A study conducted by a research team at the University of Washington, titled Targeting 100!, identifies a process for newly constructed hospitals that integrates architectural, mechanical and central plant systems to reduce energy consumption by an average of 62 percent.

The biggest breakthrough comes from addressing the reheating of centrally-cooled air, which is the largest contributor to wasted energy in a hospital, representing more than 40 percent of annual heating energy usage. By combining energy-reduction design solutions – including sun and daylight shading controls, vacant room sensors, outdoor air supply with heat recovery systems, modified air delivery systems, thermal energy storage, and improved air-tightness and high insulation values in windows and walls – a newly constructed, code-compliant hospital in the range of Targeting 100! saves between $500,000 and $800,000 a year in energy costs.

Hospitals looking to capitalize on AHA incentives to upgrade their current facilities may also improve energy performance by using similar strategies during renovations.

The study looked at six distinct and diverse climate zones in the United States’ most populous regions – including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Phoenix and Seattle – to determine if integrated design methods could cut energy consumption and operating costs for hospitals nationwide. The team conducted a complete reassessment of the architectural systems, building mechanical systems and central plant systems to find a code-compliant path that achieves the highest-quality, lowest-energy hospital design for the least additional capital cost.

The resulting integrated-design approach delivers a 62 percent average reduction in energy consumption across all climate zones, and a 9 percent year-over-year average return on investment. Depending on the climate zone, local construction and utility costs, and design scheme, hospitals can see up to a 51 percent return on investment.

The Target 100! Research was supported by the Department of Energy and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance. The research also included intensive peer review by engineers, general contractors, utilities, hospital CEOs and facilities managers.

Hospitals are notorious energy hogs. Because they operate 24/7 and must follow strict lighting, air circulation and heating codes, they eat up 2.5 times the energy as a commercial building of the same size. A typical hospital’s energy bill runs $1-3 million a year depending on its size and location. However, energy represents just one or two percent of a hospital’s operating costs, so sometimes does not get the attention of top administrators, according to the research report.

When handling hazardous chemicals, what is the best way to communicate their dangers?

The Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals is a new worldwide initiative for the standardized classification of hazardous chemicals and a communication system to convey information regarding their proper use and handling.

Currently many systems for the classification and labeling exist between and within countries. This is costly for companies working with different systems, difficult for governments to regulate, and dangerous for workers handling the chemicals who may find a system unfamiliar or confusing. The goals of implementing GHS are: reduce costs, streamline regulatory procedures, increase safety through a universal set of rules for classifying hazards, and use of the same format and content for labels and safety data sheets.

The GHS’ universalized classification of chemical hazards sets a foundation for the accurate and clear exchange of information pertaining to their use. This makes international business within industries that use chemical products anywhere in their development not only safer, but more sustainable. The GHS employs this new classification system to provide clear and consistent communication with regards to the handling of hazardous chemicals. To use this system and have it implemented everywhere would mean better production for companies, increased well-being of employees, and fewer injuries.

Furthermore, a standardized system of classifying and communicating about hazardous chemicals is essential in today’s complex, global economy. The GHS streamlines communication domestically and internationally, in between governments, companies, chemical handlers and users, emergency responders and the public. The GHS vastly reduces the need for multiple tests and evaluations during the trade and transport of hazardous chemicals. This allows for increased trade, reduced costs and greater efficiency of government regulatory procedures.

In addition to facilitating greater economic success for the hazardous chemical industry, the GHS prioritizes the health and safety of those working with chemicals. The consistent GHS labeling procedures and Safety Data Sheet format reduces confusion and misunderstanding about the properties of chemicals and how to properly transport and handle them. The GHS also promotes better emergency response to chemical incidents, as emergency responders can better recognize what chemicals may be involved at the scene and respond quickly and appropriately.

The implementation of GHS will make industries that need this form of communication systems vastly more sustainable. Companies will earn more on production, reduce hazards, which in turn reduces the amount spent on worker’s compensation, and likely reduce liability and insurance costs.

The GHS classification method includes an environmental hazard with the aim to not only protect the safety of individuals involved in the production, trade and use of hazardous chemicals, but also to protect the environment. With the importing and exporting hazardous chemicals, careful transportation and handling is key to not letting these chemicals negatively interact with the outside world.

Molly Banton works with CLMI Safety Training in Minneapolis. CLMI specializes in GHS safety training

Researchers have found a low-grade cotton from West Texas that might be able to clean oil spills more effectively and more eco-friendly than other methods currently in use. According to the study, one pound of the cotton can soak up more than 30 pounds of oil.

