United States
Environmental Protection
Office of Administration and Resources Management's Newsletter on Energy Conservation
c/
^—«^n,
I Sustainable Facilities
December 2003
The Kansas City Science
and Technology Center
(KCSTC) has struck
gold—LEED™ Gold certi-
fication, that is. For more
than seven years, a dedi-
cated team of individuals
and agencies has pursued
a sustainable approach to
the development and con-
struction of EPA's new
laboratory in Kansas City,
Kansas see Energizing
EPA, June 2003). Their
hard work paid off as
KCSTC received the U.S.
Green Building Council's
Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design
(LEED™) Gold certifica-
tion, thanks to attributes
such as daylighting, low-
flow plumbing fixtures,
and wood products from
certified sustainable
sources. For additional
information, visit
.
Two Major Green Power Purchases Bring
EPA to 40 Percent Green Power
LPA continues its commitment to buying
green power, adding facilities in
Washington, DC, and Research Triangle
Park (RTP), North Carolina, to its growing list
of buildings powered by renewable energy. As
part of the Agency's efforts to reduce the
environmental impact of its facilities, the new
contracts represent EPA's largest green power
purchases to date. With these additions, 10
EPA facilities will receive green power in
2003, and more than 40 percent of the
Agency's nationwide electricity needs now
come from renewable sources.
Two Largest Purchases to Date
In September, EPA Headquarters in
Washington, DC, began receiving 39 million
kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy from
Pepco Energy Services (PES), the Agency's largest
annual green power purchase to date. The elec-
tricity will be a blend of 25 percent wind power
and 75 percent landfill gas, generated at mid-
Atlantic facilities and purchased at an approxi-
mate 1 cent per kWh premium. EPA's Federal
Triangle offices are the beneficiaries of the pur-
chase, with 100 percent of their electricity needs
now originating from renewable sources. EPA
continues to work on procuring green power for
its remaining Washington, DC, offices, with
hopes of establishing renewable energy at all
Headquarters facilities within six months.
EPA is purchasing nearly 36 million kWh
worth of green power for its new consolidated
RTP facility through three agreements that repre-
sent nearly 50 percent of RTP's Main Building
and National Computer Center's electricity
needs. Through two contracts awarded
EPA's Federal Triangle complex in Washington, DC,
purchased 39 million kWh of green power.
September 30, EPA secured nearly 30 million
kWh worth of "green tags" (see )
that will support the generation of renewable
energy from a wind farm in Iowa and a landfill
gas facility in Florida. In addition, EPA committed
to purchase approximately 6 million kWh of
green power generated from sources located in
North Carolina in FY 2004, through an agree-
ment with NC Green Power. NC Green Power is
the first statewide green power program to be
approved by a Public Utilities Commission. EPA is
a founding partner.
With the green power purchases at
Headquarters and RTP, EPA now supports the
generation of approximately 1 13 million kWh of
renewable energy annually across the country.
This support has helped foster a demand for
renewable energy and allowed the development
of a more robust and competitive green power
market. EPA continues to purchase green power
whenever possible. For more information on how
your facility can buy green power, visit
.
-------
ENERGIZING EPA December 2003
page
San Francisco Gets Into Hot Water With Solar Energy
EPA is reducing both energy and water use at its Region
9 Child Care and Fitness Center in San Francisco,
California, thanks to the installation of a solar hot water
heater. The new solar water heater, which offsets the natural
gas consumed by the existing gas-fired water heating system,
and other efficient features installed during the upgrade fur-
ther reduce the facility's energy and water consumption. As a
result, Region 9's utility bills are expected to be reduced by
$1,360 per year.
The project started with the installation of water-conserving
plumbing fixtures and equipment. "Our goal since the inception
of this project was to first reduce the existing hot water demand
before installing the new water heater," says M.C. Toliver, facilities
and security specialist at the Region 9 Office.
EPA installed 14 water-reducing showerheads and two high-
efficiency washing machines, which combined save about $395
per year in water costs. Once these fixtures were in place, an
appropriately sized domestic solar hot water system was designed
and installed to provide for the new peak hot water requirements.
