM) teamed up to insulate GEO's new 10,000 square foot office space as part of Colorado Governor Ritter's "Greening Government" plan, which seeks a 20-percent reduction in state government energy use by June 30, 2012.
The retrofit was designed to maximize GEO's energy efficiency and improve its environmental performance, while reducing the office's overall operating costs and serving as a model for energy efficiency in commercial buildings across Colorado.
JM donated its Formaldehyde-free™ fiber glass building insulation, including JM Spider® and ComfortTherm® batts, and JM's building science team provided technical expertise to GEO to ensure proper product selection and installation for the space.
Denver-based Allied Insulation provided the labor to install the insulation.JM Spider was installed into GEO's existing wall structures using a drill-and-fill technique, and ComfortTherm was installed into upper wall areas and ceilings - areas that were previously underinsulated.
All of Johns Manville's building insulation is made without added formaldehyde to improve indoor air quality for building occupants and installers, and consists of an average of 25 percent recycled content, 80 percent of which is post-consumer recycled glass from curbside recycling programs.
"GEO is committed to energy efficiency measures in the built environment, because buildings consume nearly 76 percent of all power plant-generated electricity and are responsible for nearly half of our greenhouse gas emissions," said Tom Plant, GEO's director. "Energy efficiency measures are easy-to-install, have a fast return on investment, and make more comfortable buildings for the occupants. Our new energy-efficient office space will demonstrate how easy it is for buildings to take this step."
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), office building energy bills are the highest of any commercial building type. DOE also reports that in addition to cutting operating costs, energy-smart office buildings can enhance the comfort and performance of workers and boost productivity. Many of the same measures that improve a building's energy performance also make it a more comfortable place to work.
"A well-insulated building is essential to reducing the amount of energy needed to heat buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer," said Mike Fay, innovation leader for Johns Manville. "By making buildings more energy-efficient, we're also making them less costly to operate and more comfortable for workers, and we're helping to improve the environment and reduce demand on our energy supply. We're proud to help GEO take a leadership role in promoting energy efficiency and conservation in Colorado and beyond."