In a new study, researchers used unprocessed raw cottons to soak up oil, becoming one of the first studies to collect data on cotton and oil spills. Seshadri Ramkumar, the lead author of the study, said that he and his colleagues found that low-micronaine cotton is the most effective type of cotton at soaking up oil. Because this type of cotton is low-quality, it could also prove to be a cheaper option for cleaning up oil spills.

“In this region, about 10 percent of the cotton grown in West Texas is low micronaire,” said Ramkumar. “It doesn’t take a dye well, so it gets discounted. However, because low-micronaire cotton is less mature, it shrinks, and you are able to pack more fiber into a given area. The strength here is that the low-micronaire cotton absorbs the most crude oil. The oil is not only stuck to surface, the oil gets absorbed into the fiber.”

Barley straw and polypropylene wool have also been tested by other scientists for oil spills, but Ramkumar said those fibers still left big gaps in research, leaving room for improvements. This low-grade cotton proves to be significant in oil cleanup because it picks up oil by both absorption and adsorption, which makes the oil stick to the outer surface of the cotton.

New Hampshire, USA — Nevada’s major public utility NV Energy announced Wednesday that it plans to shutter its four coal plants in southern Nevada and increase its investment in renewable energy and natural gas. Three of its coal plants will be shut down by 2014, and the fourth is scheduled to close its doors by 2017. NV Energy is calling its proposal “NVision,” and included it as an amendment in Senate Bill 123.

The plan calls for 553 megawatts of coal to be replaced with 40 percent renewable energy, which will consist of solar, wind and geothermal, and 60 percent natural gas. According to the bill, NV Energy must own and operate at least 25 percent of its 600-MW renewable share and construct or acquire 1,000 MW of natural gas in the next five years, and 1,000 additional MW of natural gas in the 10 years – all of which is to be produced in Nevada. NVision is expected to create 4,700 construction jobs and more than 200 permanent operations and maintenance positions in the next 12 years.

“This does three things: it retires coal from Nevada, builds renewables, and it creates jobs,” said Tony Sanchez, NV Energy senior vice president in a statement.

Despite these benefits, several groups have criticized certain aspects of the plan. For example, NV Energy predicts that the plan will result in a 4 percent price hike for consumers over the next 20 years – but Dan Jacobsen of the Bureau of Consumer Protection told the Las Vegas Sun that he believes rates would go up by 8 percent in the next ten years. The bill calls for ratepayers to recover the costs for closing the coal plants and the construction operations and maintenance of the new renewable energy facilities. If the bill is enacted, these hikes would begin on the first day of the next financial quarter.

“We must stop putting coal pollution in the air, but we also need to make sure NV Energy doesn’t use this as an excuse to take even more money from ratepayers to pad its already enormous profits,” said Bob Fulkerson, executive director of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada to the Reno Gazette Journal.

The Sierra Club released a statement arguing that while it is good news for Nevada to step away from coal, natural gas fracking is not a long-term answer. The organization believed that NV Energy should invest in more renewable generation and energy efficiency efforts, which it argues could counter price hikes.

“Energy efficiency can put money right back into the pockets of consumers every month,” said Jane Feldman, Sierra Club state Energy Task Force chair. “And if we build more renewable energy, costs remain stable for decades because the fuel costs for solar, wind and geothermal are free.”

If passed, the Public Utilities Commission would have 210 days to review the bill and request changes.

“When liquid mercury is spilled, it forms droplets that can accumulate in very small spaces and then emit vapors into the air. Mercury vapor in the air is odorless, colorless, and very toxic. Therefore, all mercury spills, regardless of quantity, should be treated seriously.”

Mercury spills less than or equal to the amount in a thermometer. EPA recommends that the following procedures be followed to clean up mercury spills less than or equal to the amount in a thermometer:

• Remove everyone, including pets, from the area in which cleanup will take place. Do not allow assistance from children.
• IF you are using powdered sulfur, sprinkle it over the spill area at this time. Powdered sulfur may be purchased from laboratory, chemical supply and hazardous materials response supply manufacturers. Please note that powdered sulfur may stain fabrics a dark color. Users should understand the product and how to use it, and should not breathe in the powder.  The sulfur does two things:
  • It makes the mercury easier to see, since there is a color change from yellow to brown.
  • It keeps the mercury from vaporizing.

