Denver, Colorado

This facility features the following green attributes:
LEED-NC 2.1 Gold
Green Power
ENERGY STAR

Region 8 Office

Total Facility Area: 248,849 rentable square feet (RSF) (EPA share)
Estimated Personnel: 775 EPA personnel
Energy Consumption: 21,891,427,404 Btu per year (EPA share)
Btu per RSF per Year: 87,971
Water Consumption: 4,894,554 gallons per year
Gallons per RSF per Year: 19.7

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2012.

Description

EPA's Region 8 covers the mountain states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. In January 2007, the Region 8 Office relocated to a new facility leased by the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) for EPA. EPA occupies the nine-story building through a 10-year lease with GSA. In September 2007, the facility received the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC's) LEED^® for new construction version 2.1 Gold certification. The facility, a product of more than three years of planning, design, and construction, serves as a hallmark of environmental sustainability in its Lower Downtown Historic District location.

Awards

William Daniels, Tammy James, and Joseph Chisholm of the Region 8 Office in Denver, Colorado, received a fiscal year (FY) 2010 Leading Edge Award for their continued work investigating energy management tools and energy reduction equipment and methods during: facility projects, modifications, remodels, and utility usages. Specific projects include implementation of electrical submetering; identification and cost analyses for replacement of individual occupant task lighting to LED table top fixtures; data center/server room submetering and tracking; investigation of renewable energy solar equity purchasing; and electric car charging/outlet station feasibility analysis.
Kim Bartels, Virginia Till, Elizabeth Rogers, Kate Gregory, Joseph Chisolm, Whitney Trulove-Cranor, Linda Walters, Katie Romero, Patty Provencher, Michelle Reichmuth, Tammy James, Christopher Razzazian, Nat Miullo, Blake Huff, William Daniels, John Brink, Ted Lanzano, John Campbell, Tim Rehder, Christopher Ayala, and Barbara Conklin won an FY 2010 Waste Warrior Award for developing and implementing a compostable waste collection program. The team modified the facility's GSA lease to include composting services; purchased and installed new bins and biodegradable bags; created and installed new signage, and educated and trained employees about the new waste diversion process. The composting team estimates that this program has boosted the facility's recycling rate from 65 percent to 85 percent.

Environmental Features

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more.

To learn more about the energy-efficient design features at the Region 8 Office, view the following documents:

Setting a Standard for Sustainable Design (PDF) (2 pp, 1.8MB), created by EPA and GSA.
EPA Region 8 Headquarters USGBC Greenbuild Conference Brochure (PDF) (4 pp, 2.9MB), created by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects.

Energy Conservation

The building in which the Region 8 Office is located was awarded the ENERGY STAR^® in 2008, with a score of 96.

Photo of floor air vents at the Region 8 Office.
The under-floor air delivery system saves energy since air is delivered from below the occupant and therefore does not require as much cooling as air from overhead ducts.
The heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system is set to work at the lowest possible cooling loads in warm weather from high discharge air temperature (63°F). This allows for the use of warmer chilled water on all but the most humid days, which extends the use of chilled water from the cooling towers.
Daylight dimming controls on areas of the building perimeter reduce the amount of light needed when there is sufficient natural sunlight.
The building design provides for natural light in 85 percent of floor space. Reflective surfaces, task lighting, daylighting dimmers and occupancy sensors reduce energy use because the lights are only on when the room is occupied and automatically turn off in empty rooms.
Air side economizers and a heat recovery system reduce emissions and improve energy performance.

Green Power

EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Region 8 Office with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's blanket green power contracts.
In November 2006, 10 kilowatts of photovoltaics (PVs) were added to the 9th floor penthouse roof. The array is composed of 48 panels, which produce 215 watts each. The grid-tied PV system provides power when the emergency generator is running to reduce generator load and fuel consumption.

The PV panels located on the roof of the Region 8 Office.

Green Building

Through lease documents, EPA and GSA required that the building be certified at the LEED for new construction Silver level at a minimum. However, the building was able to achieve LEED for new construction version 2.1 Gold certification. View the LEED Scorecard for Denver (PDF) (1 pg, 38K).

Green Roof

Photo of the Region 8 Office's green roof with a view of downtown Denver.

The upper levels of the building feature a three-terraced, 20,000-square-foot green roof.
The extensive planting scheme consists of grasses, perennials, and groundcovers selected in accordance with the U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone classification in 2'x2' or 2'x4' modules with 4" soil depth.
The green roof is expected to minimize heat island effects, absorb carbon dioxide, and contribute to an estimated 26.7 percent reduction in stormwater runoff.
More information on the green roof can be found on EPA's Region 8 website.

Water Conservation

The building maximizes water conservation through low-flow plumbing fixtures, water-conserving mechanical system design, and low-maintenance landscape design using sustainable and native species.
All plumbing fixtures have low-flow devices including aerators and auto-closing faucets to reduce water and energy use.
Non-water-using urinals installed in men's restrooms reduce water consumption by 36 percent. Dual flush toilets were also installed in women's restrooms.

Waste Reduction and Recycling - Operations

An extensive facility recycling program and green housekeeping measures focus on a sustainable, healthy, and productive work environment.

Other Features

Indoor air quality is controlled through careful placement of exhaust and air intakes and the use of low volatile organic compound interior adhesives, paints, sealants, and caulks, as well as environmentally preferable janitorial and cleaning products.
Some of the floors are made of bamboo, which is a rapidly renewable fiber and has a lower environmental impact than traditional wood floors.
The building's location near Denver's Union Station offers access to multiple public transportation options, and extensive bike parking and shower facilities are available in the building.
Interior shades, exterior vertical fins, and atrium sails control daylight, solar heat gain and glare.

Photo of sails in Denver Region 8 Office atrium.

Close up photo of sails in Denver Region 8 Office atrium.

Sails in the building atrium help alleviate glare and control heat from daylighting.

For More Information About This Facility

Website: www.epa.gov/region8

Bill Daniels (daniels.william@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202
Phone: (303) 312-6074

To take a tour of the Denver Region 8 Office, please visit this page: www.epa.gov/region8/building/tourrequest.html
or contact:

Wendy Dew
Outreach and Education Coordinator
U.S. EPA Region 8
1595 Wynkoop Street, 8OC
Denver, CO 80202
dew.wendy@epa.gov
Phone: (303) 312-6605
www.epa.gov/region8/ee
www.epa.gov/students
blog.epa.gov/students
www.epa.gov/education