EPA estimates that the solar hot water system will decrease current
gas costs by approximately $965 per year. Actual water use in the
building will be calculated with a solar hot water system control
panel, which includes a feature that records daily trends of water
use and temperature needs.
The new "closed-loop" solar generation system is the primary
source of hot water for the Child Care and Fitness Center. This
system will use the existing gas-fired hot water generation system
only as a back-up during cloudy or nighttime periods. A typical
system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by
The solar panels (above) will help reduce the building's natural gas costs
by nearly $1,000 per year.
approximately two-thirds, requiring only an occasional boost from
the existing gas-fired hot water heater system to meet water tem-
perature demands.
The system installation was completed in October 2003. "We
are very excited about the new installation and the anticipated
energy and water savings," Toliver says.
The project was a cooperative effort between EPA's Region 9
and Headquarters' Office of Administrative Services, Sustainable
Facilities Practices Branch. For more information on the project,
contact M.C. Toliver, EPA Region 9, at 415 972-3749 or
.
Coast to Coast Conservation: Mechanical Upgrades
Save Energy and Water
Kechanical upgrades underway at two EPA laboratories—the Environmental
Research Laboratory (ERL) in Narragansett, Rhode Island, and the Central Regional
Laboratory (CRL) in Richmond, California—will reduce EPA's energy use by approxi-
mately 5.24 billion British thermal units (Btus) per year and decrease water use as well.
The Narragansett laboratory will focus on improving its chilled water system. Currently, chilled
water from the supply side is mixed with and warmed by spent chilled water from the return side. As
a result, the chilled water is delivered at a temperature 12 degrees Fahrenheit too warm, which
forces the laboratory's chillers and cooling towers to use additional energy to "re-cool" the mixed
water.
To address this inefficiency and to improve energy and water efficiency even further, EPA will:
• Upgrade the entire chilled and condenser water system to allow for variable flow.
• Reintegrate an existing small, air-cooled chiller into the primary chilled water loop, which will allow the large water-cooled system
to be shut down during the shoulder seasons—the times of the year (spring and fall) when there is less need for heating and
cooling.
• Upgrade the building controls for the chilled water system. .- i o
rs 3 ' continued on page o
An aerial view of the Environmental
Research Laboratory in
Narragansett, Rhode Island.
-------
ENERGIZING EPA December 2003
page
Water Softener Saves Region 7 Office Buckets and Bucks
EPA's Region 7 Office building in Kansas City, Kansas,
recently cut its water use by 62 percent, which is equiva-
lent to a year-end savings of 700,000 to 900,000 gal-
lons of water, as the result of a new water softener that has
made the cooling tower run more efficiently.
Before the water softener was installed, chemicals in the hard
water coming into the building formed scale deposits within the
cooling towers and chillers, reducing the heat transfer efficiency
and requiring more electricity to cool the water. To reduce the
buildup of scale deposits, regular flushing and draining of the
water was required. "The harder the city water is, the more often
we have to flush the tower water," said Bob Swope, Region 7 facili-
ty manager and chief engineer, adding that the building has some
of the hardest water in Kansas City. While this action helped
increase the heat transfer efficiency, water consumption increased.
To achieve both heat transfer efficiency and water use reduc-
tions, a commercial water softener was installed in the supply line
going to the cooling tower to reduce the hardness of the water
before it reached the tower, and therefore reduce the need for
flushing.
When the water softener was first installed, it did not achieve
the anticipated savings; EPA discovered that the water pressure
being applied to the softener was too low for the softener to work
properly. An adjustment was quickly made to allow for greater
pressure to be supplied to the water softener and, consequently,
savings began to accrue. Since the adjustment, the office has been
saving 5,700 gallons of water per day.
EPA will continue to monitor and document water usage, so
that comparisons can be made of annual water consumption.
A commercial water
softener was installed
in the supply line
going to the cooling
tower (left) to reduce
the hardness of the
water and therefore
the need for flushing.
EPA's Region 7 Office
(right) has cut its water
use by 62 percent.
Region 7 incorporates additional water saving equipment,
such as low-flow faucets, thanks to the building's "green rider"-
an amendment to traditional lease language that emphasizes
energy, water, and resource efficiency.
