It’s hard to say which direction government spending will head as a new administration takes over, but efforts to automate and update federal buildings have been underway and may continue. It’s well worth keeping a watchful eye on apparent initiatives to promote smart building technologies and enhanced performance monitoring for federal buildings and facilities.

For starters, the General Services Administration (GSA), in partnership with the Department of Energy (DOE), issued a  request for information (RFI) for interested vendors. 

This initiative aims to enhance U.S. electric infrastructure, improve occupant health and bolster resiliency. GSA is leveraging $30 million from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to advance sustainability in federal buildings by testing innovative technologies through its Center for Emerging Building Technologies, which includes three programs: the Green Proving Ground, Applied Innovation Learning Lab and Pilot to Portfolio. These programs evaluate technologies to inform smarter investments and foster widespread adoption of clean energy solutions.

According to the GSA, 42% of carbon emissions stem from the built environment. The new RFI seeks emerging technologies in six key categories: deep energy retrofits, all-electric buildings and vehicle fleets, healthy and resilient buildings, low-embodied carbon materials, net-zero operations and integrated sustainable technology packages. Technologies must be ready for deployment in operational buildings, and selected innovations will be tested through GSA’s programs or DOE’s Demonstrating Efficient Solutions in Buildings program.

The Green Proving Ground program evaluates cutting-edge building technologies in real-world settings to determine their feasibility and scalability. Since its inception in 2011, the program has assessed 107 technologies, 23 of which have been deployed across more than one-third of GSA’s federally owned properties. These implementations annually prevent 116,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and save $28 million.

The Federal Smart Buildings Accelerator

In response to the Energy Act of 2020, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program launched the Federal Smart Buildings Accelerator (FSBA) to advance the adoption of smart building and grid-interactive efficient building (GEB) technologies across federal facilities. 

Launched at Energy Exchange 2022 and concluding in September 2024, the FSBA sought to align federal buildings with key goals such as improving energy resilience, achieving significant energy savings, electrifying and decarbonizing operations, and transitioning to 24/7 renewable energy and electric vehicle fleets. Through a blend of education and technical support, the program has positioned federal facilities as leaders in energy innovation and sustainability.

The FSBA highlighted critical gaps and opportunities in adopting GEB technologies. A key insight was the high interest in GEB technology paired with limited understanding of its implementation, underscoring the need for expanded education and training. Participants expressed particular interest in energy management systems, on-site renewable energy generation and EV integration. However, the technical assistance provided revealed that facilities of all sizes and functions across federal agencies require tailored support to adopt these advanced systems successfully. This finding reinforces the need for robust, agency-wide collaboration to scale these innovations effectively.

Despite the promising potential of GEB technologies, challenges remain. Many agencies struggle with limited staffing and competing priorities, which hinders their ability to prioritize smart building upgrades. Additionally, constrained budgets, often allocated to essential maintenance, leave little room for significant investments in new technologies. These barriers call for more strategic resource allocation and funding to empower federal facilities to fully transition to smart, energy-efficient operations.

Other smart building programs

Between 2023 and 2024, the U.S. federal government has initiated several programs to promote smart building technologies within federal facilities, aiming to enhance energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and modernize infrastructure. Here are highlights of some of these programs.

Climate Smart Buildings Initiative (CSBI): Launched in August 2022, CSBI leverages public-private partnerships to upgrade federal buildings. It aims to catalyze over $8 billion in private sector investment by 2030, create 80,000 jobs and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal Building Performance Standard: Announced in December 2022, this standard mandates federal agencies to cut energy use and electrify equipment in 30% of federally owned building space by 2030.

IRA investments: In June 2024, the GSA allocated $80 million from the IRA to implement smart building technologies aimed at reducing energy consumption and emissions on federal properties.

Smart building technologies will enable real-time energy management, optimize renewable energy use and reduce emissions, thereby cutting costs and achieving compliance with evolving environmental standards, setting a benchmark for sustainability and innovation.