The US Department of Energy (DOE), one of largest consumers of energy in America, is leading the way in achieving energy efficiency in buildings.

This week, the DOE announced the completed installation of 205 kilowatt photovoltaic solar cells atop its Forrestal Building, in Washington, D.C., home to its main office.

At the building's ribbon-cutting ceremony this week, DOE Secretary, Samuel W. Bodman said that the DOE “would be the first in the federal government to meet or exceed the efficiency, renewable energy, water, transportation, and green building requirements the President outlined.”

In 2007, President Bush mandated that all federal agencies must reduce their consumption of electricity and other resources and initiate renewable energy projects. Bodman and the DOE plan to meet this mandate by increasing the department’s renewable energy to 7.5 percent by 2010.

The project is one of D.C.’s largest solar-powered buildings and was installed by well-known San Jose solar installer, SunPower Corporation. SunPower’s installation is top-of -the-line and boasts the industry’s highest efficiency capability available.

To further reduce the building’s energy consumption, the structure has been insulated in hopes of reducing heating and cooling needs. Cost savings are estimated at $26,000 over the next year.

The Forrestal building is expected to generate 200 megawatt hours of electricity -- nearly eight percent of the building’s electricity needs. The building’s lobby will display the electricity being generated on the roof and provide educational information for the public about solar energy.

To continue the department’s educational approach to electricity conservation, DOE is working to lead Americans and businesses by setting a good example through increasing its portfolio of buildings obtaining energy efficiency standards. DOE will lead federal agencies to maximum energy efficiency as it implements its Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) initiative with goals to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold ratings for new construction and renovation projects.

TEAM will also work to improve the efficiency of department data centers, generally, a massive consumer of any large company’s energy consumption, across its buildings.

In addition, the DOE is also working with the EPA's Energy Star program to improve energy conservation and efficiency. A joint goal for DOE and EPA is to reduce the country’s dependence on limited fossil fuel resources. DOE and EPA will provide information and resources for energy-efficient home and office products, and guidelines for energy management in office buildings.