Gulf Breeze, Florida

This facility features the following green attributes:

LEED-NC 2.2 Silver
Green Power
Water Management Plan
Native Landscaping

Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 78,006 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 123 persons
Energy Consumption: 17,838,863,852 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 228,686
Total Water Consumption: 7,183,520 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 92.1

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2010.

Description

The Gulf Breeze laboratory is a primary research facility of EPA's 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.

Unique Environmental Features

EPA's Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Building #67, received the U.S. Green Building Council's version 2.2 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Silver level certification for new construction (NC) in April 2009. 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 Gulf Breeze (1 pp, 83K, About PDF).

Energy Conservation

The new Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building 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.
EPA utilizes timers on approximately 20 electric water heaters to save energy during off-peak hours.

Green Power

EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory 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.

Green Building

EPA's Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building in Gulf Breeze, Florida, Building #67, received the U.S. Green Building Council's version 2.2 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver-level certification for new construction (LEED^®-NC) in April 2009. View the LEED scorecard for Gulf Breeze (1 pp, 83K, About PDF).

Water Conservation

The Computational and Geospatial Sciences 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.
EPA completed a revision of its water management plan for the Gulf Ecology Division Laboratory (PDF) (22 pp, 484K, About PDF) in July 2010. The previous plan (PDF) (19 pp, 547K, About PDF), which is superseded by the revision, was completed in September 2007.
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 has helped the facility reduce water use.
Landscaping around the facility is composed of native, self-sustaining vegetation that does not require landscape irrigation.

Stormwater Management

The facility has a grassed swale, which helps convey stormwater from impervious surfaces to those that can detain or absorb runoff. For more information, see Stormwater Management at EPA Facilities.

For More Information About This Facility

For a more detailed summary of the Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building's environmental features, including photos, view Sustainable Facilities at EPA: Computational and Geospatial Sciences Building, Gulf Breeze, Florida (PDF) (4 pp, 1.3 MB).

Website: www.epa.gov/ged/

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