DOINews: Department of the Interior Wins Three Federal Energy and Water Management Awards

01/27/2015
Last edited 09/05/2019
Headquarters and Visitor Center at Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge – La Crosse District, Wisconsin
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Headquarters and Visitor Center at Upper Mississippi National Wildlife and Fish Refuge – La Crosse District, Wisconsin, is a winner of the 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Project Award. Photo by William Wilson, Midwest Region, USFWS.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service award recipients join Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell for a group photo. (From left: David Guthrie, USFWS energy coordinator; Cynthia Martinez, deputy chief, National Wildlife Refuge System; Tiffany Breske, contracting officer; Jewell; Andrew McDermott, supervisory general engineer; Brian Bloodsworth, deputy assistant director, Business Management and Operations; Debbie Beck, regional chief, National Wildlife Refuge System; and Marilyn Brower, chief, Division of Engineering.) Photo by Mathew John, NPS.
Project Award recipients: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters and Visitor Center at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - La Crosse District, Wis.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service award recipients pose for a group photo. (From left: Dr. Timothy Unruh, Federal Energy Management Program director, Department of Energy; Cynthia Martinez; Andrew McDermott; Tiffany Breske; Debbie Beck; Brian Bloodsworth; and Dr. Kathleen Hogan, deputy assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE.) Photo by Ken Shipp, DOE.
Wet Lab Water Flow, USGS Great Lakes Science Center
The U.S. Geological Survey's Great Lakes Science Center Wet Laboratory Upgrade is a winner of the 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Project Award. Photo by USGS.
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U.S. Geological Survey award recipients gather for a group photo with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. (From left: Scott McIlhargey, facility operation specialist, now with U.S. Forest Service; Pamela Dei, mechanical engineer; Kristine Murray, contracting officer; Jewell; Russell Strach, director, Great Lakes Science Center; Melissa Kostich, biological technician; and Jess Weaver, acting deputy director, USGS.) Photo by Mathew John, NPS.
Project Award recipients: U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center Wet Laboratory Upgrade
U.S. Geological Survey award recipients pose for a group photo. (From left: Dr. Timothy Unruh, FEMP program director; Russell Strach; Kristine Murray; Melissa Kostich; Scott McIlhargey; Pamela Dei; and Dr. Kathleen Hogan, DOE.) Photo by Ken Shipp, DOE.
Drought Conditions, Oklahoma
The Bureau of Reclamation's Oklahoma-Texas Area Office Visualizing Water Savings at Mountain Park Project is a winner of the 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Program Award. Above is a Reclamation photo of drought conditions in Oklahoma.
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Bureau of Reclamation award recipients gather for a group photo with Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. (From left: Matt Warren, Facility Operations Group supervisor; Nicholas Garmon, civil engineer; Jewell; James Allard, deputy area manager, Oklahoma-Texas Area; Darion Mayhorn, civil engineer.) Photo by Mathew John, NPS.
Program Award recipients: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Oklahoma-Texas Area Office Visualizing Water Savings at Mountain Park Project .
Bureau of Reclamation award recipients pose for a group photo. (From left: Dr. Timothy Unruh, FEMP Program Director; Estevan Lopez, then principal deputy commissioner and now commissioner, Reclamation; Matt Warren; Nicholas Garmon; Michael J. Ryan, Great Plains regional director, Reclamation; Darion Mayhorn; James Allard; and Dr. Kathleen Hogan, DOE.) Photo by Ken Shipp, DOE.

The Department of the Interior has won recognition from the Department of Energy for its energy- and water-conservation efforts, earning three 2014 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. Continuing its strong performance in this annual competition, DOI won Project Awards for (1) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters and Visitor Center at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - La Crosse District and (2) the U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center Wet Laboratory Upgrade; and (3) a Program Award for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Oklahoma-Texas Area Office Visualizing Water Savings at Mountain Park Project.

These winning DOI projects and program help strengthen the nation's energy security and reliability and increase its use of renewable energy resources. They likewise protect the environment by avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions, using water efficiently, and containing environmentally friendly materials. The winning projects showcase efficiency features that can be replicated, offering visitors the opportunity to learn from site displays and implement similar projects, while the program contains a public outreach component that encourages conservation measures at home.

