The 4,200-square-foot laboratory and office building is located in New Ellenton, SC, just outside the Savannah River Site on the Warner Savannah River Research Campus. The facility is home to eight SRS scientists and technicians who conduct ecological research on the forests of the Savannah River Site, which is owned by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Savannah River Forestry Sciences Laboratory is 33 percent more energy efficient than a standard building. It incorporates numerous sustainable and energy efficient features including a geothermal heating and air conditioning system, highly efficient light fixtures and windows to reduce energy use, and building materials made from recycled waste products, just to name a few. The facility includes other savings and benefits that are more difficult to measure, such as increased employee productivity because of enhanced natural lighting and improved indoor air quality. Energy models estimate that SRS is saving close to $2,000 a year through sustainable building practices at the laboratory.