NOTE: As of March 2025, the General Services Administration (GSA) retired the energy savings performance contract (ESPC) ENABLE program. This means:
No new projects can be started under ENABLE.
Current ENABLE projects are still valid and ongoing.
Awarded projects will continue through their performance period and can be modified as applicable. Download a list of awarded projects.
EPC Direct is the approach agencies can consider if desiring to skip the Preliminary Assessment (PA) report and use a PA presentation or go directly to the Investment Grade Audit for their projects for a streamlined and standardized approach to specific energy conservation measures and/or small-scale projects across multiple locations or within single facilities. FEMP is outlining tools and resources for agencies using the EPC Direct pathway.
If you have questions or need support figuring out the best contracting path forward, reach out to your Federal Project Executive. FEMP can guide you through your options and next steps.
The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) ENABLE program streamlined procurement for small federal projects, enabling installation of energy conservation measures (ECMs) within six months.
Managed by the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), the initiative operated from 2014 to 2025. Learn more about steps for already awarded ENABLE projects that are currently in the performance period.
Key Achievements:
- Contracts awarded: 26
- Total savings: $222 million
- Buildings covered: 1,600+ federal buildings, over 41 million square feet
- Small business participation: Five contracts awarded to small business energy service companies, including two Disabled Veteran energy service companies
ESPC ENABLE helped small federal sites improve energy efficiency and reduce costs by partnering with small businesses and energy service companies (ESCOs). Projects ranged from $200,000 to $18 million and covered facilities from 200,000 to 2.1 million square feet.
Energy Conservation Measures
ESPC ENABLE allowed streamlined implementation of specific energy conservation measures (ECMs) using the Investment Grade Audit (IGA) tool and simplified measurement and verification.
IGA Tool Compatible ECM Summary
| ECM | Included in the IGA Tool | Not Included in the IGA Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Lighting |
| Solar lighting (off-grid installations allowed) |
| Water |
| Heating/cooling system improvements (cooling towers once-through cooling, condensate reclaim) |
| Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Controls | Whole building control strategies: time/temperature set-back, demand/night ventilation | Advanced controls* (e.g., energy management control systems /building automation systems) |
| Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning Equipment | Basic whole building/system one-for-one replacements:**
| Central boiler/chiller plants, retro-commissioning-based activities, non-building related heating/cooling/ventilation |
| Solar Photovoltaic (PV) |
| Solar thermal (hot water), hybrid PV/hot water systems |
*Advanced controls may be considered; however, savings calculations within the FEMP IGA tool are limited to time/temperature set-back, demand/night ventilation.
**The IGA tool is configured to model one-for-one replacement of whole system(s) across an entire building with "like" systems (e.g., replace three RTUs with three higher-efficiency RTUs. The IGA tool is not configured to model partial replacements of building HVAC systems or replacements or modifications of subsystems (e.g., variable frequency drives on select fan units). Additional ECMs from GSA Supply Schedule SIN 334512 can be included using a hybrid approach.