r/EPA
United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of
Administration
EPA202-N-97-004
Fall 1997
Conservation
News
Volume 3, Number 3
Conservation News is a quarterly publication of EPA's Facilities Management and Services Division (FMSD) Conservation Information
Clearinghouse. FMSD established the Clearinghouse as a focal point for collecting and disseminating informational
and energy and water conservation to serve all EPA facilities. The newsletter is intended to educate, inform, and help EPA staff involved in
these efforts at EPA-owned or-leasedfacilities. We welcome your comments and suggestions. To receive additional copies of this newsletter,
submitinformationforinclusion, or learn more, callthe Clearinghouse Hotline at (202) 260-9803 ore-mail p2group@epamaiLepa.gov. You
can also access the newsletter through the Internet at http:/Avww.epa.gov/consrv-news. /
A Note From the Agency
Conservation Coordinator
GLOBAL THINKING IN OUR OWN
BACKYARD
by Phil Wirdzek, FMSD
During the last year, the Office of Administration and its
partners have brought forward a number of avenues for the
Agency's employees, managers, and decision-makers to
discuss and evaluate the environmental and pollution
prevention practices EPA can pursue at its own buildings.
Through conferences, innovative contract vehicles, and
implementation of energy-saving technology, OA is
embracing these practices in the Agency's facility
management, and helping them to become part and parcel of
EPA's day-to-day business venue. And none too soon.
Consider the heightening stakes for and the direct
correlation of global economic activity, sustainable
development, and atmospheric pollution. These issues have
traditionally been debated locally. More recently, they have
been discussed as a regional concern. However, with the
creation of global markets, the desire for prosperity is
causing nations to question their ability to sustain human
and economic health and development. Mainstream news
media is filled with this information and is thereby raising
awareness for each of us.
Regardless of our individual beliefs on global warming, by
having the issue addressed by the world's political leaders,
industrial leaders, and scientists, we can be assured that the
motivational factors for business and government will
change in dealing with environmental protection.
Throughout this issue of Conservation News, we
demonstrate the growing list of activities that EPA is taking
with this change. To answer the frequent questions posed to
OA and EPA facilities management, I believe we are ready
to show an agency well engaged in tomorrow's business, f
A New Champion for Change
Administrator Carol Browner is looking to EPA
facilities for support in accelerating our nation's
transition to a sustainable energy future. Citing a
Presidential address to the United Nations,
Administrator Browner is asking EPA facilities to
participate in President Clinton's new Million Solar
Roofs Initiative, which aims to place one million
solar energy systems on the roofs of American homes
and businesses by 2010. We are up to the challenge.
Some of you may know that we have results from a
study conducted by the National Renewable Energy
Laboratory for renewable technologies to be used at
EPA facilities. Using those results, we currently
have photovoltaic installations underway or
completed at facilities in Ann Arbor, MI, and Gulf
Breeze, FL. We also have solar thermal installations
underway or completed at Athens, GA, Edison, NJ,
and Washington, DC. Passive solar design features,
though not specifically included in the President's
initiative, have been incorporated into the Ann Arbor
office building and EPA's Ft. Meade, MD,
laboratory. Solar technologies are being emphasized
in the design stages for new laboratories planned in
Las Vegas, NV, Edison, NJ, and Research Triangle
Park, NC. So change is here, and EPA is engaged. /
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Region 5,
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Fall 1997
Spotlight on Facilities
STUDY FINDS HEAT PIPE AT GULF
BREEZE CONSERVES ENERGY
A Dinh-style heat pipe installed in October 1996 at the Gulf
Breeze laboratory in Pensacola, FL, is saving the facility
money and reducing its energy usage, according to a recent
study led by FMSD. The study determined the
dehumidification effectiveness of the heat pipe installation
by monitoring temperature and humidity levels of the
outside and supply air, and by monitoring the load on the
cooling coils and the load on the heat pipe during a
two-week period. By comparing utility bills for the
laboratory's Building 49 for the 12 months prior to and
following the installation, the study found an actual energy
reduction of 230,750 kWh (14%) and a cost reduction of
$9,980.