• Put on rubber or latex gloves.
• If there are any broken pieces of glass or sharp objects, pick them up with care. Place all broken objects on a paper towel. Fold the paper towel and place in a Ziplock ® bag. Secure the bag and label the bag accordingly.
• Use a squeegee or piece of cardboard to gather mercury beads. Use slow sweeping motions to keep mercury from becoming uncontrollable. Use a flashlight to look for any additional mercury beads that may be sticking to the surface or in small cracked areas of the surface.
• Use the eyedropper to collect or draw up the mercury beads. Slowly and carefully squeeze mercury onto a damp paper towel. Place the paper towel in a Ziplock® bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag.
• After removing the larger beads, put shaving cream on top of a small paint brush and gently blot the affected area to pick up smaller, hard-to-see beads.  Use sticky tape to pick up any remaining glass fragments.  Place the paint brush and duct tape in a Ziplock® bag and secure. Make sure to label the bag.
• Place all materials used for the cleanup in a trash bag. Place all mercury beads and objects into the trash bag. Secure trash bag and label bag. Remember to remove gloves and place in trash bag.
• Contact your local health department or your local fire department for proper disposal in accordance with local, state, and federal laws.
• Remember to keep a window open for at least 24 hours after your successful cleanup. Continue to keep pets and children out of cleanup area. If sickness occurs, seek medical attention immediately.
• Mercury can be cleaned up easily from wood, linoleum, tile, and any other like surfaces. If a spill occurs on carpets, curtains, upholstery, or other like surfaces, these contaminated items should be thrown away in accordance with the proper disposal practices. Only cut and remove the affected portion of the contaminated carpet for disposal.

Mercury spills more than the amount in a thermometer. EPA recommends that the following procedures be followed to clean up mercury spills more than the amount in a thermometer:

• Isolate the area.
• Turn down temperature.
• Open windows.
• Don’t let anyone walk through the mercury.
• Don’t vacuum.
• Contact a fire department or public health official.

Mercury spills greater than 1 pound (lb) (2 tablespoons). EPA requires that the National Response Center must be contacted any time 1 lb or more of mercury is spilled.

The compliance date is May 10, 2013, by which farms covered by the rule must prepare or amend and implement their plans.

The compliance date has arrived for certain farms to prepare or amend and implement Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) plans. EPA’’ SPCC rule includes requirements for oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response to prevent oil discharges to navigable waters and adjoining shorelines, and the rule requires specific facilities to implement these plans.

The plans will help farms prevent oil spills and control a spill if one does occur. EPA’s Oil Information Center (800-424-9346) can answer questions about the agency’s SPCC program, and its SPCC for Agriculture web page links to numerous information sources.

SPCC applies to a farm that:

• Stores, transfers, uses, or consumes oil or oil products — such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil or animal fat; and
• Stores more than 1,320 U.S. gallons in total of all aboveground containers (only count containers with 55 gallons or greater storage capacity) or more than 42,000 gallons in completely buried containers; and
• Could reasonably be expected to discharge oil to navigable waters of the United States or adjoining shorelines, such as lakes, rivers, and streams.

One hotel in Reno, Nevada is not like the others, but not for the reasons you’d expect. Sure, the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino’s two 19-story towers are unique, as are the 2.1 million square foot (195,000 sqm) interior, 1,635 guest rooms, 43,000 square-foot (3,995 sqm) spa, Tuscan-themed decor and larger-than-life casinos, restaurants and nightclubs.

This difference is one you can’t see: how it’s heated. Water from a geothermal aquifer 4,400 feet (1.34 kilometers) underground powers the Peppermill’s massive heating and hot water systems, saving a cool $2 million annually versus its former, conventional power source, natural gas.

Geothermal expert Dr. Jim Combs of Geo Hills Associates calls the Peppermill “the only resort in the United States whose heating source is totally provided from geothermal energy produced on the immediate property.” Going green has earned the Peppermill commendations from far and wide, including the U.S. Congress.

Here’s a simple explanation of how it works:

1 – Water at 174° Fahrenheit (79° Celsius) is pumped from beneath the property, up to 1,200 gallons (4,542 liters) per minute.

Dean Parker, Executive Director of Facilities at the Peppermill Reno, and the geothermal heat exchanger… (photo credit: Andrew Bender)

2 – In a heat exchanger in the Peppermill’s boiler room, geothermal water heats copper tubes filled with water from the municipal water authority. The two types of water never touch, as one would contaminate the other.

