Sustainability Award

The SAME Sustainability Award recognizes outstanding efforts to meet the goals of the Executive Order 13514 (E.O. 13514). The awards will be presented in two categories. 1) Towards Net Zero; and 2) Education and Outreach.

President Barack Obama signed E.O. 13514 on On Oct. 5, 2009, which focuses on federal leadership in environmental, energy, and economic performance. The Executive Order sets sustainability goals for federal agencies, requiring them to set a 2020 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target within 90 days; increase energy efficiency; reduce fleet petroleum consumption; conserve water; reduce waste; support sustainable communities; and leverage Federal purchasing power to promote environmentally-responsible products and technologies.

The SAME Sustainability Award was presented for the first time at the 2012 Joint Engineer Training Conference & Expo. Nominations can be made by a Post for individuals, teams or units recognizing their efforts in one of two award categories: Towards Net Zero; and Education and Outreach. There are no restrictions on the number of nominations the Posts can submit.

Click here to make a nomination for the Sustainability Award.

SAME Sustainability Award: Towards Net Zero

The SAME Sustainability Award: Towards Net Zero will recognize efforts to reduce energy use, water use and/or waste production in support of goals set by E.O. 13514. Projects may be existing buildings, infrastructure or post-wide efforts in one or more of the target areas.  Awards will recognize efforts that are measurable and have at least 12 months of data to support claims of energy, water, and/or waste reduction. Submittals should detail innovative systems and operations that contributed to ability of technologies and/or practices to achieve the reported impact reductions.  Any building that is submitted must have had metering installed on electrical supply and water supply, at a minimum.  Teams are encouraged to enter buildings into EnergyStar Benchmarking Tool and share Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) for the building.

      Reduction Target Summary from E.O. 13514 and the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding:

• Water -

  a) Potable water use in buildings: 2% per year from 2007 baseline for aggregate 26% reduction by 2020 over benchmark of Energy Policy Act of 1992.

  b) Potable water use for landscaping or other site uses: 2% per year from 2010 baseline for an aggregate reduction of 20% by 2020

• Energy - 30% energy cost budget reduction over ASHRAE 90.1-2004 for new construction and 20% for major renovations.

• Waste Reduction - 50% waste diversion by 2013

     Awards will be judged using the following weighted criteria:

• Project demonstrated measureable reductions in energy, water and/or materials use (50%)

• Project award described innovative practices and/or technologies utilized to achieve the reported impact reductions. (20%)

• Project demonstrated that gains in building performance are fully integrated into on-going procedures and operations (20%)

• Project supplied EnergyStar and EUI information as required if project is a building; OR if project is an infrastructure or post-wide project, other criteria such as a waste management contract or water management contract to demonstrate ongoing reporting of specific report impact reductions.  (10%)

SAME Sustainability Award: Education and Outreach

The SAME Sustainability Award: Education and Outreach will recognize outreach and education efforts that are directed to contracting officers, facilities, public works personnel, user groups and/or occupants that promote an understanding of E.O. 13514  as well as explain the technologies and best management practices necessary to attain the goals.

The implementation of E.O. 13514 and other far reaching goals like Triple Net Zero installations (zero water footprint, zero waste production, and zero energy) at the post level requires a concerted effort to educate personnel about the initiatives and how they can be achieved.

Submittals may address behaviors over the previous 12 months that resulted in demonstrable, sustainable improvements in energy and water use and waste reduction.  Community outreach in the form of training programs, publicity programs, greening efforts and procurement efforts that emphasize sustainability goals are especially sought.  Submittals should explain how these efforts fit into an overall strategy that includes succession planning. Submittals should describe program elements and implementation strategies and demonstrate how the programs are having positive results. Recognition will be given to submittals that can show demonstrable results that have at least 12 months of data supporting the reported outcomes of the education and outreach efforts, address how education and outreach programs will support ongoing and future sustainability goals in alignment with E.O. 13514.

      Reduction Target Summary from E.O. 13514 and the Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of Understanding:

• Water -

  a) Potable water use in buildings: 2% per year from 2007 baseline for aggregate 26% reduction by 2020 over benchmark of Energy Policy Act of 1992.

  b) Potable water use for landscaping or other site uses: 2% per year from 2010 baseline for an aggregate reduction of 20% by 2020

• Energy - 30% energy cost budget reduction over ASHRAE 90.1-2004 for new construction and 20% for major renovations.

• Waste Reduction - 50% waste diversion by 2013

Examples of sustainability practices from the E.O. 13514 include: reduced landfill use; stormwater management and landscaping practices; use of biobased materials and green procurement; and pollution prevention and waste reduction.

      Awards will be judged on the following weighted criteria:

• Award submittals describe engagement processes and behaviors that illustrate alignment with and support of EO 13514 goals (60%)

• Programs provide tangible results supporting impact reductions that are aligned with or exceed targets of EO 13514 (20%)

• Programs demonstrate succession planning for ongoing and future impact reductions (20%)

Click here to make a nomination for the Sustainability Award.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Can I offer support to the evaluation of the award nominees if I do not have an affiliation to any nominated project?
A: Yes. The Sustainability Task Force welcomes the support of other service components and industry representatives with sufficient experience in the Department of Defense’s move toward Net Zero as well as knowledge of E.O. 13514.

Q: According to its category description, “The SAME Sustainability Award: Education and Outreach will recognize outreach and education efforts that are directed to contracting officers, facilities, public works personnel, user groups and/or occupants that promote an understanding of E.O. 13514…” How do you define “user groups and/or occupants” for this category? For example, can I make a nomination for an individual, team or unit with efforts heavily focused on local communities instead of contracting officers?
A: For this award, the term “user groups and/or occupants” is defined as any entity benefited by education and outreach efforts focused on the Federal government’s goal to achieve E.O. 13514. The types of groups benefitted by the nominee’s campaign include only government facilities, military personnel and military communities on an installation.

Q: Can I make a nomination without 12 months of data to support claims of energy, water and/or waste reduction? What if the Towards Net Zero nomination is for a newly developed design build project?
A: The Sustainability Task Force prefers nominations with data to support claims of energy, water and/or waste reduction for at least 12 months. However, depending on the type of project, we recognize that it could take an extended period of time to generate this amount of data. As such, we will consider submittals detailing innovative systems and operations that contributed to the ability of technologies and/or practices to achieve impact reductions, even if the amount of measured data is less than the stated 12 month minimum. The award criteria still requires that any submitted building have metering installed on electrical supply and water supply, at a minimum.

Q: How do I submit through my affiliated SAME Post? Is there an earlier nomination deadline to submit to the Posts for their own review and evaluation?
A:  All submissions with an SAME Post affiliation must be turned in by the nomination due date. The Sustainability Task Force does not dictate how the Posts review their submissions prior to this date. Contact your local Post for specific instructions as they may require an earlier submission deadline for their own evaluation. Click here to find your local Post.

Q: We are a SAME Sustaining Member Company working with military clients on a sustainability project. Can we submit the project in conjunction with and/or on behalf of our client through the appropriate SAME Post?
A: Yes, you can nominate projects in conjunction with and/or on behalf of your client through the appropriate SAME Post. However, as we do not dictate how the Posts review their submissions, make sure to contact your local Post for more information.

If you have any further questions regarding the award, please contact:

Al Hurt
Bioengineering Group
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
760-625-1010

Col. Barton V. Barnhart, USAF