Andrew W. Breidenbach Environmental Research Center (AWBERC)
430,447 gross square feet (GSF)
Energy Intensity:
FY 2022: 257,771 Btu per GSF
32.4% reduction from FY 2003
Water Intensity:
FY 2022: 51.34 gallons per GSF
16.9% reduction from FY 2007
Cincinnati, Ohio
This 22-acre complex is EPA’s second largest research and development facility and is internationally recognized for water research, bioremediation and pollution prevention. In addition to AWBERC, EPA's Cincinnati facilities include the following:
- Testing and Evaluation Center
- Center Hill Facility
- Research Support Annex 2
- National Service Center for Environmental Publications Warehouse
- Several other facilities, including a boat warehouse and a Research Containment Facility
Sustainable Features
- The Main Building and Annex I have been certified to meet the Guiding Principles for Sustainable Federal Buildings.
- A multi-year infrastructure replacement project (IRP) replaced mechanical systems, controls and equipment that was more than 30 years old with modern, more efficient models, including:
- More efficient fans, pump and motors
- New 600-ton chiller and sequence of operations for the chiller plant controls
- Separating laboratories from offices and replacing one-pass air in offices with recirculated air
- A heat recovery system that recaptures heating and cooling energy from the exhaust system and uses it to pre-heat or pre-cool the incoming air
- High-performance fume hoods that can be operated at lower air flows and hibernated when not in use
- Commissioning of the laboratory ventilation system and rebalancing the air distribution systems
- Transition from cooling towers to a free cooling system for process cooling
- An upgrade of parking lot lighting equipment with more energy-efficient technology
- Occupancy sensors that control lights and space temperatures
- Restroom fixtures were replaced with models that save about 210,000 gallons of water per year.
- A stormwater management master plan is the framework for EPA stormwater improvements.
For more information, visit the Office of Mission Support website or the EPA Facility Contact List.