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Office of Administration and Resources Management’s Newsletter on Energy Conservation and Sustainable

Facilities

March 2006

In December 2005, EPAHeadquarters met itsEnvironmental ManagementSystem (EMS) goal of offsetting 100 percent of Headquarters’ estimatedelectricity use throughrenewable energy purchases.Headquarters achieved thisgoal by securing a total of 57.7 million kilowatt hoursof green power through fiveseparate contracts for fiscalyear 2006.Headquarters’ support of green power will help fundwind power projects andlandfill gas facilities, as wellas reduce annual carbondioxide emissions byapproximately 50,000metric tons.For more information aboutEPA’s green power purchases,visit <www.epa.gov/

greeningepa/greenpower.htm>

or contact Justin Spenillo at(202) 564-0639 or<spenillo.justin@epa.gov>.

EPA Expands Its Green Fleet WithHydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle Demonstration

he future may have arrived a fewyears early at EPA Headquarters.EPA’s Facilities Management and Services Division (FMSD) is leasing a GeneralMotors (GM) HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle for asix-month trial. The Agency is using the car inits executive motor pool to transport seniorexecutives to meetings in the Washington,D.C., area. During that time, both EPA and GMstaff will be able to see what kind of infrastructure, fueling, and operational challengesare posed by the use of such vehicles in areal-world environment.“About a third of EPA’s national fleet isalready either alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs)or other advanced technology vehicles suchas hybrid-electrics,” said Luis A. Luna, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Administration and Resources Management. “Thispartnership takes us a step beyond, lettingus operate a cutting-edge hydrogen fuel cellvehicle in day-to-day use. It’s just the latestexample of how EPA shows its commitmentto accelerating environmental progresswhile maintaining the nation’s economiccompetitiveness.”Hydrogen fuel cells function by harnessing the energy released by the chemical reaction of combining hydrogen and oxygen. Byamassing hundreds of fuel cells together,enough energy is supplied to power the vehicle up to 100 miles per hour, with pure watervapor as the only emission. The vehicle usedby EPA is one of a fleet of six HydroGen3s thatGM operates in the Washington, D.C., area.GM stores hydrogen fuel onboard theHydroGen3 in either compressed or liquidform. The compressed fuel system is made of two carbon composite tanks with a capacityof 3.1 kilograms of compressed hydrogenand a driving range of 170 miles. The liquidfuel system is a vacuum-insulated, stainless steel tank with a capacity of 4.6kilograms and a driving range of 250

EPA Assistant Administrator Luis A. Luna standsnext to a HydroGen3 fuel cell vehicle.

continued on page 3

ENERGIZING EPA March 2006

page 2

EPAct 2005: EPA Faces New, Tougher Energy Challenge

ith the Energy Policy Act(EPAct 2005) signed into lawon August 8, 2005, EPA facesa major challenge in meeting the newenergy efficiency goals outlined forfederal agencies, which in most casessupersede Executive Order (E.O.) 13123energy reduction targets (see below). The new EPAct 2005 goals requireenergy intensity reductions of 2 percent each year from a fiscal year (FY)2003 baseline, beginning in FY 2006and continuing through FY 2015.Because EPA’s energy use in FY 2005was 3.6 percent higher than in FY 2003,EPA must reduce energy use by 5.4percent in FY 2006 to meet the newrequirements. To achieve this goal, EPAwill have to significantly improve energy efficiency while accommodating forvariations in weather, which can affectEPA’s energy performance by 5 percentin any given year.In anticipation of these stricterrequirements, the Agency developedthe “ConservE” program, an energyconservation initiative that involvesshort- and long-term actions for eachof the 29 laboratories for which EPA isrequired to report annual energy use.EPA distributed a list of 10 operationsand maintenance (O&M) best practicesfor the facilities to attain easy, short-term energy savings from practicessuch as replacing dirty air filters, greasing motors, and reducing excessiveenergy use by boilers. EPA hopes toachieve 2 percent energy savingsnationwide from this effort.In addition, EPA has initiated a trialO&M assessment program. Throughthis program, the Agency’s SustainableFacilities Practices Branch (SFPB)recently conducted reviews at twomajor EPA facilities and found significant room for improvement in the

EPA Surpasses 2005 E.O. 13123 Energy Goal

rior to EPAct 2005, energy efficiencyrequirements for EPA laboratorieswere outlined in E.O. 13123,

