The Foreign Service Journal, April 2014

36 APRIL 2014 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL materials and maximizing the use of natural daylight inside the building, the two architects managed to develop a green build- ing that was ahead of its time. Why We Decided to Go Green In subsequent years, finding ways to decrease the building’s environmental impact became a priority, reflecting Finland’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Transforming the embassy into a state-of-the-art green building thus seemed natu- ral. As a first step, the embassy’s staff assessed the building’s energy consumption and dis- covered several ways to improve operations and maintenance in the process. The needs of the ten- ants were reviewed, and operating times were adjusted to correspond with actual use and occupancy, eliminating wasted energy when the building was unoccupied. Temperature settings were determined to moderate the use of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. The introduction of a free-cooling system halved the use of electric- ity-powered cooling—a significant step in improving energy effi- ciency. The heating system was replaced with a modern one that gave consideration to the outside temperature’s effects on the building’s indoor environment to gain additional efficiencies. In addition, the embassy adopted more energy-efficient light bulbs and significantly increased the use of natural light. These measures drastically decreased the embassy’s energy consumption. Encouraged, the embassy staff decided to apply for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star, and received it in 2008. It was the first time a foreign embassy had earned this award in the United States. Taking the LEED As a next step, the embassy staff began to investigate the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leader- ship in Energy and Environ- mental Design certification, the most prestigious, inter- nationally recognized green building stamp of approval. LEED certification, they decided, would be the next goal of the building’s “greening” process. The LEED system rates buildings across several metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, CO 2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. The certification process involves rigorous building assessment practices, new policies and copious amounts of documentation concerning building operations and main- tenance. As rigorous policies were implemented to encourage sustainable practices, the pro- cess had a direct impact on the building’s operations. Occu- pancy sensors were installed in offices, recycling became a major priority and purchases became subject to environ- mental considerations. The embassy donated used furniture and other durable goods to local schools and organizations, while toilets and faucets were fitted with water-saving devices that decreased consumption by 30 percent. Cleaning supplies were replaced with environmentally sound products, and low-impact chemicals were introduced into gardening and site maintenance. A stringent no-smoking policy was implemented, and garage space was redesigned to encourage cycling and the use of hybrid vehicles. The results speak for themselves. The building’s electricity use decreased by 50 percent and gas use by 65 percent. Com- pared to the average between 2002 and 2004, our embassy’s annual energy bills have decreased by $150,000. Wrapped in a grid of copper sunscreens, the building instantly established a powerful and progressive presence for Finland in Washington, D.C. The annual European Union Open House day attracts approximately 3,000 people to the Embassy of Finland in Washington, D.C.. Embassy of Finland