Corvallis, Oregon

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

Western Ecology Division Laboratory

Total Facility Area: 109,940 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 110 persons
Energy Consumption: 24,651,235,420 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 224,224
Total Water Consumption: 3,657,226 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per year: 33.3

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

Description

The Corvallis facility houses the Western Ecology Division of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory. Research at this facility includes studies on the effects of chemical contaminants, land use, and global climate change on forests, crops, wetlands, lakes, and streams along the Pacific Coast. In an effort to reduce its own environmental impact, a sustainable master plan was developed for the facility. The Western Ecology Division also has a field and research laboratory at the Willamette Research Station in Corvallis, Oregon.

Awards

Primo Knight received a fiscal year (FY) 2010 H₂Overachiever Award for helping to achieve water intensity savings at the laboratory of 37.7 percent in FY 2010 compared to FY 2009, due to improvements to the irrigation system. Projects included reducing use of supplemental irrigation, replacing broken sprinkler heads, and adjusting sprinkler head delivery.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

EPA is currently evaluating the feasibility of upgrades recommended as part of the Western Ecology Division Laboratory's sustainable master plan. Proposed upgrades include the facility's fume hoods, exhaust systems, building controls, and ventilation. If implemented, these upgrades would significantly decrease the facility's annual energy consumption.

Green Power

The Western Ecology Division Laboratory purchases 360,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year of delivered green power, equivalent to approximately 10 percent of its annual electricity consumption. This practice began in January 2002. Initially, the laboratory purchased approximately 5 percent of its annual electricity consumption in this form. Starting in March 2004, the laboratory increased this amount to 10 percent of its electricity consumption.
EPA offsets the rest of the electricity consumption at the Western 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.
EPA offsets 100 percent of the electricity consumption at the Willamette Research Station 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.
In January 2005, EPA completed installation of a roof-mounted, 9.5-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) or solar energy array. The system was designed with a meter to measure the amount of energy produced by the PV array. In FY 2010, the solar array provided the facility with 4,973 kWh of electricity.

Water Conservation

In June 2011, EPA completed revisions to the water management plans for the Western Ecology Division Laboratory (PDF) (25 pp, 876K, About PDF) and the Willamette Research Station (PDF) (24 pp, 536K, About PDF). The updated plans replace the first water management plans completed in August 2004 for the main Corvallis laboratory (PDF) (17 pp, 1.0MB, About PDF) and the Willamette Research Station (PDF) (14 pp, 999K, About PDF).
The main Corvallis laboratory achieved significant water savings by replacing a computer room air conditioning unit cooled by a continuous flow of water with a unit that uses recirculated chilled glycol for cooling. By eliminating the need for single-pass cooling water, the laboratory is saving more than 3 million gallons of water per year.
By installing control valves on its autoclaves, which allow water to flow only when autoclaves are operated, the main Corvallis laboratory saves approximately 1.5 million gallons of water and between $6,000 to $9,000 annually.

Additional Features

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

For More Information About This Facility

Website: www.epa.gov/wed

Primo Knight (knight.primo@epa.gov)
200 SW 35th Street
Corvallis, Oregon 97333
Phone: (541) 754-4418