Bldg D gets ClimateWise Platinum!

USDA ARS (Building D, NCGRP, and CRL) received the Platinum Partner level for the 2012 reporting year!  This is the highest level of achievement currently available from the Fort Collins recognition program, and we are one of only a dozen organizations that reached Platinum this past year. Thank you all for your efforts to increasingly “green” your jobs.  Your outstanding work has really paid off.

Results from 2012

Utility Data:

Electrical consumption for all 3 buildings combined = 6.8 million KWh (up by 0.8%)

Natural Gas for CRL and Bldg D = 237,000 therms (up by 5%)

Steam for NCGRP = 3,575 million BTU (down by 1.5%)

Domestic water for all buildings = 3.2 million gallons (down by 8.2%)

Raw water for irrigation at Sugarbeet Farm and LIRF = 36 million gallons (up by 320% due to drought and research needs)

 

GOV transportation:

147,000 miles driven (down by 13.3%)

11,200 gallons of gasoline, diesel, and biodiesel purchased (combined) (down by 20%)

 

Air travel:

585,000 miles traveled by air (up by 28.3%)

 

Solid Waste:

49,000 lbs of waste landfilled from Bldg D and NCGRP (down by 62% – I’m guessing there must be an error in the data I received from CSU, but I don’t know for which year)

320 gallons of food waste vermicomposted at Bldg D (up by 237%)

12,600 gallons of research (including some food and paper towel waste) and germination waste composted commercially by CRL and NCGRP (down by 33.7%; but the vast majority of this is dictated by SBRU research needs)

13,100 lbs + 50.6 cubic yds of comingled materials recycled from all 3 buildings (different units make comparison to last year impossible)

 

Commute Travel:

52,148 commuter miles saved!!  (up by 44%) The breakdown of car travel saved can be seen in the graph below.  Numbers are likely an underestimate since not all users of alternative transportation report mileage.  Because the level of reporting varies each year, the difference in miles saved could reflect, at least in part, this reporting difference.  However, the increase in teleworking between 2011 and 2012 is real.

NRRC People’s Orchard Project Featured in CSU Newsletter

In November, 2011, NRRC Building A’s People’s Orchard project was featured in CSU’s Today @ Colorado State University newsletter. The article discusses CSU’s important contribution of initial weed control and drip irrigation to the project and contributions by our other partners:

• The Gardens on Spring Creek, for orchard design and variety selection
• The City of Fort Collins Forestry Department, for truckloads of wood mulch
• Volunteers from four different USDA agencies, two local Boy Scout troops and a Cub Scout Pack for planting and staking trees, spreading mulch and providing necessary maintenance.

CSU’s article also discusses the goals of the People’s Orchard:

• Support USDA’s People’s Garden Initiative
• Promote employee wellness
• Conserve irrigation water
• Demonstrate sustainable gardening practices
• Provide educational opportunities
• Supply fresh fruit to the Larimer County Food Bank

Building A’s Green Efforts Featured in USDA Newsletter

In May, 2010, NRRC Building A’s green efforts were featured in a front-page article of the USDA OCIO-OCFO Connections newsletter!
The article discusses our Climate Wise partnership with the City of Fort Collins and planned work with the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) in Boulder, Colorado, to investigate options for improving the energy efficiency and reducing the cooling requirements of our computer room.