Office of Administration
and Resources Management
Greening the Caribbean:
EPA's Region 2 Puerto Rico Office
For more than three decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
operated an office in Puerto Rico. In the mid-1980s, EPA Region 2 created the
Caribbean Environmental Protection Division (CEPD) to expand the capacity
of the Puerto Rico office and to serve as the federal government's primary liaison on
environmental issues within Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
When the CEPD office lease was up for renewal, EPA's Office of Administration and
Resources Management worked with EPA's Region 2 to locate a building space that
could showcase green building strategies and demonstrate how local citizens could
incorporate sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental performance into their
lives. The new office is located in City View Plaza, in a previously unoccupied top-floor
space of a recently built multi-tenant office building in the city of Guaynabo.
Vital Statistics
Facility Type: Office
Construction: Tenant build-out
Location: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico
Size: 22,291 rentable square feet (7th floor)
Occupancy: 62 EPA employees
EPA Occupied: Since February 2012
Going for Gold With Energy Savings
From the ceiling to the floor, the CEPD's tenant improvements were strategically
designed to minimize environmental impact while maximizing sustainable practices,
productivity, and energy efficiency. The CEPD used the LEED® for Commercial Interiors
2009 rating system as a framework to drive the environmental performance of the
space and is striving to receive a LEED Gold rating. LEED, or the U.S. Green Building
Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program, is a nationally
accepted green building certification. If achieved, the CEPD office space will become the
first LEED for Commercial Interiors project in Puerto Rico to attain LEED Gold.
To ensure energy-efficient operations in this office, EPA installed two new, ENERGY
STAR® qualified air conditioning units to meet the extra cooling needs required in the
network and security rooms. The units include combined ion/media filters that remove
dust, spores, and odor from the air. Additionally, all eligible equipment and appliances
(e.g., computers, monitors, scanners, printers, and refrigerators) installed are ENERGY
STAR qualified. EPA also purchased renewable energy certificates (RECs) to offset 100
percent of the CEPD's electricity use. The RECs are Green-e certified, which means they
have been verified to support specific renewable energy projects.
EPA reduced energy use associated with lighting the
CEPD seventh-floor office by incorporating daylighting
strategies, installing energy-efficient overhead lighting,
and installing daylight and occupancy sensors.
Translucent glass in office partitions and workstation
panels, along with light-reflective colors and higher
ceilings at exterior window walls, are used to enable
natural light to reach further into interior spaces. Daylight
sensors on 50 percent of the lighting load dim ceiling
fixtures when sufficient sunlight enters the space.
Overhead lighting was designed with a combination
of energy-efficient T5 fluorescent and LED fixtures to
achieve a lighting power density of 0.85 watts per square
foot, 21 percent less than the standard building code
allowance. Occupancy sensors regulate LED task lighting
in workstations and 100 percent of the overhead lighting,
turning lights off when occupants are not present.
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Sustainable Interior Features
Other Green Features
Workstation furniture such as panels, desks, chairs, and shelving is Business and
Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association (BIFMA) "level 2" certified. BIFMA's
multi-attribute, third-party certification program evaluates the material selection, energy
use, human ecosystem health impacts, and social responsibility associated with the
manufacturing of office furniture. The workstations are also certified under the Scientific
Certification Systems (SCS) Indoor Advantage™ Gold program, which sets maximum
thresholds for volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.
Each workstation is outfitted with computer equipment purchased using the Electronic
Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT), a system that helps buyers select
computers and other electronic equipment based on energy efficiency and other
environmental factors. All of the CEPD's computers are rated EPEAT Gold.
High-efficiency toilets, urinals, faucets, and a
showerhead reduce water consumption by 36 percent
compared to conventional models. Newly installed
carpeting meets the Carpet and Rug Institute Green
Label Plus criteria, contains at least 29 percent
recycled content, and is 100 percent recyclable.
Non-carpet flooring is FloorScore® certified by SCS to
comply with VOC emissions criteria.
The CEPD's reception desk is
made of Blue Mahoe, a native
Puerto Rican tree species,
which supports the local
economy and reduces the
fuel and emissions associated
with shipping material from far
away. The Blue Mahoe used
to make the desk originates
from a forest that is currently
implementing sustainable
forestry practices.
The building has a 150,000-gallon cistern to capture
rainwater and air handler condensate. This water is then
used to meet 100 percent of the building's irrigation
needs. To promote alternative transportation, EPA
installed bike lockers and a shower stall for cyclists to
use. A bus stop is located across the street from the
building's main entrance.
During the office renovation period, EPA recycled 56
percent of its construction debris and diverted nearly
45,000 pounds of furniture used in its former office
space from landfills by donating it to other federal and
local agencies in the Caribbean. During construction,
contractors followed an Indoor Air Quality Management
Plan that required low-emitting materials, ventilation
system protection, regular cleaning, and moisture and
mold prevention.
Securing Sustainability for
the Future
Ensuring that EPA continues its commitment to
environmental stewardship throughout its tenure at
City View Plaza, the CEPD developed an environmental
management system to reduce its environmental impacts
and increase its operating efficiency. EPA also worked
with the lessor to develop a Building Operations Plan
that addresses solid waste management, green cleaning,
integrated pest management, and indoor air quality
management for the space.
United States Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20460
April 2012
EPA200-F12-001
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