Department of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and DOE Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy David K. Garman agreed with AIA Executive Vice President Norman L. Koonce, FAIA, when they met, that the DOE and AIA share a strong conviction for energy efficiency and enhanced building performance.

The three met at a National Press Club event July 25 in Washington, D.C. at which Abraham was a speaker. In the discussion with Koonce, Abraham expressed his eagerness to continue the close working relationship between the AIA and the DOE. The relationship stretches back more than a quarter of a century when the AIA was doing seminal DOE-financed research on energy-efficient building design and systems.

"We need to get together," Garman told Koonce. They have made preliminary plans for Garman to visit the Institute headquarters to brainstorm energy efficiency and building performance, Koonce said later. Garman and Abraham both expressed the wish that the AIA and DOE renew their memorandum of understanding to provide professional education, training, and research and development on energy issues.

Some recent AIA commitment that arose during the luncheon conversation included:
• AIA testimony in June in support of the DOE's work related to energy conservation
• The AIA and DOE cosponsored Sun Wall Design Competition that shows how solar-energy collection is clean and practical and, when well-designed, can be beautiful
• The AIA and DOE Top Ten "Green" Projects initiative to publicize the current state of the art of resource-efficient design
• The AIA Committee on the Environment, which brings together 1,600 AIA members whose practices integrate built and natural systems to the benefit of both
• A resolution supporting energy-efficiency efforts that delegates adopted this year at the AIA national convention in Denver.
• The AIA's support of DOE's work to develop and implement the High Performance Commercial Buildings Roadmap.

Copyright 2001 The American Institute of Architects. All rights reserved.