Cincinnati, Ohio

photo: Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center

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

Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC)

Total Facility Area: 429,646 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 800 persons
Energy Consumption: 148,768,372,200 Btu per year
Total Btu per GSF per Year: 346,258
Water Consumption: 29,011,140 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per year: 67.5

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2008.

Description

Located on a 22-acre complex five miles north of downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, AWBERC is the second largest research and development facility owned and operated by EPA. In addition to AWBERC, which includes a 7,000-square-foot Research Containment Facility, the Cincinnati research complex also includes the Testing and Evaluation Center, the Center Hill Facility, and Laboratory Annex 2.

This facility is internationally recognized for water research and has become a leader in areas of bioremediation and pollution prevention. Through this center, EPA also provides public education on the environment, emergency response training, and other programs.

2007 Appreciation Award Winner

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

In FY 2008, Phase I of the Infrastructure Replacement Project began. This multi-year, multi-phase, multi-million dollar project will replace all of the air handlers, vertical and horizontal supply ductwork, control systems, exhaust systems, and associated equipment at AWBERC. Laboratory Annex 2 was brought online in July 2007 and will serve as temporary office/swing space during this multi-year renovation. The following upgrades and replacements will be included as part of the Infrastructure Replacement Project:
- New equipment (fans, pump, and motors), which will be more efficient than the 1970’s vintage equipment being replaced.
- Variable air volume (VAV) technology, which is more efficient than the existing constant volume technology, as it automatically adjusts the supply and exhaust air to the room in response to the heating and cooling load of the room.
- Re-zoning to segregate laboratories from offices, replacing one-pass air in offices with recirculated air, thus saving energy. Currently, the entire AWBERC facility has a single-pass ventilation system.
- A heat-recovery system to recapture heating and cooling energy from the exhaust system, which will be used to pre-heat or pre-cool the incoming air.
- High-performance fume hoods that can be operated at lower flows.
In 2005, the original cooling towers that served the AWBERC facility were replaced with five new energy- and water-efficient cooling towers.
An energy master plan for the laboratory was completed in April 2003 which served as the basis for the Cincinnati Infrastructure Replacement Project.
A new energy-efficient, small capacity packaged boiler, installed in 2001, is used for summer steam requirement. This means that large boilers do not have to be run during the summer, saving energy and money.
AWBERC's original boiler burners (installed in 1974) were replaced in 2000 with more energy-efficient, low nitrogen oxide burners that are able to operate on dual fuels (natural gas and #2 fuel oil).
A central building automated heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) control system was installed in 1995 to replace the original (early 1970's) system. This system monitors and controls the operation of all mechanical systems in the AWBERC facility, and includes a night "setback" feature that conserves energy during off-peak hours. In 2000, the system was expanded to allow for more efficient operation of mechanical systems and the remote monitoring and control of equipment at outlying facilities.
Two new centrifugal chillers that are 20 percent more efficient were installed in 1999.
An 800-ton chiller was installed in 1999 to replace an existing absorption chiller, eliminating the need to run a boiler that produced steam for absorption chiller cooling during off hours.
The HVAC system was rebalanced in 1998 to reduce fume hood exhaust air volumes (an approximate 20 percent reduction in fume hood exhaust). This project also eliminated the introduction of unconditioned humid air and outside air infiltration, reducing the need to overcool/reheat for dehumidification.
In 1987, the Research Containment Facility installed a heat recovery loop that recovers heating and cooling energy from the exhaust air stream and transfers it to the supply air stream, thus saving heating and cooling costs.

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 the AWBERC facility. 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 the AWBERC facility, 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. EPA then 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 September 2009, EPA updated its water management plan (PDF) (28 pp., 589K, About PDF) for AWBERC. This plan also covers Cincinnati's Child Care facility. AWBERC's first water management plan (PDF) (18 pp, 796K, About PDF), which is superseded by the updated plan, was completed in July 2004.
Two rooftop cooling towers were installed in 1990 to provide recirculating, condensing water for the computer room and environmental chambers, thus eliminating the need to use once-through city water. An additional cooling tower was installed in 1998, rated at 150 tons, to serve 45 packaged air conditioning units that use once-through city water.
A reverse osmosis, deionized water system for laboratories replaced the original distilled water system. The new system produces high quality laboratory water more efficiently and eliminates the need to run a large boiler after hours solely to produce distilled water for laboratories.
Automated level controls were added to the cooling towers to maintain the proper amount of water in the main cooling tower, thus reducing water consumption.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

The following figures represent Cincinnati's AWBERC, Testing and Evaluation Center, and Center Hill facilities:

Between February 2001 and November 2003, approximately 183 tons of paper products generated at the Cincinnati campus were recycled. Five different grades of paper are recycled on a continuous basis, including computer paper, colored paper, newspaper, and cardboard. File stock (folders), books (paperback and hardback), magazines, slick-coated paper, envelopes, and phone books were recycled at a rate of 57 percent.
Between April 2002 and November 2003, approximately 1,100 pounds of batteries were recycled. Seven different types of batteries are recycled on a continuous basis, including alkaline (zero mercury added), lead acid gel, nickel cadmium dry, nickel metal hydride, lithium, lithium ion, and mercury button cell. The alkaline battery recycling rate was 70 percent.
All fluorescent lighting throughout the facility is recycled when its life cycle has expired. Fluorescent tubes contain mercury, which can pose environmental concerns if not recycled or disposed of properly. During 2003, approximately 1,500 tubes were recycled.
All of the petroleum products used for the facilities' mechanical operations are collected and recycled. During 2003, approximately 500 gallons of oil were recycled.
All toner cartridges are recycled into remanufactured cartridges. Approximately 350 cartridges are recycled annually.
Collection bins are placed in the cafeteria and other common areas to collect glass, aluminum, and plastic for recycling.
The Cincinnati campus established a reuse center for gently used office supplies. Personnel are encouraged to place unwanted items on the shelves and others are welcome to help themselves, rather than purchasing new supplies.

Stormwater Management

AWBERC has made low impact development (LID) techniques for stormwater management part of its commitment to become a more sustainable facility. In addition, a hypothetical stormwater management design for the facility serves as a design tool for other EPA architects and engineers studying future stormwater management possibilities. Learn more about AWBERC's hypothetical stormwater management design.

Additional Features

In coordination with the above activities, EPA's Cincinnati facilities have established an environmental management system (EMS).

For More Information

John Kappa (kappa.john@epa.gov)
U.S. EPA (MC 261)
26 West Martin Luther King Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Phone: (513) 569-7795

Web site: www.epa.gov/oarmcinc/tour1.htm