Gulf Breeze, Florida

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power

Water Management Plan

Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 79,450 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 123 persons
Energy Consumption: 17,227,699,800 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 216,837
Total Water Consumption: 6,822,061 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 86

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

Description

The Gulf Breeze laboratory is a primary research facility of the EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory under the Office of Research and Development (ORD). The Gulf Ecology Division on Sabine Island conducts research on the impact of toxic chemicals and pesticides on marine, estuarine, and wetland organisms and communities; monitors and assesses the chemical and biological status of marine and estuarine systems; predicts the ecological effects of the release of genetically altered organisms; and develops microbial strategies to degrade toxic chemicals in the environment.

2007 Award Winner

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

EPA utilizes timers on approximately 20 electric water heaters to save energy during off-peak hours.
In 1996, a Dinh-style heat pipe dehumidification system was installed in the air handling system at the Gulf Breeze laboratory. A 1998 EPA study showed that the heat pipe saved 153,775 kilowatt hours (kWh) in annual energy consumption (about 10 percent of the total) and $7,700 in annual energy costs. See the Full report: Heat Pipe Effectiveness Study for more information.

Green Power

In June 2006, EPA signed a contract to acquire 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," from 3 Phases Energy Services over the period September 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007. This blanket purchase supplies EPA with enough RECs through FY 2007 to offset 100 percent of annual electricity consumption at the Gulf Breeze laboratory and other EPA facilities not covered by separate green power contracts. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supports wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
In FY 1998, EPA installed a PV system to generate onsite electricity to light the facility's piers. On September 16, 2004, EPA's Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory was hit by the intense wind, rain, and storm surge resulting from Hurricane Ivan. Many of the laboratory facilities suffered roofing damage and the strong storm surge resulted in flooding of up to 10 inches in certain buildings. The laboratory's location on the north side of Sabine Island protected it from the brunt of the Gulf of Mexico's wave action, but parts of the facility's piers were washed away by the storm. As a result, the laboratory's photovoltaic (PV) pier lighting system is no longer operational. After extended clean-up efforts, power and water were restored to the facility in mid-October 2004. As of January 2007, there are no plans to rebuild the PV system.

Green Building

The new Computational and Geospacial Sciences Building is expected to receive LEED-NC Silver certification. The building includes an extensive rainwater capture and reuse system, which provides 100 percent of the water for the urinals and dual-flush toilets in the building and greatly lowers its potable water needs and consumption. To lower water consumption even further, high-efficiency, high-performance plumbing fixtures were installed throughout the building. The building also employs a variety of energy-efficient measures, such as occupancy sensors, many skylights and windows to increase daylighting, and a porch with a reflective roof to provide shading.

Water Conservation

In September 2007, EPA completed a water management plan for the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory (PDF) (19 pp, 547K, About PDF).
To further improve water efficiency in the future, the laboratory has included a rainwater capture and reuse system in the design for a new building on the laboratory campus.
Combined with an initiative to eliminate the use of single-pass cooling water, an adjustment to the cooling tower set points made in May 2007 should also significantly reduce overall facility water use.
Landscaping around the facility is composed of native, self-sustaining vegetation that does not require landscape irrigation.

Additional Features

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

For More Information

Clay Peacher (peacher.clay@epa.gov)
One Sabine Island Drive
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
Phone: (850) 934-9239; (850) 934-9200 (general)
Fax: (850) 934-9201

Web site: www.epa.gov/ged/welcome.htm