Ada, Oklahoma

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

Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center

Total Facility Area: 77,875 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 160 persons
Energy Consumption: 11,996,620,408 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 154,050
Total Water Consumption: 3,806,403 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 49

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

Description

The primary mission of the Ada laboratory is to study the transport and transformation of contaminants in soil and groundwater generated by municipal, agricultural, and industrial wastes. This Office of Research and Development laboratory is the center of expertise in the study of soil and the subsurface environment.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

The Robert S. Kerr Environmental Research Center in Ada, Oklahoma, is EPA's first "Carbon Neutral" Laboratory. With work completed in 2004 on the Ada energy savings performance contract (ESPC), a ground source heat pump (GHP) system allows the laboratory to operate without natural gas for heating and reheat purposes. With the April 2005 purchase of 3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) per year of wind power green tags, EPA has offset the remaining conventional electricity it uses for pumps, fans, lights, etc. with electricity that produces no emissions. As a result, none of the energy consumed by the facility is associated with the emissions of greenhouse gases.
Based on the award of an ESPC, construction of a comprehensive energy efficiency upgrade of Ada's heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system was completed in FY 2005. The upgrade includes installation of a GHP system for heating and cooling the facility, a complete variable air volume system for air supply and fume hood air exhaust, new and upgraded fan motors, and an integrated direct digital control system for HVAC, energy, fire, and security management. ESPC commissioning was completed and accepted in June 2005. Energy use has been reduced by 45 percent compared to the pre-ESPC baseline (average FY 1994-1996).
A new Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) case study describes the retrofit project undertaken at the Ada laboratory. The case study details the various upgrades and energy-efficient systems installed in the building. The study also presents “lessons learned” from the ESPC and commissioning processes, many of which are specific to laboratory facilities. View the Ada Case Study.
Average energy use at the Ada laboratory was 21,329,200,968 Btu per year between 1994-1996. FY 2005 energy use was 11,803,376,896 Btu, representing a 45 percent reduction in energy use.
Installation of the GHP eliminated the use of natural gas for heating and reheat purposes, significantly reducing energy consumption in the Ada laboratory. In addition to the environmental benefits, geothermal systems require lower maintenance than conventional systems, which will reduce Agency expenditures. EPA estimates the energy costs for operating the laboratory with the GHP will be less than $1 per square foot, compared to the historic cost of $2.71 per square foot.

Green Power

In April 2005, EPA entered into a three-year contract with Sterling Planet , to purchase 3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power annually in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs). Procured by the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supports the generation of renewable energy from wind turbines at facilities located in Wyoming, California, and Nebraska, and will help offset 100 percent of annual electricity use at the Ada laboratory.

Green Building

As part of the facility's ESPC, Ada is one of the first EPA facilities to be retrofit in conjunction with the Laboratories for the 21st Century (Labs21) program, which focuses on improving the environmental performance of public and private sector laboratories in the United States.

Water Conservation

In November 2005, EPA completed a Water Management Plan for the Ada laboratory (PDF) (15 pp, 550K, About PDF).

Additional Features

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

For More Information

Frank Price (price.frank@epa.gov)
P.O. Box 1198
Ada, OK 74820
Phone: (580) 436-8500

Web site: www.epa.gov/ada/kerrlab.html