A heat pipe dehumidification system is a passive device
which uses a series of closed tubes filled with refrigerant to
transfer heat from the outside supply air to the supercooled
post-cooling coil air. Because the heat pipe pre-cooling coil
provides initial air cooling, the total cooling and
dehumidification capacity of the system is increased during
peak load conditions. During off-peak conditions, the heat
pipe pre-cooling coil replaces part of the load on the cooling
coil necessary to provide a given level of dehumidification,
and the reheat coil replaces part of the reheat load necessary
to provide a comfortable supply temperature, with no energy
input. As a result, heat pipes provide both enhanced
dehumidification and energy savings.
The study showed that the heat pipe in Building 49 was
effective in reducing inside humidity levels about 10%,
from an average of 75% before installation to an average of
65% after installation. An additional 20 tons of mechanical
cooling would have been necessary to provide this
additional dehumidification during peak conditions. The
heat pipe cost $42,000 to install, and the additional
mechanical cooling necessary to provide the same level of
dehumidification would have cost $30,000. Therefore the
additional cost of installing a heat pipe instead of
mechanical cooling to provide the 10% inside humidity
reduction was $12,000.
By recording heat pipe and cooling coil loads for 15-minute
intervals during a two-week monitoring period, it was
determined that the heat pipe pre-cooling load, and
subsequent reheat load, increases linearly with outside
temperature. Using a weather bin method analysis, the heat
pipe in this location provides a maximum 20 tons of
pre-cooling and 240 kBTU/h of reheat with no energy input,
saving an estimated 56 kW in peak summer demand,
153,775 kWh in annual energy consumption (about 10% of
the total), and $7,700 in annual energy costs. The simple
payback of using a heat pipe to provide the enhanced
dehumidification for this installation is therefore 15 months.
The payback will vary for other installations based on
weather data, mechanical system efficiencies, and utility
rates. For more information, contact the Clearinghouse at
(202) 260-9803. /
UNDERUSED CHILLER TAPPED TO COOL
NEW SPACE
A new Facilities Maintenance Shop at the Gulf Ecology
Division (GED) is being cooled by an already existing
chiller at another building at the Gulf Breeze laboratory in
Pensacola, FL. The new shop is located approximately 200
feet from the Marine Toxicology and Chemistry Laboratory,
which is equipped with a 100-ton chiller, but only uses 38%
of the capacity. Clay Peacher, the on-site Energy Manager,
decided to use this oversized chiller to provide cooling
capacity for the new building, saving initial central plant
costs and energy.
A trench between the two buildings (shown in the photo)
and insulated water pipes connecting the chiller and the new
air handling system provide the cooling mechanism. As a
result, the new building is conditioned without significant
additional funding, and the existing chiller is operating
closer to full load, at a much higher efficiency than it was at
the part-load conditions. Energy consumption and operating
costs to condition both buildings would have been
significantly higher if two separate chillers were being used
at part load. The ingenuity and creativity of the Gulf Breeze
staff resulted in a win-win situation. Good job! /
tt ,
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Fall 1997
ESPCs IN THE WORKS FOR ANN ARBOR,
ADA
The Office of Administration and Resources Management
(OARM) expects to select a contractor in January 1998 to
implement an energy-efficiency upgrade at the National
Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory in Ann Arbor, MI.
The Agency is currently evaluating the best and final offers
for the Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC)
proposal - the first of its kind requested by EPA - and is
intending to require the offerer to conduct an "investment
grade" audit of the facility to secure financing. Barring
unforeseen difficulties with the project's design, the audit
and final negotiations with the offerer should be completed
and the contract awarded in the spring of 1998.
