Energy efficiency upgrades save wildlife health facility $84,000 annually

National Wildlife Health Center completed 11 projects that produced enough energy savings to undertake a 12th project, a new solar system.

As the "CSI" of the natural world, the National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., is a hub of activity whenever a new disease crops up among the nation's wildlife. In recent years, the Center—a field office of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)—has played a critical role in diagnosing West Nile virus, chronic wasting disease, white-nose syndrome and avian flu. It is conducting ongoing research in these and other areas.

Their work demands up-to-date equipment, and the Center's commitment to energy efficiency drives it to find upgrades that make sense at a functional level and from a savings standpoint. In the last year, it was able to fund 12 energy conservation measures (ECMs): eight thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), three with resources provided by the USGS and a solar installation made possible by the $84,000+ in annual energy savings generated by the other 11 projects!

The Center has two buildings: a diagnostic facility, which also houses administration, and a tight isolation building, where research functions occur. To determine which efficiency upgrades made sense, the facility entered into an energy-savings performance contract with Johnson Controls, an energy service company. They completed an audit of the facility, recommended updates and guaranteed the savings, which can be used to fund upgrades. The Center worked with MGE to validate Johnson Controls' suggestions.

The eight ECMs paid for by ARRA were divided between the diagnostic facility and the isolation building.

Diagnostic facility upgrades:

Hot water boilers
Exhaust fans (20)
Furnace (replaced three existing with one air handling unit)
Lighting upgrades

Isolation building upgrades:

Exhaust fans (54) and rooftop units (3)
Air handling units (4)
Lighting upgrade

Both facilities:

HVAC control update

The control upgrade was critical at the research facility. "The isolation building must meet stringent air quality standards for the air moving throughout the facility and, especially, for the air leaving the building," said Richard Isensee, P.E., USGS facility energy program manager. "Our computer-controlled system is very complex. It allows us to effectively manage the air quality and temperatures to reflect building occupancy and activity levels, outdoor temperature, etc."

The Center's lighting upgrades saved energy and improved workplace comfort. "We installed nine solar tubes," said Isensee. "The light is much more natural and in some spaces we can substantially cut our use of electrical lighting."

USGS resources were used for three additional projects: new hot water boilers at the isolation building, a non-ozone-depleting scroll-type chiller and controls and valves for the main building's waste treatment system.

The boiler update was a top priority. In the past, the isolation building had one boiler with no back up. Now it has a completely redundant and dual-fuel system. "This new system has a number of benefits," said Isensee. "It lets us choose between natural gas or fuel oil—depending on which is more affordable at any given time—and allows us to take advantage of MGE's Interruptible Gas Sales Service (IS-1)."

Having a generator on site also means that the Center can receive MGE's interruptible electric rate through the company's Direct Control Interruptible Service Rider (IS-2). Companies who participate in this program, can be taken "off the grid" (and switch to generator power) when MGE experiences high electricity demand. This program ensures that MGE can meet all of its customers' energy needs and the Center benefits because it is charged the substantially lower, interruptible rate for its electricity.

While the boiler upgrade was popular from a budget standpoint, Center staff is—understandably!—even more excited about its new solar system. A striking presence in the Center's parking lot, the 75-kW system is one of the largest installations in the state (a 10-kW system is a much more common size for the Madison area). This isn't the first time the Center has used solar power. A high-efficiency hydronic hot water system was decommissioned about 10 years ago because its life cycle costs were prohibitively expensive.

The new solar system provides roughly 4% of the facility's electrical power, all of which is fed directly back into the facility. "We investigated becoming a Green Power Partner (this program, limited to 10 kW, provides renewable energy for MGE's Green Power Tomorrow program), but we decided that it made more sense to use all the power on site," Isensee said.

Although the system only supplies a small portion of the facility's energy, the Center felt it was important to show its support for renewable power. "It was great to have the opportunity to incorporate solar into our facility," said Gail Moede Rogall, information specialist and outreach coordinator for the USGS. "We had the perfect space to accommodate the system, and it didn't require a lot of infrastructure to support it. And it's completely modular—if we need to move it, we can."

"The USGS is very committed to reducing our energy use and cutting costs," said Nick Robinson, a project manager and general engineer with the USGS. "Sometimes it's in ways that are easy to measure—say equipment upgrades—and other times it's something more subtle, like a change that lets us reduce our maintenance costs. This facility has great examples of both."

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