A project that has been high on the agenda since 2010 is at long last moving vigorously forward under the direction of the new Deputy Chief of Mission Lars Bo Møller. There have been many road blocks and issues concerning the project to Green the Embassy buildings – not least financing these projects.

The Embassy already buys electricity from Constellation that supplies power 100% from wind – before Constellation we bought for several years from another renewable energy supplier.

We are now mulching and composting leaves from the grounds for reuse on the property. Furthermore, we are doing more rigorous recycling – exceeding more than 8 cubic yards per week.

Grundfos has recently completed an audit of the pumps in the Embassy with a view to replacing the pumps with more energy efficient models in the future. We are planning to replace all of the faucets and fixtures to low flow and reduced flush in order to save water during our bathroom remodel. We also have water meters in the cooling towers to monitor water use. We have had discussions on the possibility of collecting rain water for non-potable use.

The chiller has been replaced in the air conditioning system to a state of the art electromagnetic high efficiency model. We are also looking at the possibility of placing solar panels on the roof.

In the spring we will establish rain gardens and construct bike shelters. We already have bike racks at the entrance.

The Embassy is continuing to work with the Department of State and the District of Columbia Council to make the first modern Embassy in Washington the “greenest” as well. This is in keeping with the original intent that the Embassy buildings should reflect the values of the Danish people. Today sustainability, energy efficiency and promoting renewable energy are some of our core values.