Partly in anticipation of this kind of award, OARM and the
Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) offered training in October for
EPA's engineers and laboratory managers on ESPCs. The
course provided details on bundling efficiency components
to improve the investment potential for a project, the step-
by-step approach to be used in developing an ESPC contract
or delivery order, and the regional delivery order ESPCs
that DOE has established with NREL for all federal users.
Based on the efforts contributed to the Ann Arbor ESPC and
the success of this training, the Office of Administration is
working with the Office of Research and Development to
prepare an ESPC delivery order for EPA's Kerr Laboratory
in Ada, OK, and possibly the Narragansett, RI, laboratory. /
Partnerships and
Information Exchange
ESPCs Will Save EPA Money
An Energy Saving Performance Contract (ESPC) is
a financing alternative for energy-efficient
improvements in federal buildings. Under this type
of arrangement, federal agencies contract with
energy-service companies who pay all of the up-
front costs for the energy upgrade. In exchange, the
company receives a share of the utility cost savings
until the contract period expires, which can be up to
25 years. At that time, the federal government
retains all of the equipment, and any future cost
savings.
GREEN BUILDINGS CHALLENGE '98
by James White, National Risk Management Research
Laboratory, Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division,
Office of Research and Development
As part of an international effort to encourage
environmentally sound buildings, the United States is
selecting EPA's Research Triangle Park (RTP) as one of
three U.S. entrants for the Green Buildings Challenge '98
(GBC '98). The "green building" concept is a process of
designing and constructing facilities that minimize their
overall enviromental impact by the way they are designed,
what materials are used in construction, and how they
incorporate other environmental issues such as indoor air
quality and energy efficiency into the buildings'
management.
GBC '98, led by Canada's CANMET Energy Technology
Center of Natural Resources and co-sponsored by the
Canadian Green Building Information Council, is a
challenge for nations to develop a scorecard for assessing
the energy and environmental performance of buildings.
Thus far, 12 countries have formed teams to meet this
challenge. The challenge invites countries to "score" three
different types of buildings using an initial assessment
framework, which regards global issues as its core with
energy, environment, and other issues based on the
individual considerations of each country. In scoring their
three showcase buildings (multi-residential, office, and
educational), the national teams will adapt this framework to
reflect national interests such as regional energy and
environmental priorities, cost effectiveness, and planning
issues.
A 50,000 square-foot office in the new RTP facilities will be
compared to the U.S.'s adapted framework and scored using
GBC '98 software programs. The results then will be
presented as part of an international conference scheduled
for October 1998 in Vancouver, British Columbia. /
Interested in reading earlier issues of Conservation
Newsl Point your web browser to
http://www.epa.gov/consrv-news
for archives.
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Fall 1997
PRIVATE LABS OFFER P2 EXPERIENCE
AT SYMPOSIUM
Private laboratories shared their experiences implementing
pollution prevention initiatives at a benchmarking
symposium on November 5-6, 1997. The symposium,
hosted by the Office of Administration at the American
Institute for Architects in Washington, DC, assembled
representatives from Union Carbide, DuPont, Xerox, Cytec
Industries, University of Louisville, University of
Wisconsin, University of Illinois, and American Medical
Laboratories.
Representatives from industry and academia
gather to discuss their pollution prevention
experiences in Washington, DC
Participants discussed their program elements and successes
in the five areas of OA's pollution prevention program -
chemical management, energy and water conservation,
affirmative procurement, waste prevention and recycling,
and Green Buildings - and invited comments from
attendees. The group's discussion touched on many
important issues, such as the applicability of hazardous
waste regulations to laboratory waste, the significance of
gaining management support, and the drivers behind the
program that show pollution prevention is the "right thing to
do." For more information on the conference, contact Phil
Wirdzek at (202) 260-2094. /
DOE AND EPA
PARTNERIN
ENERGY STAR
COMMITMENT
DOE and EPA recently signed a letter of
commitment that establishes a partnership for an
Energy Starฎ buildings program. The purpose of
the partnership is for the agencies to work toward
the goals of the Energy Policy Act of 1992
(EPAct) and Executive Order 12902 through the
use of energy-efficient, cost-effective, and
environmentally beneficial building technologies
and practices. Both agencies recognize that
widespread use of these innovations can improve
personnel productivity, reduce emissions created
by power production, reduce needless expenses,
and improve the nation's energy security and
economic competitiveness. Further, they agree
that federal agencies have a unique opportunity to
provide leadership in energy efficiency
management practices.