DOE honored this year's award winners in a ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Before the ceremony, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell welcomed DOI's award winners into her office for a photo opportunity. Jewell thanked the award winners for taking risks and thinking beyond normal business practices to improve the sustainability of DOI operations and engage the public in these important efforts.

Information on each winning project follows:

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Headquarters and Visitor Center at the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge - La Crosse District, Wisonsin - Project Award. Each aspect of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver-certified center's design, construction, and operation exemplifies sustainability. The center uses multiple cost-effective, innovative strategies to reduce energy and water consumption within the building. The facility was built using environmentally friendly, regionally extracted and manufactured materials. Outdoors, water-efficient landscaping with native plant species avoids chemical use and eliminates irrigation, while storm water containment and drainage swales boost water conservation. Renewable energy systems include a geothermal heat-pump system, three solar collectors to provide hot water for the building, and a 156-panel, roof-mounted solar-photovoltaic system. All of these technologies combine to achieve a remarkable energy performance of at least 44 percent better than an average building. The total energy cost saved from solar PV production in 2013 was $4,702; meanwhile, 29,590 gallons of potable water are saved annually, for a cost savings of $1,480 per year. All told, the project prevents greenhouse-gas emissions equivalent to 18 cars each year. Award recipients: Debbie Beck, chief of Facilities – Refuges Region 3; Tiffany Breske, contracting officer; Andrew McDermott, supervisory general engineer; James Nissen, project leader; and Craig Swedenborg, regional engineer.

U.S. Geological Survey Great Lakes Science Center Wet Laboratory Upgrade - Project Award. Prior to the wet lab upgrade, almost all the original equipment was past its useful life and significant maintenance was required to maintain and operate the system. The project upgraded the distribution and discharge systems, changed the water supply from well water to city water, installed new PVC piping to reduce the risk of clogging, and drastically lowered the need for pumping energy. The system now operates as a re-circulating water system, conserving roughly 52.6 million gallons per year that were previously drawn from the local aquifer. Water is no longer discharged to the storm-water system, eliminating the need for a $9,000 annual discharge permit. The use of a recirculating system also reduced the operation of the facility's chillers, saving 350,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and preventing the emission of greenhouse gases equal to the annual emissions of 51 cars. In FY 2013, the GLSC electricity consumption was 32 percent less than FY 2011 when the wet lab was last in full operation. Lastly, the new system provides at least 50 percent more capacity than the old, enabling the researchers to better fulfill their mission. Award recipients: Pamela Dei, mechanical engineer; Melissa Kostich, biological technician; Scott McIlhargey, facility operation specialist; Kristine Murray, contracting officer; and Russell Strach, director, Great Lakes Science Center.

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Oklahoma-Texas Area Office Visualizing Water Savings at Mountain Park Project - Program Award. Working with the Mountain Park Master Conservancy District (District), the Oklahoma-Texas Area Office developed a reservoir drought forecast model to estimate future water availability under continuing drought conditions. Use of this model increased understanding of the severity of the ongoing drought, and led to significant water conservation measures. Reclamation's Tom Steed Reservoir in southwest Oklahoma serves as the primary water supply for the cities of Altus, Snyder, and Frederick, and for the expanding Altus Air Force Base. This region has experienced extreme drought conditions for several years, causing cotton crop losses and an estimated $250 million direct impact on the local economy per year. The drought forecast model, along with public awareness about the reservoir outlook, led all three cities to create water conservation plans and implement water conservation measures. These water conservation efforts allowed the District to realize a 37 percent reduction in water deliveries (approximately 1.14 billion gallons) from Tom Steed Reservoir compared to 2012 and a savings of approximately $40,000 of energy, which has eliminated the emission of greenhouse gases equal to the average annual emissions of 95 cars. Award recipients: James Allard, deputy area manager, OK-TX Area; Nicholas Garmon, civil engineer; Darion Mayhorn, civil engineer; and Matt Warren, facility operations group supervisor.

By: Dan Collinge, Office of Acquisition and Property Management, Facilities and Property Management, DOI
Jan. 27, 2015

Related Link:

DOI-PAM-Energy Management Program

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