2004 Federal Energy Saver Showcase Award Winners
Parker River Visitor Center & Administrative Headquarters
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, Massachusetts
Environmentally benign construction practices make the Parker River Visitor Center and Administrative Headquarters an exemplary model of sustainable design. Special care was taken at the site to restore disturbed land to natural habitats of wetland, field, woods, and coastal areas by planting native species of trees, shrubs, forbs, and grasses and utilizing soil excavated from storm runoff cleansing basins as loam throughout the site. Green building construction incorporated the use of recycled building materials and low-VOC building materials, including engineered wood, plastic lumber, linoleum flooring, fiberboard, sheetrock, exterior decking, tile, deck piers, and carpet with high recycled content. Water conservation technologies, including directing roof runoff to groundwater recharge, recirculating geothermal well water, installing low-flush toilets, and implementing other best water management practices, save more than 500,000 gallons of water per year. Passive solar techniques such as southeast building orientation and daylighting, along with super insulation of the building envelope; high-efficiency lighting with self-adjusting dimmers; and a geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling, reduce energy use by 41 percent over a traditional office building. The geothermal heat exchange system for heating and cooling is calculated to save $9,000 in energy costs annually.
Admiral Prout Field House and Pool
U.S. Department of the Navy
Naval Base San Diego
San Diego, California
At Naval Base San Diego, the Admiral Prout Field House and Pool showcase solar technologies to 200,000 personnel who use the facility each year. On the rooftop of the gymnasium, a 10,000-square foot solar energy system comprised of 200 thermal solar collectors provides more than 60 percent of the energy needed to heat the facility's large swimming pool. A control system collects data on the pool temperature, solar water temperature and ambient sunlight, allowing the system to use either the solar panels or boiler to adjust the pool's water temperature. High output, high efficiency lighting fixtures are controlled by photocells, which turn on and off depending on the amount of ambient light entering through skylights, which allow for the lights to be turned off for much of the daylight period. Two levels of zoned lighting allows for even greater control when less lighting is needed. Additionally, a thermal solar heating project was installed using a utility energy services contract. Together, these measures reduced energy consumption by 48 percent in FY 2003.
Kansas City Science and Technology Center
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Kansas City, Kansas
EPA's Kansas City Science and Technology Center is a state-of-the-art laboratory devoted to environmental testing, research, and analysis. Developed on a former brownfield site, the facility was constructed to preserve natural resources, ensure occupancy health, and serve as a sustainable model for future laboratory design. A unique rooftop rainwater recovery system captures and filters rainwater used for flushing toilets and make-up water for the building's cooling towers. The system reduces stormwater runoff by 40 percent and saves 735,000 gallons per year. Low-flow plumbing fixtures and water-efficient landscaping also minimize water use. Environmentally-preferable products such as recycled content flooring, carpet, ceiling tiles, and building materials were used throughout construction. Energy efficient features incorporated into the laboratory's design and operation include a mechanical system with variable air volume (VAV) fume hoods, VAV office ventilation, zoned carbon dioxide sensors, plate and frame heat exchange recovery, and a combination of variable frequency drive and conventional chiller system. These features, along with reflective roofing, high-efficiency lighting, daylighting, low-e windows, and motion detectors helped reduce the facility's energy use by more than 24 percent over a typical EPA VAV laboratory, earning the facility a LEED® Version 2 Gold rating. Based on energy utilization during the first year of operation, this facility is the best performing new EPA laboratory.