Houston, Texas

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

Environmental Services Branch Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 40,516 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 72 persons

FY 2003 Energy Consumption*: 22,986,489,680 Btu per year
FY 2003 Btu per GSF per Year: 567,344
FY 2012 Energy Consumption: 20,649,349,472 Btu per year
FY 2012 Btu per GSF per Year: 509,659; 10.2 percent reduction from the baseline

FY 2007 Water Consumption**: 3,123,000 gallons per year
FY 2007 Gallons per GSF per Year: 80.7
FY 2012 Water Consumption: 3,468,000 gallons per year
FY 2012 Gallons per GSF per Year: 85.6; 6.1 percent increase from the baseline

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2012.
*FY 2003 is the standard baseline year used by the federal government to measure energy conservation progress.
**FY 2007 is the standard baseline year used by the federal government to measure water conservation progress.

Description

The Houston facility provides office and laboratory space in support of regional monitoring and criminal, civil, and enforcement activities. Laboratory personnel also perform evaluations and audits of environmental monitoring laboratories and public water supply laboratories.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

The facility's cooling tower and main auxiliary heating unit are equipped with variable frequency drives, which save energy by enhancing operation of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system motors.

Green Power

EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Environmental Services Branch Laboratory with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's blanket green power contracts.

Water Conservation

In December 2011, the Region 6 Environmental Services Branch Laboratory revised its water management plan (PDF) (19 pp, 293K, About PDF).
In the summer of 2011, EPA installed a new water-efficient irrigation system at the Environmental Services Branch Laboratory. The system includes nine separate watering zones, efficient nozzles to provide more uniform water distribution, and a weather-based irrigation controller with rain and flow sensors to prevent unnecessary watering.

For More Information About This Facility

Website: www.epa.gov/region6/6lab/r6lab.htm

Stephen Reese (reese.stephen@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA Region 6 Laboratory
10625 Fallstone Road
Houston, TX 77099
Phone: (281) 983-2193

Abbas Keshavarz (keshavarz.abbas@epa.gov)
Sustainable Facilities Practices Branch
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. (3204R)
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (202) 564-5075

Note: These contacts are available only for questions about EPA's Region 6 Laboratory. If you have questions concerning something other than facility information, please contact the EPA Public Call Center in Dallas, Texas, at (800) 887-6063, or the Region 6 Laboratory main line at (281) 983-2100.