Greeningthe Government Through Efficient Energy Management

, issued in 1999. The ordermandated a 20 percent decrease inenergy intensity by FY 2005 comparedto an FY 1990 baseline, but implementing guidance allowed federal agenciesto subtract, or “net out,” renewableenergy purchases from their total energy consumption.EPA consumed 357,864 British thermal units per gross square foot (Btus/GSF) in FY 1990, so the Agency’s goalfor FY 2005 was to reduce energyintensity to 286,291 Btus/GSF. By theend of FY 2005, EPA had gone wellbeyond the target by decreasingenergy intensity by more than 40 percent. Although EPA surpassed the2005 goal, it is important to note thatthe decrease in energy intensity wasdue almost entirely to the Agency’scommitment to renewable energy.EPA’s green power purchases offset 88percent of its conventional electricityuse—the highest percentage of anyfederal agency.Without “netting out” green powerpurchased in FY 2005, EPA’s energyintensity was 353,502 Btus/GSF,which is slightly less than the E.O.13123 baseline of FY 1990 and wellabove the Agency’s FY 2006 EPActgoal of 334,301 Btus/GSF. Later thisyear, the U.S. Department of Energywill release guidance for EPAct 2005energy reporting that will determinewhether or not federal agencies willbe able to continue “netting out”green power. Regardless, EPA shouldshow significant gains in actual energy conservation in FY 2006.quality of O&M contractor services,understanding of sophisticatedmechanical and control systems, andadequacy of preventative maintenanceprograms. If energy savings at the twofacilities represent potential savingsnationally, EPA can expect additionalenergy savings of up to 4 percentthrough O&M assessments planned forfive additional facilities this year. If these efforts successfully improve contractor performance and reduce facilityenergy use, the program will continuenext year.SFPB, in cooperation with EPA’sArchitectural, Engineering, and AssetManagement Branch, will also continueintermediate and long-term energyconservation projects that involve energy audits, recommissioning, mechanicalsystem upgrades, and long-rangemechanical systems master planning. Arecent independent review of the energy conservation plan by EPA’s FacilitiesManagement and Services Divisionaffirmed the principles, priorities, andstrategies adopted by the Agency toconserve energy.

Help ReduceEnergy Use

s EPA strives to meet its newenergy efficiency goals, you canhelp the Agency reduce its energyuse by:•Turning off lights, computers,monitors, copy machines, andprinters at the end of the day.•Closing laboratory fume hoods atnight.•Wearing layers to adjust to smallchanges in indoor air temperatures (personal heaters are unsafeand not allowed).•Minimizing the use of supplemental desk lights.

ENERGIZING EPA March 2006

page 3

EPA Meets Federal EMS Goal

PA rang in 2006 on a positivenote by meeting the federal goalof establishing EnvironmentalManagement Systems (EMSs) for each of its 34 reporting locations by the December 31, 2005, deadline. The goal, set byExecutive Order (E.O.) 13148,

Greeningthe Government Through Leadership inEnvironmental Management

, requiresthat all federal agencies identify appropriate facilities for EMS implementationbased on the nature and scale of theiroperations, and then establish EMSs atthese facilities to improve environmentalperformance.An EMS is a set of practices and procedures that help organizations reducetheir environmental impact and meetthe commitments made in their environmental policies. EMSs include measurable environmental goals, objectives,and strategies that are reviewed andupdated by individual facilities toachieve their respective goals. A keyelement of the system is its cyclicalstructure, which incorporates continuous planning, implementation, review,and improvement. As EMS objectives areachieved, higher objectives can beestablished to further improve facilityperformance. To self-declare EMS implementation,each EPA reporting facility was requiredto meet 12 major Agency EMS milestones, including a thorough externalreview to verify that all elements havebeen included and fully implemented.

EPA’s Environmental Science Center in FortMeade, Maryland, established the Agency’sfirst EMS in December 2002.

With new EMSs in place, each reportinglocation will now have a framework forreducing pollution and improvingresource conservation, enhancingemployee and public awareness of environmental issues, reducing costs, and

enforcing compliance of existing policies. The Environmental Science Center inFort Meade, Maryland, led the way in EMSdevelopment when it became the first EPAfacility to establish an EMS in December2002. Fort Meade, along with the Region 3and Region 9 offices, also received ISO14001 certification for their EMSs. Thoughnot required by EPA or E.O. 13148, ISO14001 certification can serve as the external accreditation for a facility’s EMS.

For more information about EPA’sEMSs, visit <www.epa.gov/ems>or contact Russelle McColloughat (202) 564-1287 or<mccollough.russelle@epa.gov>.

EPA Signs MOU forHigh Performanceand SustainableBuildings

t the White House Summit onFederal Sustainable Buildingson January 24, 2006, EPA AssistantAdministrator Luis A. Luna, alongwith representatives from 16 federal agencies, signed a Memorandumof Understanding (MOU) entitled“Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings.”By signing the MOU, these federalagencies commit to design, construct, and operate their facilities inan energy-efficient and sustainablemanner.EPA was already striving to meetthe high standards set by the MOUrequirements, but the new partnership solidifies the Agency’s commitment to making sustainablebuildings a priority. For more information about EPA’s green buildingefforts, visit <www.epa.gov/greeningepa/projects/index.htm>.

EPA Assistant Administrator Luis A.Luna signs the federal MOU.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicle

continued from page 1miles. In addition, the company is developing advanced hydrogen storage technologies, which will enable even greaterdriving range. GM’s objective is to designfuel cell systems for automobiles by2010 that have the performance, durability, and cost of today’s internal combustion engines. GM’s partner, ShellHydrogen, took a major first step towardconsumer-friendly fuel cell vehicle refueling in November 2004 when it broughthydrogen to a working retail gas stationin Washington, D.C.—the first time thishas been done in the United States.

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Environmental Protection Agency: march06 508

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