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News Releases Multi-million dollar energy efficiency project begins
Improvements include lighting, HVAC systems
Chris Sharp works to install new, energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs.
December 1, 2010—Late last Wednesday, after most of the Laboratory had headed home for the Thanksgiving holiday, a small crew officially started work on a much-anticipated $28 million energy efficiency project.
It was almost anticlimactic, as electrician Chris Sharp climbed a ladder at the Steam Plant in Technical Area 3 and replaced the first of more than 19,000 outdated, energy-inefficient light bulbs. The work will take place in 28 buildings as part of the NORESCO Energy-Saving Performance Contract.
Efficiency means savings
Those changes, plus 2,300 new fixtures and automation of heating and air conditioning in 9 Lab buildings, are expected to save LANL more than $1.2 million per year while decreasing environmental impacts. That’s a 3 percent savings on the Lab’s annual energy bill.
“This project is another demonstration of our pledge to reduce energy consumption at the Lab,” said NNSA Los Alamos Site Office manager Kevin Smith. “Improvements we do now translate into even bigger cost and energy savings years into the future.”
Fluorescent ballasts containing polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) will be disposed in licensed facilities and T-12 fluorescent bulbs—which by law go off the market in 2012—will be replaced with T-8 bulbs.
Win-win
“It’s compliant with the law and more environmentally sound,” said supervisor Gary Coffee of contractor NORESCO, Inc. “This is a win-win for everyone.”
Energy-Saving Performance Contracts (ESPCs) allow Federal agencies to accomplish energy savings projects without up-front capital costs or special Congressional appropriations.
In the Lab’s case—a tri-party agreement with DOE, LANS, and NORESCO—the contractor will provide up-front costs and receive payments based on LANL’s energy savings for 20 years.
Work will occur overnight
Most of the work will occur overnight because electricians must turn off power and limit access to work areas.
“We’re trying to be as minimally intrusive as we can,” Coffee said.
More than 550 ESPC projects worth $3.6 billion were awarded to 25 Federal agencies and organizations in 49 states and the District of Columbia as of March 2010.
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Lockout/tagout tags are visible in the breaker box as workers begin replacing fluorescent bulbs in the Steam Plant building.
Fast Facts
People
11,127 total employees
Los Alamos National Security, LLC 8,683
SOC Los Alamos (Guard Force) 419
Contractors 606
Students 1,101
Place
Located 35 miles northwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico, on 36 square miles of DOE-owned property.
More than 2,000 individual facilities, including 47 technical areas with 8 million square feet under roof.
Replacement value of $5.9 billion
Budget FY 2012: Approx. $2.2 billion
57% Weapons programs
9% Nonproliferation programs
7% Safeguards and Security
8% Environmental Management
4% DOE Office of Science
4% Energy and other programs
11% Work for Others
Workforce Demographics (LANS and students only)
34% of employees live in Los Alamos, the remainder commute from Santa Fe,
Española, Taos, and Albuquerque.
Average Age: 46
70% male, 30% female
43% minorities
63% university degrees
· 23% hold undergraduate degrees
· 16% hold graduate degrees
· 24% have earned a Ph.D.
Major Awards
121 R&D100 awards since 1978
31 E.O. Lawrence Awards
The Seaborg Medal
The Edward Teller Medal
The Nobel Prize in Physics, Frederick Reines