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Cincinnati, Ohio
This facility features the following green attributes:
LEED-NC 2.1/2.2 Gold
Green Power
Native Landscaping
Laboratory Annex 2
Total Facility Area: 42,750 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 70 persons
Energy Consumption: not available
Btu per GSF per Year: not available
Total Water Consumption: not available
Gallons per GSF per year: not available
Laboratory Annex 2 does not report its own numbers for energy and water use. They are reported as part of the overall reporting data from the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC), to which Laboratory Annex 2 is attached.
Description
EPA recently completed its 42,750-GSF Research Support Annex (Annex 2) for the Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC) located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The north wing of Annex 2 was completed and occupied in September 2007, and the west wing was completed and occupied in January 2008. Half of Annex 2 is being used as permanent office space for various agencies, and the other half is serving as temporary “swing space” during a major Infrastructure Replacement Project (IRP) at AWBERC. The IRP is a multi-year, multi-phase, multi-million-dollar project that will replace all of the air handlers, vertical and horizontal supply ductwork, control systems, exhaust systems, and associated equipment at AWBERC. Eventually, Annex 2 will house 70 EPA employees permanently and will free up office space in AWBERC that can be converted to accommodate new laboratories. 
Unique Environmental Features
Annex 2 received the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)
Gold-level certification for new construction in December 2008. The LEED rating system is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings, which promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability. View the LEED scorecard for Annex 2 (PDF) (1 pp, 76K, About PDF).
Energy Conservation
- Annex 2 features state-of-the-art, energy-efficient building systems, including temperature controls, variable air volume air and water side economizers that allow for 100 percent outside air ventilation when possible, and under-the-floor ventilation that reduces energy use by an average of 6 percent. The ventilation system also allows for optimum comfort levels for building occupants.
- Because of its energy-efficient design, no additional heating or cooling equipment needed to be installed in Annex 2. The facility draws all of its heating and cooling needs from the existing primary system located in the main AWBERC building.
- Extensive daylighting around the perimeter of the building, a skylight in the ceiling, and occupancy sensors throughout the building combine to provide maximum daylight exposure and minimize the use of artificial light.
- An 8,322-square-foot green roof helps conserve energy by providing thermal insulation.
- Advanced metering at the facility, including sub-metering for electrical and water use, helps building facility managers identify and fix any power drains and water leaks before they continue or get worse.
Green Power
- In late FY 2008, EPA finalized a contract for 17 million kilowatt hours (kWh) worth of renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," to offset electricity consumption at the Agency’s facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, including Annex 2. This purchase partially offset these facilities' electricity consumption in FY 2008, offset 100 percent of their electricity consumption in FY 2009, and is projected to partially offset their electricity consumption in FY 2010. (The remainder was or will be offset through the Agency's blanket contracts.) Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center, this contract supports wind power generation in Texas.
- EPA offsets the rest of the electricity consumption at the Agency’s facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio, including Annex 2, with renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased through the Agency's current blanket green power contract. Learn more about EPA's current and past blanket green power contracts.
- September 2007 marked the final month of a green power contract that had offset electricity consumption at EPA’s Cincinnati, Ohio, laboratories for the past six years. At that point, to ensure that Annex 2 offset its electricity use, EPA arranged for a 90-day extension of its Cincinnati green power contract to offset the electricity consumption of the entire Cincinnati campus through the first quarter of FY 2008. Through this contract, which began in October 2007, EPA purchased 4.2 million kWh of wind power, or three months of estimated annual electricity consumption at the Agency’s Cincinnati laboratories.
Water Conservation
- In addition to advanced metering for water use, all plumbing fixtures installed in Annex 2 are water-efficient (e.g., dual-flush toilets) and are expected to reduce the facility’s water use by 35 percent from the baseline fixture performance requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
- The facility grounds feature xeriscaping and native vegetation that requires no additional water for irrigation.
Stormwater Management 
- In the triangular courtyard between Annexes 1 and 2, EPA incorporated low impact development sustainable landscaping, including permeable pavement and native vegetation. This feature, along with the building's 8,322-square-foot green roof, will help to manage stormwater runoff in the area and minimize the heat island effect of the building.
Waste Reduction and Recycling - Construction
- During the construction process, EPA selected recycled-content and/or local materials and supplies and diverted 95 percent of construction wastes from landfills through exemplary waste management.
Waste Reduction and Recycling - Operations
- EPA installed recycling bins throughout the Annex 2 facility and implemented a recycling program for mixed paper, corrugated cardboard, plastic, glass, aluminum cans, fluorescent lamps, and batteries.
Additional Features
- In coordination with the above activities, EPA's Cincinnati facilities have established an Environmental Management System (EMS).
For More Information
Contact
Shawn Lafferty (lafferty.shawn@epa.gov)
EPA
26 W. Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Phone: (513) 569-7771
Web Site: www.epa.gov/oarmcinc/index.htm