Burning fossil fuels like natural gas and oil worsens air quality and emits the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. These types of fuels have long been used for heating and to make electricity.
By switching to non-polluting, renewable forms of energy, Fairfax County reduces the impact of county government operations on the environment and lowers county operating costs. Combined with energy efficiency measures, the use of renewables can result in net zero energy or very low energy buildings, reducing the strain on the power grid.
On this page, you’ll find more information about Fairfax County’s efforts to generate electricity from renewable energy.
Target: Produce 25% of county electricity from renewable energy by 2030, using FY 2018 energy as a baseline
Progress: 2% as of FY 2023
Operational Energy Strategy in Action: Going Solar
Fairfax County Government is going solar! Watch the Operational Energy Strategy in Action video to discover how moving away from fossil fuels in favor of renewable forms of energy to power its buildings helps the county save money, reduce its carbon emissions, and promote a healthier environment.
Renewable energy comes from unlimited, naturally replenished resources, such as the sun, water, and wind. Renewable energy can be used for electricity generation, space and water heating, and transportation.
Renewable energy provides many benefits, such as:
Reducing carbon emissions that cause global warming, pollute the air and harm human health;
Lowering energy costs;
Enhancing the reliability and resilience of the utility grid by generating power when daytime energy demands are high; and
Creating clean energy jobs in the community.
Fairfax County is committed to the use of renewable energy for a substantial portion of its electricity use. The county has a long history of applying innovative approaches and technologies to achieve environmental and energy objectives, including its waste-to-energy operations and its landfill gas capture and reuse initiative.
Solar photovoltaic (PV) panels convert sunlight into electrical energy that can be used to power buildings and vehicles.
Fairfax County’s solar game plan involves installing solar PV systems on suitable county buildings, including fire stations, recreation centers, office buildings and more. Through tax incentives and power purchase agreements, the county benefits from clean, renewable solar energy with low or no upfront costs.
There are two ways in which the county deploys solar PV systems at its facilities:
Direct purchase. The county pays a contractor to install solar PV systems on new or existing buildings, and the county owns the equipment and enjoys the direct cost savings on its utility bills. This method also allows the county to recoup up to 30% of the costs of installing solar back as a direct payment through the Inflation Reduction Act.
Using a power purchase agreement. The solar contractor builds and maintains the equipment and sells only the electricity that is generated to the county at a fixed rate. This method allows the county to benefit from energy savings without the upfront capital costs, which are spread over a 25-year-period.
Photos showing installation of solar panels at Reston Fire Station
While the county is committed to installing solar on its facilities wherever the systems are cost effective, not all buildings are suitable for solar. Depending on the size, age, condition, and load capacity of the roof, the degree and location of shading, and other factors, rooftop solar may not be a viable option.
Geothermal literally means “heat from the earth,” and is a renewable energy source that can be used to generate electricity or efficiently heat and cool homes and businesses. For example, in some parts of the world, wells can be drilled deep into the earth to tap naturally-occurring steam or hot water. Steam can then be run through a turbine to generate power, and hot water can be sent through pipes to directly heat buildings.
Most locations, including Fairfax County, lack such high temperatures underground. As a result, geothermal power systems are more common in western states, Alaska and Hawaii, where these conditions are more prevalent.
In contrast, a geothermal heat pump operates like a standard heat pump, moving heat from inside a building to the outside air in the summer, and vice versa in the winter. The difference with a geothermal heat pump is that it takes advantage of steady, moderate temperatures underground by circulating water through pipes buried in the ground or submerged in a water body. Using the underground as a heat sink or heat source allows a geothermal heat pump to operate much more efficiently than a standard air-source heat pump.
Fairfax County explores installing geothermal heat pumps when site conditions are favorable, and the costs are not prohibitive. The county recently retrofitted the Spring Hill Rec Center with a geothermal system, eliminating the need for a substantial amount of natural gas.
Construction progress photos of geothermal heat pump at Spring Hill Rec Center
As of July 1, 2024, the county has completed six (6) solar projects. Combined, these projects have generated more than 492,000 kilowatt hours of energy, the equivalent to powering 44 single-family homes or removing 8 cars off the road.
As of July 1, 2024, the county has also completed one (1) geothermal heat pump heating and cooling system as part of an energy performance project at Spring Hill Rec Center. Fifty in-ground wells – 455-feet-deep – were installed under the field to the west of the building to use natural ground temperature to provide heat in the winter and cooling in the summer – resulting in significantly reduced natural gas and electricity usage.
See map below for locations of county government buildings where solar photovoltaic systems or geothermal projects have been completed or are planned for the next several years. The first projects were completed in 2023 and more are in-progress or planned in capital construction projects through 2025.
Solar Spotlight: Pender Office Building
Constructed in 1986, the three-story, 49,000-square-foot Pender Office Building serves as FCRHA's headquarters, The building got rooftop solar panels in 2023, as part of an energy performance project that included LED lighting upgrades, new electric transformers and air handling units, and weatherization treatments and improvements to building automation systems.
Want to know how much electricity and natural gas is being used in Fairfax County facilities? The Fairfax County Energy Dashboard includes overall energy use, cost and emissions data for buildings and facilities managed by the county's Facilities Management Department (FMD) and Park Authority (FCPA).
The Operational Energy Strategy promotes cost-effective solutions and an energy-conscious culture for county government operations. The plan sets goals, targets and actions across major focus areas – including building energy and water use, fleet electrification, and waste management.
Ready to go solar too? Homeowners and renters can use clean energy at home by installing solar panels to generate electricity or buying green power. Check out our Going Solar in Fairfax County page to learn more.
