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This month’s issue includes news of the Energy Conservation Assistance Program; a flood mitigation program for community resilience; new members of the Green Business Partners; an upcoming Charge@Work webinar; plastic bag tax revenue; the 2023 Exceptional Design Award winners; and much more.
Is your homeowners association, nonprofit organization, or place of worship looking to make the buildings and grounds more energy efficient and resilient to climate change? The Energy Conservation Assistance Program may be able to help.
Through the program, qualifying organizations in Fairfax County can now apply for up to $15,000 each year in reimbursement grants for energy audits, improvements to make buildings more energy efficient, installing solar panels or cool roofs, and more.
The Energy Conservation Assistance Program is managed by the Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) with support from the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District (NVSWCD).
Organizations eligible for assistance include common-interest communities, such as homeowners or condominium owners associations, nonprofit organizations, and charitable institutions or associations, including places of worship in Fairfax County.
Projects that qualify for matching reimbursement grants include energy audits; LED lighting replacements; weatherization projects such as increased insulation; smart thermostats; window replacements; ENERGY STAR® appliance upgrades; solar panels; and cool roofs, among others.
Applications can be submitted any time of year and projects will be accepted as long as they meet eligibility requirements and funding is available.
Visit the Energy Conservation Assistance Program page to see if your organization is eligible to receive financial support to make energy efficiency and resiliency upgrades!
The Fairfax County Department of Public Works and Environmental Services (DPWES) will create a program to help property owners with flood protection –– one element in a broader effort to build a more resilient Fairfax County.
Given the expected increase in heavy precipitation days in Fairfax County due to changing climate, inland flooding is also expected to increase over time.
The Flood Mitigation Assistance Program will be a cost share reimbursement program open to residential, multi-family, common interest communities or places of worship. Participants would be eligible for 50 percent of the cost (up to a maximum award of $5,000) of flood proofing measures such as window wells, flood gates, sump pump backup batteries, and exterior grading and drains.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a public hearing on December 5 regarding signing an agreement with NVSWCD to administer the program. Pending Board approval at the public hearing, the program will include funding in the amount of $250,000 in the first year.
The program is expected to start on July 1, 2024.
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Fairfax County’s Green Business Partners program recognizes and supports businesses actively engaging in or interested in sustainable business practices that advance climate action and help create a carbon neutral economy. The program has two different levels of participation: Leaders and Members.
The program is free to join and includes a variety of networking, educational and promotional benefits.
Recently, the program welcomed new Members and a Leader:
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Green Brilliance LLC, Herndon, Leader
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CASAWORKS, Herndon, Member
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Execuclean DBA ClubExec Auto, Fairfax, Member
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Future Acres Urban Farming, Burke, Member
Visit the Green Business Partners Program page to learn more and join.
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Register Now: Opportunities to Charge@Work: A Green Business Partners and Best Workplaces for Commuter Webinar
OEEC and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, along with Charge@Work, are partnering to help businesses power up their workplace charging programs.
Join us on Nov. 14 at 12 p.m. as Charge@Work demonstrates a free online tool to plan and implement electric vehicle charging at your business.
OEEC, in partnership with the Greater Washington Region Clean Cities Coalition and the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, DC, recently hosted the “Electrify Your Ride with Tax Incentives: A Carbon-Free Fairfax Webinar”.
The October 5 webinar was livestreamed and is now available for on-demand viewing on the county’s YouTube channel.
OEEC is accepting applications for the Charge Up Fairfax pilot program through November 12. Homeowner and condominium owners associations who participate in the program can receive technical and financial incentives — including up to $10,000 in reimbursement grants — to help install shared electric vehicle charging stations in their common-interest communities.
More information about the Charge Up Fairfax pilot program, including how to apply, is available on the OEEC website.
Revenue from Fairfax County’s plastic bag tax, which went into effect in January 2022, continues to fund environmental initiatives countywide. The bag tax produced over $2.3 million in revenue in its first year of implementation. Revenue is allocated twice yearly to county-led projects that meet the statutory requirements.
The latest round of projects funded from plastic bag tax revenue include several initiatives that will advance the county’s Zero Waste efforts: a reuseable foodware pilot for food service operations and county-hosted events, a reusable pallet wrap program to more sustainably store and transport county supplies, and a waste facility inventory at Fairfax County Park Authority locations.
The purpose of the 5-cent tax is to curb the use of disposable plastic bags and fund environmental cleanup. Plastic bags do not biodegrade like natural materials and can pollute our local waterways, roadways, and open spaces. To see the full list of plastic bag tax revenue projects funded to date please visit the OEEC website.
