Summer Climate Action Update

Summer Climate Action Updates

This Summer the Office of Climate Action worked with the community, non-profit partners, and City Departments to advance the Eco-City Mission. We wanted to share a few examples this work. There's much more to come throughout the year.

Alexandria is a Leader in Green Buildings

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments released a report listing the number of buildings receiving a green building certification in the region. With 543 buildings receiving a green building certification 2007, Alexandria is a leader among peers. Alexandria leads Arlington, with 453 certified buildings, and with more than 6 times the population, Fairfax County has just under 1,600 certified green buildings. Alexandria continues to be a recognized regional leader in prioritizing sustainable buildings.

Eco-City Businesses Thrive

The Office of Climate Action re-launched the City's Green Business Recognition Program as Eco-City Businesses, developing a network of businesses committed to making sustainability a priority for their operations. The network is growing rapidly, with nearly 30 businesses joining this summer. Participating businesses have heard from experts from Dominion Energy and Honeywell on how to take advantage of existing energy efficiency incentives and participated in seminars from the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Port City Brewing Company, and ALX Dog Walk on how sustainability can enhance their marketing.

City Leads in Adopting New, Efficient Technology

New heat pump water heaters have been installed at the Nannie J Lee Memorial and Chinquapin Park Recreation Centers. The Lee Center water heaters will save enough energy to pay back the entire cost of the project in under 10 years! Both projects address an immediate need to maintain high-quality services, improve air quality, and demonstrate strong financial stewardship.

This technology isn't just for large buildings! Switching from a gas to a heat pump water heater at home can save about $200 per year. Switching from an electric water heater to a heat pump water heater can save up to $600 per year.

Climate Action & Energy Masters Invest in Programmable Thermostats

The Office of Climate Action partnered with Energy Masters, a program of EcoAction Arlington, to install programmable thermostats in nearly 50 affordable housing units operated by Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) at Chatham Square. Each thermostat can save up to 8% on energy bills by simply changing thermostat settings at night - saving the average homeowner $50 to $100 per year and reducing about 1,000 pounds of CO2 being released annually. Building on the success of this effort, Energy Masters and the Office of Climate Action will be offering free programmable thermostats or energy efficiency kits to all Alexandria residents that sign up for the Eco-City Homes program, starting in the Fall.

Going Electric for the Lawn

Gas leaf blowers will be banned in Alexandria on November 17, 2026. To help with this transition, the City partnered with Clean Air Partners on their annual electric landscaping equipment swap. Clean Air Partners and the City exchanged nearly 100 leaf blowers, lawn mowers, and trimmers for Alexandrians. Gas-powered lawn equipment not only disturbs the environment by being louder and more intrusive than electric-operated alternatives, they also release toxic pollutants locally, causing far more pollution than most cars, harming both the environment and those operating the equipment or living nearby. The equipment swapped at this event will reduce 30,000 to 100,000 tons of CO2 annually in Alexandria.

City Pilots Electric Landscaping Equipment

Building on the effort to remove gas-powered equipment for the City's landscaping efforts, the City has been testing various electric alternatives. The Office of Climate Action arranged demonstrations from multiple equipment manufacturers to give City staff from different departments hands-on demonstrations of the equipment. Following that, the City arranged for a week-long test of equipment, including commercial grade riding lawn mowers. While current City policy only requires the switch to electric leaf blowers, this test helps staff understand the opportunity for permanently phasing gas-powered equipment out of our daily landscaping.

Plug In Alexandria

If you build it, they will charge. Alexandrians in multi-family communities have a difficult time finding access to reliable charging for electric vehicles (EVs), making it less likely they'll opt for an EV. Plug In Alexandria removes technical and financial barriers to install EV charging. Properties receive a technical assessment outlining the requirements, feasibility, and estimated costs to install EV chargers, and can be reimbursed 30% of the actual installation costs (up to $10,000, or $15,000 if in a low-income census tract).

A total of ten communities have received technical assessments: Brighton Square Homeowners Association, Cameron Station Community Association, Carlyle Towers Condominiums, CIM Group (Southern Towers), Lofts Condominium, Marina Towers Condominium Association, Parkfairfax Condominium, Plaza Condominium, Pointe at Park Center Condominium, and Prescott Condominium. Two communities, The Kingsley and Northampton Place Condominium, have opted out of the technical assessment but qualified for the reimbursement grant.

Alexandrians Go Solar

City of Alexandria residents are embracing renewable energy more than ever. This summer, the City participated in two solar purchasing programs for residents: Solarize NOVA and Switch Together. With the 30% tax credit expiring in December, Alexandrians are adopting solar at a fast pace, with nearly 270 people signed up for either program, 35 paid deposits for Switch Together, and 63 contracts for Solarize by September.

Demand Response

Extreme temperatures can strain the electric grid, due to the higher demand for heating and cooling. This means the hottest and coldest days of the year have a significant risk of blackouts, which can be dangerous for residents. To help reduce strain on the grid, the City is participating in a Demand Response Program where certainCity facilities reduce HVAC use when the risk is high for power outages. So far, with just two events this summer, the City has saved over 22 MWh (enough to power 25,000 homes for a month) and avoided 13.4 metric tons of CO2. The City could earn up to $100,000 by the end of the Fiscal Year by participating in this program. The lessons learned from this pilot year will help expand the program to more buildings in future years.