This letter of commitment addresses two
objectives for EPA. First, it reaffirms the
Agency's responsibility to install, at a minimum,
all cost-effective energy conservation measures
that pay back within 10 years or less by 2005, as
required by EPAct and E.O. 12902. Second, it
reiterates the Agency's responsibility to serve as
an example of excellence and leadership for
energy efficient technology installations, and
program implementation. Therefore, this
commitment encourages EPA to maximize the
energy efficiency and pollution prevention
practices at its facilities by aggressively pursuing
energy conservation measures with payback
periods of up to 10 years. /
EPA's Phil Wirdzek talks with a conference
attendee during a break
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Fall 1997
CONFERENCE DISCUSSES
LABORATORIES OF THE 21st CENTURY
In September, the Office of Administration (OA) co-hosted
the first of what is intended to be a semi-annual conference
for agencies pursuing energy conservation in federal
laboratories. With cooperation from Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory (LBL) and the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL), the first conference, held at the
American Institute of Architects headquarters in
Washington, DC, was organized into two sessions: a formal
training component and an informal open discussion/
working session. The training was provided by a host of
speakers presenting views and technical information on
integrated design approaches to laboratory retrofits and new
contraction, energy efficiency opportunities in laboratory
buildings, on-site power generation from energy-efficient
and/or renewable technology, financing operations, and
comprehensive case studies. The informal sessions enabled
attendees to present their agencies' current issues and
projects and have federal peers join in an exchange of views
and experiences.
The conference drew representatives from a wide variety of
agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, Sandia
National Laboratory, and Princeton Plasma Research
Laboratory. Attendees provided significant verbal and
written support for the conference, and endorsed the idea of
it becoming a semi-annual event for laboratory engineering
professionals. OA and DOE's Federal Energy Management
Program are planning to hold a second conference in San
Francisco on April 7-9,1998. The conference agenda is
being developed by a team from EPA, DOE, LBL, NREL,
and academia. The course will be held at the LBL facility in
Berkeley, CA. Organizers are planning to prepare
proceedings to post on an Internet page to enable exchanges
of information from the conference as well as to promote
communication among individuals involved with promoting
energy conservation in federal laboratories.
If anyone is interested in attending, please notify Phil
Wirdzek via e-mail (wirdzek.phil@epamail.epa.gov), and
we will mail a conference announcement with the
registration form when it is completed. /
Conservation
Calendar
If you have questions about the activities below or want to
publicize an event, call the Clearinghouse at (202) 260-
9803.
ENERGY STAR SPONSORS WORKSHOPS
EPA's Energy Star program is sponsoring several
workshops for both facility managers and executives. The
"Building Know-How Lighting Tech Sessions" are geared
toward facility managers, and will focus on lighting
technologies and and potential applications. These
workshops are scheduled for February 4,1998, in Los
Angeles, California, and on February 18,1998, in Orlando,
Florida.
For non-technical, executive staff, the "Building Momentum
Workshops" discuss how to develop partnerships and to
implement energy strategies. A session of this workshop is
scheduled for January 15,1998, in San Diego, California.
To register for any of the workshops, or for more
information, please call the Energy Star Hotline at
1-888-782-7937.
