DOINews: Department of the Interior Wins Three 2013 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards

	Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area Visitor Center. Photo by NPS.
	Santa Monica Mountains Visitor Center Award Recipients, from left: Mike Carr, principal deputy assistant secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; Lisa Soghor, deputy executive director, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority; Shawn Norton, branch chief, Sustainable Operations and Climate Change, National Park Service; Cara Meyer, chief of Special Projects, MRCA; Dr. Timothy Unruh, program manager, Federal Energy Management Program, DOE. Photo by DOE.
	Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center. Photo by Terry Shapiro.
	Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center Award Recipients, from left: Mike Carr, principal deputy assistant secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE; Shawn Norton, branch chief, Sustainable Operations and Climate Change, NPS; Dr. Timothy Unruh, Program Manager, FEMP, DOE. Photo by DOE.
	San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Headquarters and Visitor Center. Photo by Jack Sparks, USFWS.
	San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex Visitor Center/Headquarters Award Recipients, from left: Mike Carr, principal deputy assistant secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, DOE; Cynthia Martinez, deputy chief, national wildlife refuge system, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Kim Forrest, refuge manager, San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, USFWS; Brian Bloodsworth, deputy assistant director - Business Management and Operations, USFWS; Dr. Timothy Unruh, program manager, FEMP, DOE. Photo by DOE.

The Department of the Interior has once again won recognition from the Department of Energy for its energy- and water-conservation efforts, earning three 2013 Federal Energy and Water Management Awards. Continuing its strong performance in this annual competition, DOI won Project Awards for (1) the National Park Service Visitor Center at the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area; (2) the NPS Visitor and Research Center at Mesa Verde National Park; and (3) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Visitor Center and Headquarters at the San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

These winning DOI projects help strengthen the nation's energy security and reliability and increase its use of renewable-energy sources. They likewise protect the environment by avoiding greenhouse-gas emissions, using water efficiently, and containing environmentally friendly materials. The winning projects also showcase efficiency features that can be replicated, offering visitors the opportunity to learn from site displays and implement similar projects.

DOE honored this year's award winners in a ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 6, in the Sidney R. Yates Auditorium in Washington, D.C. Information on each winning project follows:

National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, California, Visitor Center- Project Award. The NPS completed the first grid-tied net-zero visitor center in the National Park System, achieving the FY 2030 net-zero energy federal standard 18 years ahead of time. A 94 kilowatt (kW) solar photovoltaic (PV) system provides all the energy needs for the facility over the course of a year, and surplus energy from the system helps to offset the carbon footprint at other facilities in the NRA. The 7,000 square foot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum facility is heated and cooled by an innovative and highly efficient ground- and water-source heat pump system using an artificial pond as the primary heating and cooling source. Extensive natural lighting and high efficiency LED lighting with a daylight dimming system keeps electricity use a very low level. During the period from February 2012 to February 2013, the PV system produced over 91,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable electricity, while only 34,400 kWh of electricity was purchased from the power company, which means the building achieved about two and a half times net-zero energy use. In total, the renewable energy systems avoid greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 72 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (MT CO2e) annually, equal to taking 15 vehicles off the road for a year. Award recipients: Ric Alesch, project manager, NPS; Meghan Kish, chief of Interpretation, Santa Monica Mountains NRA; Lisa Soghor, deputy executive director, Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority; Forrest McNabb, senior vice president, Big-D Construction; Jill Jones, president, AJC Architects.

National Park Service Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado, Visitor and Research Center - Project Award. The NPS constructed a new 23,620 square foot Visitor and Research Center (VRC), a showcase high-performance building that demonstrates use of energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, recycling, and environmentally preferable materials. Performance goals for siting, energy, water, materials, and indoor environmental quality were set at the earliest stages of the building delivery process. The project achieved LEED Platinum Certification, a technically difficult feat because of the special challenges of a curatorial facility that is also open to the public. Temperature, humidity, lighting levels, and contaminants must be very carefully controlled, requiring innovative systems, careful design engineering, proper construction, and very extensive commissioning to secure the priceless and irreplaceable artifacts. The building includes improved envelope; reduced lighting; advanced controls; high-efficiency ground-source heat pumps; energy recovery; chilled beams and slabs; and on-site renewable energy systems. Energy use is estimated to be 193,893 kWh per year with 100,500 kWh provided by a 67 kW PV system — 7,552 kWh by solar water heating and 75,976 kWh/year by a micro-hydro turbine — such that renewable energy systems are capable of providing 95 percent of the building energy requirements. The VRC avoids an estimated 260 MT CO2e — as much as the annual emissions of 54 passenger vehicles or 39 homes. Award recipients: Frank Cope, facility manager, Mesa Verde NP; Bethany Mills, contracting officer, NPS; William Nelligan, assistant superintendent, Mesa Verde NP; Jodie Petersen, project manager, NPS; Scott Thomas, mechanical engineer, NPS.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, California, Headquarters and Visitor Center - Project Award. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's first net-zero energy LEED Platinum certified building, the 16,500 square foot Headquarters and Visitor Center at San Luis National Wildlife Refuge Complex, is a model of sustainability. During the first year of operation, the new building produced 103 megawatt-hours of renewable energy via nine PV arrays totaling 59.2 kW that helps save 42.2 MT CO2e annually (the annual emissions of nine cars). Seventeen new energy technologies used include: structural insulated panels; a cool roof; abundant daylighting achieved with “SolaTubes,” clerestories, and skylights, and operable low-e glazed windows; passive and evaporative cooling; and energy-efficient lighting, yielding energy performance far better than 30 percent compared to an average building. Many building elements are composed of recycled materials such as: countertops; ceiling tiles; wallboard; wheat straw cabinetry; fly ash in the concrete; and certified sustainably harvested lumber. Low-VOC carpets, paints, and adhesives provide a healthy indoor work environment. Remarkably, 90 percent of construction waste was recycled. Water use is reduced more than 35 percent with low-flow and waterless plumbing that saves approximately 396,000 gallons annually. Xeriscaping, native plants, limited drip-irrigation, and stormwater containment conserve water outdoors. Interpretation of the facility's “green” features is highlighted by dynamic, interactive exhibits for the estimated 150,000 visitors annually. Award recipients: Kim Forrest, Project Leader, San Luis NWR; Bob Parris, Deputy Project Leader, San Luis NWR; Mary Crist, Administrative Officer, San Luis NWR; Beth Ludvigsen, USFWS; Shannon Blackburn, USFWS.

By: Dan Collinge, Office of Acquisition and Property Management,
Facilities and Property Management, DOI
Nov. 25, 2013