Seattle, Washington

This facility features the following green attributes:
Green Power
ENERGY STAR

Region 10 Office

Total Facility Area: 141,094 rentable square feet (RSF)
Estimated Personnel: 669 persons
Energy Consumption: 9,567,606,260 Btu per year
Btu per Rentable Square Foot per Year: 67,810
Water Consumption: 1,294,878 gallons

All energy and water data are reported as of FY 2007.

Description

EPA's Pacific Northwest Regional Office (Region 10) focuses on EPA's work and mission in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Pacific Northwest Indian Country. Environmental focus areas include air quality, ecosystems, Superfund, water quality, and waste and chemical management. These issues are addressed through enforcement and compliance, grants, environmental data and assessment, environmental education, and environmental justice.

The lease for this office is nearing its expiration date. Looking forward, EPA and the General Services Administration collaborated on preparing a Seattle Region 10 Office Solicitation for Offers (SFO). The SFO was released on June 9, 2008, and offers were due July 31, 2008. A lease award is anticipated in early January 2009. The SFO incorporates requirements for sustainable features pulled from EPA’s Best Practices Lease Provisions. This document includes provisions to pursue compliance with EPAct 2005, the MOU, E.O. 13423, and EISA 2007, and obtain LEED certification for new and existing buildings.

In 1999, EPA used environmentally responsible design and construction to renovate 8,000 square feet of office space in its current Region 10 Office. This was in addition to a 1998 remodeling of the office's executive suite. Highlights from the two renovations are included below.

Unique Environmental Features

Energy Conservation

In October 2004, the Region 10 Office building was labeled an ENERGY STAR^® building.
Daylighting was maximized by limiting the number of offices on the perimeter, and installing glass beside office doors to allow more light through.
Occupancy sensors were installed in enclosed offices, and energy-efficient lighting was used throughout the renovation.

Green Power

In FY 2008, EPA continued to support the renewable energy market by purchasing green power through two separate Agencywide blanket contracts for a combined total of 380 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable energy certificates (RECs), or “green tags,” from Sterling Planet , Luminant Energy Company , and FPL Energy . These purchases will allow EPA to offset 100 percent of electricity consumption for FY 2008 and the first half of FY 2009 at the Region 10 Office, as well as many other EPA facilities across the Agency. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center, these contracts support renewable energy generation from wind and biomass resources in nine states.
In June 2006, EPA signed a contract to acquire 110 million kilowatt hours (kWh) in renewable energy certificates (RECs), or "green tags," from 3 Phases Energy Services over the period September 1, 2006 - September 30, 2007. This blanket purchase supplied EPA with enough RECs through FY 2007 to offset 100 percent of annual electricity consumption at the Region 10 Office and other EPA facilities not covered by separate green power contracts. Procured through the Defense Energy Support Center , this contract supported wind power generation in California, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

Maximizing the reuse of preexisting construction materials throughout the larger renovations (including doors and door jambs, lights, ceiling tiles, sconces, chair rails, cabinets, insulation, and door hardware) saved 12 percent of the project budget.
The office space was designed for flexibility and to reduce future construction/deconstruction costs and the associated environmental impacts. For example, reusable carpet tiles and non-marking, movable walls were installed.
Similar efforts made during remodeling of the executive suites resulted in less than five percent of the construction and demolition waste being sent to the landfill.

Green Purchasing

During remodeling of its executive offices, Region 10 purchased panel and upholstery fabrics manufactured from 100 percent recycled soda bottles, used carpet tiles specifically manufactured for renewal and reuse, and installed a granite-looking reception counter made of a composite of materials.

Other Features

All renovations used paints, adhesives, and sealants with low or no volatile organic compounds.
Charcoal filters were installed in the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system.

For More Information

Building a Green Future: A Case Study of EPA Region 10’s Building Renovations (PDF) (8 pp, 639K, About PDF)

Contact

Jonell Allamano (allamano.jonell@epa.gov)
1200 Sixth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Phone: (206) 553-2954

Web site: www.epa.gov/region10/