The Chief’s Energy Challenge is a program that was designed to encourage the reduction of energy use at fire departments across the country. The departments in Cary, Chapel Hill, Durham, and Raleigh, North Carolina have issued this challenge to their peers nationwide to reduce their energy use over the next three years. Using best practices and lessons learned from fire stations that are already in the program, this initiative strives to inspire energy conservation to help departments provide more and better services to their community.
This Challenge will serve as a platform to highlight success stories of fire departments nationwide and provide an outlet to share these accomplishments. Because fire departments are such a close-knit group, peer-to-peer education and networking fostered through the Challenge will serve as a great benefit to the participants.
Specifically, the Challenge goal is to reduce departmental energy use by 10% in the first year and by 20% in the third year. This can be achieved through several low- or no-cost measures, such as efficiency practices, upgrades to existing appliances and fixtures, and through green design implementation in new construction. Behavioral changes have also been highlighted as a major factor in helping departments increase energy efficiency…
