Chelmsford, Massachusetts
![photo: New England Regional Laboratory](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/eot2008/20090513032627im_/http://www.epa.gov/oaintrnt/images/facilities/chelmsford2.jpg)
This facility features the following green attributes:
LEED 1.0 Gold
Green Power
Water Management Plan
New England Regional Laboratory (NERL)
Total Facility Area: 70,440 gross square feet (GSF)
Estimated Personnel: 82 persons
Energy Consumption: 17,373,775,000 Btu per year
Btu per GSF per Year: 246,646
Total Water Consumption: 1,166,400 gallons per year
Gallons per GSF per Year: 17
All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.
Description
The Chelmsford facility houses Region 1 and the Office of Environmental Measurement and Evaluation, and conducts chemical and biological laboratory analysis of environmental samples.
Unique Environmental Features
Energy Conservation
- Chelmsford conducted a comprehensive review of the laboratory's Building Automation System (BAS) and Controls Master Plan in October 2006. The assessment confirmed that the BAS was operating as intended and recommended recommissioning as a way to increase energy efficiency at the laboratory.
- The laboratory features variable air volume fume hoods and ventilation systems, an active and passive solar design (in the form of solar energy-producing window awnings), and extensive recycled material content.
Green Power
- In August 2005, EPA renewed its commitment to supporting green power by entering into a new, three-year contract with Select Energy
(procured by the Defense Energy Support Center
) to purchase 3 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power annually for its Chelmsford, Massachusetts, laboratory in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs). This contract supports the generation of renewable energy from wind farms in South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming, and will offset 100 percent of the electricity consumption at NERL.
- For three years (from 2001 through 2004) EPA obtained RECs for 100 percent of the Chelmsford laboratory's electricity consumption. This procurement supported the generation of green power at Green Mountain Utility's Searsburg wind farm in Vermont and a wind power source in New York.
Green Building
- In April 2003, the New England Regional Laboratory received Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®)
1.0 Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED rating system is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings.
Water Conservation
- In FY 2003, two waterless urinals were installed, reducing the use of potable water for sewage conveyance by more than 22 percent.
- The laboratory was one of the first EPA facilities to develop a formal water management plan (PDF) (20 pp, 930K, About PDF), which was implemented in FY 2003.
Stormwater Management
- The Chelmsford Laboratory has a stormwater treatment system that involves a vortex that enhances gravitational settling of sediment. See Stormwater Management at EPA Facilities for more information.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
- In June 2002, NERL received the 2002 White House Closing the Circle Award
for its recycling efforts and integrated sustainable design.
- To complement the affirmative procurement and reuse efforts of the NERL construction project, a massive on-site recycling effort was initiated. This recycling effort included the provision of bins for construction and demolition debris (e.g., concrete, brick, asphalt), metals (e.g., metal studs, duct-work, pipe), cardboard (e.g., boxes, packing materials), clean wood (e.g., scrap wood, pallets, packing materials), plastics (e.g., packing materials, bottles, food packaging), glass, gypsum drywall, carpet, rigid foam insulation, and general refuse. In particular, all soil and gravel within the limit of work was stockpiled and graded for later reuse as fill or loam. Blasted rock out-croppings were crushed with an on-site processing plant, avoiding an estimated 785 dump truck loads.
- The recycling efforts resulted in more than 50 percent of the solid waste generated from construction being diverted from the landfill and recycled.
Green Purchasing
- Extensive use of recycled content and recovered materials during construction not only saved considerable physical resources, but has also resulted in cost savings of more than $10,000.
For More Information
Visit NERL's Green Building Design Page.
Contacts
Michael Kenyon, Laboratory Director
Phone: (617) 918-8317
Bob Beane, Facilities Team
Phone: (617) 918-8353
New England Regional Laboratory
11 Technology Drive
Chelmsford, MA 01863-2431
Web site: www.epa.gov/ne/lab/index.html