Corvallis, Oregon

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
Water Management Plan

Western Ecology Division Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 109,940 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 121 persons
Energy Consumption: 25,880,029,040 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 235,401
Total Water Consumption: 6,321,787 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per year: 58

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.

Description

The Corvallis facility houses the Western Ecology Division of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. Research includes studies on the effects of chemical contaminants, land use, and global climate change on forests, crops, wetlands, lakes, and streams along the Pacific Coast. In an effort to reduce its own environmental impact, a sustainable master plan was developed for the facility. The Western Ecology Division also has a field and research laboratory at the Willamette Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

EPA is currently evaluating the feasibility of upgrades recommended as part of the Western Ecology Division Laboratory's sustainable master plan. Upgrades would include the facility's fume hoods, exhaust systems, building controls, and ventilation. If implemented, these upgrades would significantly decrease the facility's annual energy consumption.
In FY 2007, EPA completed repairs to the building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to provide more energy-efficient climate control.

Green Power

In June 2006, EPA signed a contract to acquire 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," from 3 Phases Energy Services over the period September 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007. This blanket purchase supplies EPA with enough RECs through FY 2007 to offset 100 percent of annual electricity consumption at the Corvallis laboratory and other EPA facilities not covered by separate green power contracts. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supports wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
In January 2005, EPA completed installation of a roof-mounted, 9.5-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) or solar energy array. The system is designed with a meter to measure the amount of energy produced by the PV array. In FY 2006, the solar array provided the facility with 5,096 kWh of electricity.
In February 2002, the laboratory began purchasing 5 percent of its annual electricity consumption from renewable sources. Starting in March 2004, the laboratory increased this green power purchase to 10 percent of electricity consumption.

Water Conservation

In August 2004, EPA completed water management plans for the main Corvallis laboratory (PDF) (17 pp, 1.0MB, About PDF) and the Willamette Research Station (PDF) (14 pp, 989K, About PDF).
The main Corvallis laboratory achieved significant water savings by replacing a computer room air conditioning unit cooled by a continuous flow of water with a unit that uses recirculated chilled glycol for cooling. By eliminating the need for single-pass cooling water, the laboratory is saving over 3 million gallons of water per year.
By installing control valves on its autoclaves, which allow water to flow only when autoclaves are operated, WEDL saves approximately 1.5 million gallons of water and between $6,000 to $9,000 annually.

Additional Features

All of the facility's chlorofluorocarbons were replaced by 1998.

For More Information

Primo Knight (knight.primo@epa.gov)
200 SW 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Phone: (541) 754-4418

Web site: www.epa.gov/wed