3 – The municipal water is pumped to the hotel buildings, while the geothermal water is pumped back into the aquifer, where nature reheats it for its next use.

Since the Peppermill switched from natural gas for water and heating in 2010, its four behemoth natural gas boilers have sat idle. “They haven’t been turned on in the last three years,” says Dean Parker, Executive Director of Facilities. Geothermal is so reliable that he plans to sell two of the boilers.

So why doesn’t everybody go geothermal? Well, it’s still early days for the technology, making it a gamble, although if there was ever a place to gamble, it’s Reno. The Peppermill’s odds were good since it already had a smaller geothermal facility, and Nevada (along with Oregon and California), is one of the most geothermally active regions in the nation; the U.S. leads the world in geothermal energy, with some 30 percent share.

…which does the work of four of these giant boilers and saves about $2 million a year in natural gas. (photo credit: Andrew Bender)

Yet despite extensive consultation with geologists and geothermal experts, without drilling there was no way to know the volume, temperature or location of the hot water below – or even whether it existed. “If it hadn’t worked,” Parker says, “I’d have been packing my bags.”

Parker says the crew drilled for about a month, and just as it was looking bleak, they found the aquifer. Management eventually invested $6.5 million in the new geothermal system which, at a savings of $2 million a year, will pay for itself within the next year. “When you have a four-year return on your investment, it’s almost a no-brainer,” Parker says.

Parker’s team had also considered other alternative energy sources, but, he says, “Solar and wind power just didn’t pencil out.” Unlike those, geothermal is not dependent on above-ground conditions. “It’s just constant,” he says. “If the water is 174 degrees, it does not heat up to 175 degrees, and in the last three years it has not dropped even one degree either.”

Eventually, Parker hopes to drill deeper and hit a subterranean steam vent. Enough steam at 220° Fahrenheit (104.5° Celsius) could power an electric plant for all the Peppermill’s needs, enabling it to go off the power grid completely.

In 2008, the Mayor and City Council to resolved to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and construct new City buildings and facilities to LEED standards. Since then, the City performed the following actions, already saving the City more than $4 million:

• Renewable Energy – The City completed 1.7 megawatts of solar at City parks, community centers, fire stations, and other public facilities. A 3.3 megawatt solar generating station at the City’s wastewater treatment plant that will open in soon and will bring the City’s installed capacity to 5 megawatts. The panels generated 2.7 million kWh of clean renewable energy in 2012 and will generate more than 10 million kWh at the end of this year.
• Energy Efficiency and Green Building – The City has made green building improvements at 18 City facilities, fire stations, and community centers and streetlight energy efficiency upgrades to reduce costs and the overall amount of energy consumed. Among the green building projects was a replacement to City Hall. The new City Hall uses 40% less energy and has building-wide daylighting, use of efficient lighting, energy efficient glass, efficient air conditioning systems, water efficient fixtures and landscaping, and a 145 kW forest of 33 solar trees and rooftop solar. The City has also replaced 35,000 of its 52,000 streetlights with energy efficient LED lights.
• Water – The City has converted more than 8 acres of grass at City parks and sports fields to synthetic turf as a first step to conserve water. The City also recycles billions of gallons of water at its wastewater treatment plants, which is returned to Lake Mead for credit back to the Colorado River system. In addition to the conservation efforts previously enacted by the drought ordinance, the City incorporated additional xeriscaping at parks, facilities, and median islands using drought tolerant plants and metal sculptures.
• Waste – While employees were already participating in an a recycling program, the City deployed and continue single stream recycling at all City facilities and introduced recycling at 30 City parks.
• Transportation and Land Use – Nearly all City vehicles run on alternative fuels – the City also has four electric powered cars, including the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf. The City participates in the RTC’s transportation demand management program that encourages employees to bicycle, walk, take public transit, or carpool to work. It also has built 125 miles of bike lanes and 50 miles of trails since 2006; by the end of 2013, the City will have more than 180 miles of bike lanes.

Even though the City has made a lot of advances, the Mayor and City Council have set the bar higher: to become a net-zero user of resources by 2020. This means in the future, the City will continue to build or purchase more solar, more green buildings, more efficient lighting, achieve greater water reduction savings, and embark on new recycling efforts, composting, and possible use of City waste as a fuel source.

If you’d like to learn more, download Sustainability in ACTION (PDF), the City’s semi-annual report on sustainability.

Marco Velotta, MS, AICP, LEED Green Assoc.
City of Las Vegas
Office of Sustainability