ALSO COMING UP
The "First Annual Civilian Federal Agency Environmental
Symposium" will be held in Denver, Colorado, from
March 10-12,1996. The agenda, currently being developed,
will include sessions under these topic areas:
Environmental Compliance
Facility Management
Environmental Management
Environmental Initiatives
Property Transfers
Poster Sessions
For more information, contact Will Garvey of EPA's Office
of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance at (202) 564-
2458. /
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Fall 1997
Update on Pollution
Prevention
P2 A HOT TOPIC AT DENVER MEETING
The Office of Administration's "Serving the Customers
Training Conference," held on September 15-17,1997, in
Denver, Colorado, covered a full agenda of plenary and
workshop sessions on wide range of topics, among them
pollution prevention and energy conservation. The
conference was an excellent opportunity for interaction
between Headquarters staff and its customers in the field
and for building partnerships with other offices in the
Agency.
The session on pollution prevention presented new projects
and efforts that have been implemented or are currently
underway, including:
OA 's Annual Pollution Prevention Progress
Report. This report, required under Executive
Order (E.G.) 12856, describes EPA's internal
pollution prevention program and summarizes the
progress made during FY 1996. EPA's response to
E.0.12856 is part of a larger integrated approach
to prevent pollution.
Revised Pollution Prevention Plans. OAis
revising site-specific pollution prevention plans by
incorporating progress made and establishing new
goals into previously developed plans. The revised
plans will focus on specific areas that all EPA
facilities should address through their management
programs, such as identifying amounts of waste,
sources of waste, and measurable goals. A new
user-friendly program to assist in this process was
demonstrated at the conference.
Benchmarking EPA Facilities with Private Sector
Laboratories. These benchmarking efforts are
intended to assist EPA in assessing its pollution
prevention program and identifying areas that can
be improved. (See page 4 for a related article on a
recent P2 benchmarking symposium.)
Opportunity Assessments. OA's pollution
prevention steering committee analyzed site-
specific pollution prevention plans to determine
which activities have been the most successful over
the last year, and how they could be implemented
at other facilities. To promote information
exchange and share lessons learned, OA distributed
informative pamphlets on a variety of topics,
including battery management, painting,
alternatively fueled vehicles, chemical
management, solvents, furniture management, and
environmentally preferable cleaning products.
Case Studies. Several EPA staff presented their
success stories in implementing pollution
prevention. Pierre Belanger of EPA's Region IX
Richmond Laboratory discussed his success in
recovering and reusing solvents; Dianne Thiel of
Region VIII's Denver Office presented her success
in implementing a pollution prevention program
through the Green Team; and Bill Holbrook of
Region I's Boston Office shared his success in
implementing a recycling program that began as a
grass-roots effort.
The session on energy conservation focused on current
efforts to implement Energy Savings Performance Contracts
(ESPCs) at several EPA facilities. Dick Lawrence of EPA's
National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory (NVFEL)
in Ann Arbor described the process that NVFEL is going
through to use an ESPC to upgrade the laboratory with
energy-efficient technologies. (See page 3 for an update on
the NVFEL project.) Other topics that were presented and
discussed included:
EPA's mission and national goals of security,
sustainability, environmental choices (such as P2),
and the future
Personal ownership for facility managers and
employees
Energy flows within the laboratory environment
Integration of energy-efficient technologies to
provide a comprehensive energy system
Funding alternatives.
During the conference, information on OA's pollution
prevention and energy conservation programs was
displayed in the lobby area of the hotel, and was available
for participants to take with them. Participants found the
materials so useful that Region VIII requested copies to
display throughout its facilities, and the poster series is
being displayed in Headquarters' Waterside Mall. To obtain
copies of these materials or for more information, contact
the Clearinghouse at (202) 260-9803. /
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Fall 1997
With a "Flick of a Switch" you can help
EPA save energy and money!
Turn off computers, monitors, printers, and copiers at
night and on weekends
Enable power management features
Buy Energy Star equipment
(computers, printers, and copiers)
Consider an ink jet printer
Consider printer sharing
Buy a correctly-sized copier
Choose a copier with good duplexing capabilities
Information from the "Guidelines to Energy Efficient Office Equipment, Revision 1,
American Council for an Energy-efficient Economy, 1996"
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