Reducing your Energy Consumption is an easy way to go green and save green. These recommendations below have different points of entry. Find what works best for you! 

• Do it Yourself Energy Saving Tips  

Identify DIY energy saving opportunities by renting a thermal camera. Loudoun County Public Libraries loan out thermal cameras. You can use thermal camera imaging to look for leaks. Thermal imaging makes the otherwise invisible world of heat energy visible to your eyes. Everything around you either emits or reflects heat energy. Tools for reading those thermal images and recommendations for getting to more neutral can be found on this website.

• Call in Reinforcements for Energy Savings Tips  

For more technical support, Dominion Energy offers free in-home energy assessment. Through the 30-60 minutes assessment, you will receive a report detailing recommendations for energy saying improvements you can make to your home. They will also note all the rebates you could be eligible for. To schedule you appointment visit DomSavings.com.

• Get Financial Support For Energy Savings 

For additional support, Community Housing Partners (CHP) Energy Solution makes healthier, safe and more energy-efficient home, thus reducing your energy bill. CHP Energy Solutions provides no-cost, government and utility-funded improvements to increase the energy efficiency, health, and safety of your home. This can include installation of insulation, LED light bulbs, heating & cooling repairs and upgrades, and more!Homeowners AND renters can see if they qualify by calling 888 – 229 – 3714 or by visiting www.chpenergysolutions.org.

• Other Resources

The Inflation Reduction Act created a series of funding opportunities for those looking to electrify and reduce their energy burden or energy consumption. To find all the funding opportunities available to you through this program visit RewiringAmerica.org. Program established at the state level can be found at the VirginiaSaves website.

There are so many options for Solar that it can be overwhelming. Some homes are more suitable for solar than others. The Northern Virginia Regional Commission (NVRC) has created a regional map that provides a bird-eye’s view of your home/building and an estimate of its solar potential AND energy bill savings. You can view the map by visiting the Nova Solar Map website.

If you want to start exploring solar more seriously, Solarize NOVA is a great place to start. Solarize NOVA is run by the Local Energy Alliance Program (LEAP). The coordinate information sessions, free advanced solar assessments, and high performance lower than ever solar panel pricing installed by qualified local installers with affordable financing options. Visit the Solarize Nova website for more information.

You can also opt to purchase renewable energy from your energy provider. This energy purchases can be more expensive, but proceeds continue to additional investment in clean energy. Check your electricity bill for options.

The most common association people have with waste reduction is Recycling. But, the other two R’s: Reduce and Reuse have the least negative impact on our environment.

               Reduce happens at the point of sale

• Meal prep is a great way to avoid throwing out food that might have gone bad
• Consider buying non-perishables in bulk to avoid individual packaging
• Consider package free by bring bags/containers to stores that sell pantry goods in bulk
• Tell your server you don’t want a straw
• Bring your reusable mug to the coffee shop (you can often get discounts for this)

               Reuse happens when you prevent something from hitting the bins at the curb

• Upcycle- turn things you wouldn’t have otherwise thrown out into new things
  • Consider painting a candle jar to become a flower pot
• Sell- if upcycling isn’t your thing, consider putting your items on a virtual platform for others who might have some creative ideas
• Donate – take items you don’t need anymore to the many thrift shops in town 
• Freecycle- is a website that allows you to post items for free that you no longer need. You can also do this with a variety of other online avenues like Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace
• Compost – You can turn your food scraps into healthy soil in your own backyard. The Institute for Local Self Reliance (ISLR) has all the details you need to start your own backyard composting pile. Check out ISLR resources at this webpage. 

                             

Recycling happens thanks to the Public Works department

It’s only successful if you Recycle Right! To find all the information you need about out recycling program visit the Public Works recycling webpage. Questions about the recycling program can be directed to trash@leesburgva.gov

 

 

The Tolbert Award honors the life of John W. Tolbert, Jr.  A county resident since 1931 who served the Town and Loudoun County and enriched the lives of its residents. Mr. Tolbert was the first African American elected to the Town Council where he served for 14 years.  He served as Vice Mayor from 1988 to 1990. At the time of his death in December 1999, Mr. Tolbert was chairman of the Environmental Advisory Commission (EAC).

At the start of each calendar year, the EAC accepts nominations for the annual Tolbert Awards. Winners are selected based on activities completed in the previous calendar year that benefit the environmental health of our community. For more information or to nominate an individual, group or organization visit the award webpage.

 

 

The Environmental Advisory Commission purchased an Air Quality monitor to provide hyper-local, real-time, air quality data for everyone. The Air Quality monitor is placed on the Town Hall building. Live updates on Air Quality can be found on the Purple Air Website.