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Fairfax County and the Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA) have been recognized with the Virginia Energy Efficiency Council’s 2023 Leadership Award for projects at two recreation centers that are saving the county energy and money. The award was presented on Oct. 5 at an Energy Efficiency Forum at the University of Richmond Jepson Alumni Center.
The FCPA and Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination were recognized in the Government category for energy projects at the South Run and Cub Run rec centers. CMTA, an energy service company, and the natural gas utility Washington Gas were partners in the effort.
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Two programs to help Fairfax County residents go solar — Solarize Virginia and Capital Area Solar Switch — closed their 2023 campaigns at the end of August.
The results are in: More than 560 Fairfax County residents signed up for Solarize Virginia with 75 signing contracts to get solar installed on their roofs. Of that number 72% have already been installed! Over 100 Fairfax County residents registered for Capital Area Solar Switch with 10 signing contracts for rooftop solar. Solarize VA and Solar Switch will start again in spring 2024 so look for more details in April.
Watch our videos to hear from Fairfax County residents who already made the switch to solar. If you would like to share your solar story, please email us at carbonfreefairfax@fairfaxcounty.gov
Vacuum leaf service will continue until at least the 2025-2026 winter season following DPWES' postponement of a proposal submitted to the Board of Supervisors to discontinue the service following the upcoming 2023-2024 vacuum season.
Residents who wish to voluntarily withdraw from the service can do so using the petition process to support the County’s climate action plan and reduce the public safety impacts that arise when leaves are concentrated at the curb awaiting collection.
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Fairfax Employees for Environmental Excellence (FEEE) hosted a litter cleanup event at Carney Park in Fairfax on Oct. 26. Seven volunteers worked for two hours to clean up the local environment. Together, they picked up close to 1,000 items, or an estimated 250 pounds of trash.
FEEE’s membership consists of county employees who are committed to environmental stewardship within Fairfax County Government and who foster a greener workplace culture through education, outreach and engagement.
If you're interested in helping to clean up litter, visit Clean Fairfax for more details.
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The winners of the 2023 James M. Scott Exceptional Design Awards were recently announced and included Capital One Hall for sustainable energy measures integral to its urban design.
Other award recipients included G+G House, a private residence described as a jewel box overlooking Lake Barcroft, Spring Mill House, a private residence featuring expansive windows and thoughtful landscape features, and The Residence at Colvin Run, a senior living facility with a modern cottage style.
Since 1984, the awards have celebrated exceptional planning and design projects, with sponsorship from the Board of Supervisors and administration by the Department of Planning and Development in collaboration with the Architectural Review Board and the Northern Virginia Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
Awards are granted in three categories – honor, merit, and honorable mention – selected by a jury of design professionals.
The Fairfax County Tree Commission advises the Board of Supervisors on matters related to the county’s urban forest conservation and preservation. In recognition of their 50 years of service, the county’s Urban Forest Management Division hosted a celebration on October 25.
The public event took place on the Ellipse at the rear of the Government Center where 50 trees of varying species were planted to honor the Tree Commission and its work.
Composed of 15 members, the Tree Commission leads the development of the Tree Action Plan. It also sponsors the annual Friends of Trees Awards to recognize individuals or organizations for their outstanding efforts to preserve, protect and conserve trees.
More than 300 community members and local officials came together on Oct. 28, to celebrate the grand opening of the new Lorton District Police Station and Fairfax County Animal Shelter – Lorton Campus. Besides the 30,000-square foot police station and a 23,000-square foot animal shelter, the site also includes a satellite office for the Mount Vernon District supervisor, and two community rooms that will be available for resident meetings.
The project was designed with energy efficiency in mind and features a number of other sustainability highlights to lower the carbon footprint. The building was designed to achieve LEED® Silver Certification and the site features bio-retention enhancement with an underground stormwater facility; tree protection measures and preservation; natural landscaping areas; infrastructure for solar panels; electric vehicle charging stations; and energy efficient systems and materials that promote indoor air quality.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) recently announced a new Virginia Trip Planner is available for use.
Using the online map-based tool, users can plan trips with bus, rail, bikeshare, carpools, vanpools, and walking anywhere around the Commonwealth. And unlike traditional trip planners and applications, this one incorporates travel information for both traditional bus service on set routes and flexible mobility options that do not follow an assigned road or schedule — providing a more comprehensive menu of travel menu for Virginians, no matter where they live.
The Trip Planner is available on DRPT’s website at connectingva.drpt.virginia.gov.
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