For more information on the Kansas City Regional Office
water savings, contact Justin Spenillo at 202 564-0639 or
.
continued from page 2
The payback period for the ERL upgrades is projected to be less
than 10 years, including electricity and water savings, once work is
completed in summer 2004.
The centerpiece of the Richmond laboratory upgrades will be a 60
kilowatt (kW) cogeneration unit, fueled by natural gas, which will pro-
duce onsite electricity and hot water. The hot water will be recirculated
into the lab's existing boiler system. In addition to conserving energy
and reducing associated emissions, cogeneration, also known as
combined heat and power (CHP), will improve power reliability and
reduce congestion on the local electric grid. EPA will receive a
$60,000 rebate from Pacific Gas and Electric for installing the cogen-
eration unit.
Additional mechanical upgrades at the Richmond CRL will include
a major building controls upgrade and the replacement of one large boiler with two smaller staging boilers. The payback period for
the CRL upgrades is projected to be less than seven years, including gas, electric, and water savings. For more information on these
upgrades, contact Dan Amon at 202 564-7509 or .
The Region 9 Laboratory in Richmond, California.
-------
ENERGIZING EPA December 2003
page
Labs21 Conference Reaches New Heights in the Rockies
With more than 500 participants, the Laboratories for
the 21st Century (Labs21) 2003 Annual Conference,
which took place in Denver, Colorado, October 21 -
23, 2003, was a resounding success. Laboratory designers,
engineers, owners, and operators convened for three thought-
provoking days, sharing ideas and innovations that will mark
the next generation in laboratory design.
Keynote speaker William McDonough kicked off the confer-
ence, delivering an enlightening presentation on environmentally-
minded architecture and planning. Focusing on a vision "to
change the design of the world," McDonough set the tone for the
rest of the week.
An array of conference sessions, ranging from lab-specific
case studies to industry-wide codes and standards, allowed lead-
ing architects and engineers to better understand
the changing face of laboratory design and the
unique challenges facing today's lab-intensive
industries. In addition, the first ever Labs21 Bio-
Containment Symposium and Labs21 Poster
Session provided in-depth views of cutting-edge
technologies and groundbreaking sustainable labo-
ratories.
Outside the conference room, participants were
given the chance to explore leading examples of
sustainable architecture. Tours of the U.S.
Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) provided a firsthand look at the
nationally recognized Solar Energy Research Facility
and the Thermal Test Facility, a showcase for inte-
grated energy efficiency features, such as daylight-
ing and evaporative cooling. The building is 60
percent more energy-efficient than a similarly sized
standard building. During one evening, visitors at
the University of Colorado's Boulder campus saw
the unique Drescher Undergraduate Integrated
Teaching Laboratory, where students enjoy a truly
hands-on learning environment. Many areas of the
building's internal systems (i.e., ductwork and
wiring) are exposed, allowing the building itself to
serve as an educational tool. The evening at the
National Center for Atmospheric Research's Mesa
Lab offered an opportunity to relax amidst the
beauty of the surrounding foothills of the Rocky
Mountains.
In addition to highlighting innovation in lab
design, Labs21 once again took a number of steps
to make this year's conference a sustainable one.
In collaboration with theXcel Energy Windsource,
organizers purchased 53,000 kilowatt hours of
wind energy to meet the onsite energy needs of the entire confer-
ence. Organizers also continued their commitment to making the
event as paperless as possible, posting agendas, abstracts, pre-
sentations, and biographies to the Labs21 Web site prior to the
conference.
These successful efforts will be repeated at next year's confer-
ence, scheduled for October 5-7, 2004, in St. Louis, Missouri.
For more information on the conference and the Labs21 pro-
gram, please visit or contact Phil
Wirdzek, Labs21 program manager, at 202 564-2094.
Labs21 is a voluntary partnership program cosponsored by
EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy. Its goal is to promote a
more sustainable approach to the way laboratories are designed,
engineered, and managed.
LABS FORTHE 2IST CENTURY
Labs21
2003
Annual
Conference
Labs21 Program Manager Phil
Wirdzek (above, left) greets conference
attendee and Labs21 supporter Karl
Aveard during the Grand Opening
Reception.
Defining a new
generation of
laboratories
LABS FORTHE 2IST CENTURY
------- |