News

November 18, 2019 -

The Department of Energy selected Berkeley Lab to receive an “Accelerating Smart Labs” award, recognizing the Lab’s innovative approach to improving its building operations through an ongoing commissioning (OCx) process.

A partnership between SBL and Facilities, the Lab’s high-performing OCx team has refined a highly efficient and diligent process for identifying and correcting energy and water waste in buildings, and ensuring those corrections stick. 

The award was presented at the annual International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) Conference in October. 

See the Lab’s efficiency savings since 2015.

July 11, 2017 -

UC employees are still eligible for a steep discount on a Nissan Leaf, and a small discount on Ford EVs.

Nissan LEAF: Nissan Leaf $10,000 Discount offer extended through September 30, 2017. Learn more. Contact: [email protected].

Ford EVs: Employees are eligible for a $750 discount on the purchase of any Ford EV or EV-hybrid or special lease pricing through August 31, 2017. Learn more. Contact: Amy Morse ([email protected]).

PG&E is still offering a $500 Rebate for a wide range of EV/Clean Fuel Vehicle owners.

Learn about the Lab’s EV Charging Program

March 28, 2017 -

Explore food sustainability through a traveling art show. