Rockville District Court & Multi-Service Center Receives Green Registry Award for Most Improved Building

ROCKVILLE, MD – The Maryland Department of General Services (DGS) today announced that the Rockville District Court & Multi-Service Center received a Maryland Department of the Environment Green Registry Award for innovative energy reduction efforts at a state-owned building. 

“On behalf of the entire department, I would like to thank the Maryland Department of the Environment for this recognition,” said Secretary Ellington E. Churchill, Jr. “General Services remains committed to saving energy, reducing operating costs, and creating a healthier planet.”

The General Services  Office of Energy and Sustainability collaborated with General Services Facilities Management to retro-commission the Rockville District Court and Multi-Service Center’s HVAC equipment and systems. Retro-commissioning involves a systemic evaluation of the building’s HVAC controls and sensors. 

“Following the success of this pilot project, the DGS Office of Energy and Sustainability is evaluating several more buildings that can take advantage of this opportunity,” said Director of Energy and Sustainability David St. Jean. “Coupled with available utility company rebates, the savings are hard to beat.”

During the retro-commissioning process the building’s control systems were reprogrammed to function more efficiently, fans, dampers and other components were returned to automatic operation, and the BAC software was updated to provide better system visibility which provides quicker problem identification and resolution.

In addition, the newly controlled HVAC system uses half the energy as the building did previously, and saves approximately $65,000 in electricity annually, paying for the cost of the project in less than 24 months.

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About DGS: The Department of General Services is responsible for essential services and programs administered on behalf of the state, including procuring goods and services; designing, building, leasing, managing and maintaining facilities; leading energy conservation efforts; administering the state’s Capital Grants Program; and providing essential services such as fuel management, disposition of surplus property and records management. The Department of General Services Maryland Capitol Police maintains safety and security at state buildings.