 

The Town of Leesburg recognized that electric vehicles are a key competent of the transition to clean energy. While the vast majority of EV charging happens at home, there are options around town for you to top off your charge. The map below accounts for publicly accessible EV chargers in town limits.

  

This map is updated quarterly. Last updated: October 2024. If you notice a charger is missing or know one that is under construction, please email the Sustainability Manager.

 

Learn more about water conservation and safe drinking water. Check out the resources for specific information on water conservation, quality, and protection.

• Clean Waters Initiative
• FAQs about Water Conservation and Safety

Conserve Water at Home

• Homeowners Guide to Maintaining a Rain Garden
• Use a rain barrel to collect rainwater for use in your garden or on your lawn.
• Plant drought tolerant or water wise plants. 
• For more ideas, check out wateruseitwisely.com for 100 Ways to conserve water.
• Track your daily water usage and receive high usage alerts.

• Protect Your Pipes.  The Leesburg Department of Utilities has a list of things you can do to protect your pipes and also preserve the health of our water systems by properly disposing of wipes, grease, medication, and other household items.  At the bottom of the page is a list of items you should NEVER flush down the toilet.
• Proper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste   This pdf from the EPA describes how to properly dispose of hazardous household chemicals to protect waterways and the environment.
• Painting Without Polluting
• Grease and Sewers – Do’s and Don’ts
• Can the Cooking Grease - what you can do at home to prevent sewer backups
• How Your Lawncare Can Reduce Stormwater Pollution
• Fertilizing Your Lawn Safely and Responsibly
• Scoop the poop every time.  Always pick up your pet waste to keep our water clean. For more info, check out Leesburg's PAWS for Clean Water program.
• Information about fluoride in drinking water is available in The Town of Leesburg's annual Water Quality Report.

Reduce Stormwater Pollution 

• Report illegal dumping into a sanitary sewer or other water body.
• Report blocked inlets, drains or flooding.
• Living Green – A Guide to Stormwater Pollution Prevention  - pdf
• Storm Drain Marking and Water Pollution Prevention – ppt
• How to Spot Illicit Discharge Activities

Sustainability is everyone’s responsibility.  We appreciate all the efforts that you do at home to be more green. The Town of Leesburg supports residents who want to spread this message out into the community.

• Keep Leesburg Beautiful (KLB) is the Town’s Campaign for litter clean up. Year round, the town will provide residents with trash bags and gloves for litter collection events large and small. Once you have finished your litter collection, let the town know where the bags are collected, and we will pick it up. To sign up for an event visit our KLB webpage.

• You may also consider joining the Environmental Advisory Commission (EAC) or the Tree Commission. The EAC exists to promote and protect the environmental interests of the town.  The Tree Commission provides leadership to enhance, expand, and preserve the tree canopy in the Town of Leesburg for the benefit of the community.  To learn more about the commissions and apply to join visit this webpage.

• There are several local water conservation and safety groups working to improve our area. Look for more volunteer opportunities on these websites
  • Loudoun Watershed Watch
  • Virginia Department of Environmental Quality  (VADEQ)
  • Northern Virginia Regional Clean Water Partners
  • Virginal Department of Conservation and Recreation
  • EPA and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
  • Loudoun Water

If you have other skills, you would like to volunteer for please reach out to the Sustainability Manager via email to discuss opportunities.

On March 12, 2024, the Leesburg Town Council has adopted an Energy Efficiency Conservation Strategy with the goal of reducing energy consumption in government operations. The strategy allows the town to take advantage of grant funding that will help achieve the goals outlined in the strategy. 

• 50% reduction in purchased energy for government operations from the business as-usual projections by 2050, excluding wastewater and water treatment operations.
•  40% alternative fuel vehicle adoption for non-emergency response vehicles by 2034.
•  10% reduction in purchased energy (electric and natural gas) for wastewater and water treatment operations from business-as-usual projections by 2050.
•  By FY2026, upgrading existing Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems with remote telemetry to efficiently operate wastewater and water treatment operations.
•  Prioritizing energy-efficient products for Utilities equipment replacements and improve pump and motor efficiency by correcting pump sizing, upgrading to premium efficiency motors, or variable frequency drives.

Updates on these goals will be included in future annual sustainability reports 

 

 

 

The Environmental Advisory Commission keeps an updated recommended Energy Policy for the town. The latest recommendation was presented in February of 2023 and can be found at this link. 

The first annual Sustainability Report was presented to Council in October of 2023. This report was the culmination of the first 6 months of the Sustainability Manager's time with the town. Moving forward annual reports will be shared in January and represent updates from the previous calendar year. 

 

Sustainability Progress Report 2023