The nation’s largest energy user, the Department of Defense (DoD), is learning how to transform some of its 577,500 buildings and structures into state-of-art, energy-saving powerhouses by retrofitting old buildings with new high-tech roofing systems. In partnership with the Metal Construction Association (MCA) and the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the DoD is host to a demonstration project for reducing a building’s carbon footprint and lowering demand for energy and water. The demonstration project was part of the DoD’s Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (ESTCP) at Goodfellow Air Force Base (GAFB) in San Angelo, Texas. The model will be replicated at potentially thousands of DoD buildings throughout the country.

“We are thrilled to see this technology come together. Both the MCA and DoD see a great benefit to the broader U.S. economy when new and retrofit buildings throughout the country adopt this high-performance roofing design, and work toward net-zero energy buildings,” said Scott Kriner, technical director, Metal Construction Association.