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• 5 <br />7. Organizational BacEcgrourid and Experience <br />Orange County ("County") is a political subdivision of the State of North Carolina, located in <br />the heart of the Piedmont section of the state within the Research Triangle region. Orange <br />County's 2008 Certified County Population Estimate from fhe N.C. Office of State Budget <br />and Management is 129,295, an increase of 12% since fhe 2000 U.S. Census. Orange <br />County govemment operates 55 different facilities with buildings exceeding 600,000 square• <br />feet, including government offtces, health clinics, human service centers, solid waste <br />facilities, court and public safety facilities, and parks and open spaces. <br />Orange County has taken a number of steps in formulating its Strategic Energy Plan (SEP), <br />based around its 2006 adoption of wa#er, energy and vehicle fuel conservation policies <br />attached. Additionally, Orange County is committed to environmental sustainabilify, <br />renewable energy use and greenhouse gas emissions reductions. The County follows the <br />Triangle J Council of Government's High Performance Building Guidelines <br />(http://www.ticog.dstnc uslregplanlliighbuild shtm!). This strategic commitment is evident in <br />fhe following: <br />1. Adoption of an "Environmental Responsibility in County Government Goal" (2005) <br />with 10 objectives to promote environmental responsibility within the County <br />organizational 'culture. <br />2. Active membership in the Triangle Clean Cities Coalition. Orange County installed a <br />partially-grant funded 'and publicly-accessible Compressed Natural Gas. (CNG) <br />fueling station, and purchased 11 CNG vehicles and 34 other alternative-fuel <br />vehicles. <br />3. Active membership in the [ntemational Council for Local Environmental Initiatives <br />(ICLEI) and the °Cities for Climate Protecfion'° Program. <br />~. Completion of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory and Forecast, with ICLEI. <br />5. Membership in the National Association of Counties/Sierra Club "Cool Counties" <br />program, including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions bjr the year <br />2050. <br />6. Creation of a State of the Environment report, including indicators on air quality and <br />climate change. <br />7. Recipient of a 2009 Energy Assessment of County Buildings by Waste Reduction <br />Partners. <br />8. The organization and leadership of numerous public education efforts and energy <br />conservation seminars through different departments. Most of these recent efiforts <br />focus on the growth of the solar industry within Orange County. <br />Orange County has implemented its strategic plan in bath operations and commitments to <br />sustainable building practices. All County facilities designed and built• since 1992 have <br />incorporated sustainable and energy efficient design elements to include passive solar day <br />lighting and north-south building site positioning, reclaimed wafer systems (both storm water <br />and gray water) for use in sanitary water systems, ground source heat pump heating and air <br />conditioning, high efficiency 4 pipe heating and air condition systems, bio-retention storm <br />water management, low volati{e organic compound (VOC) building material use, high <br />recycled content material use (especially in carpets and casework materials), ~ and high <br />efficiency lighting fixtures and motion detection switching. Orange County has made these <br />investments and has built approximately 290,000 SF of publicly accessible service space as <br />well as three park and recreation facilities employing these principles. These first cosfi <br />investments are actively saving energy, emitted greenhouse gases, lowering mainfenance <br />Page 1 <br />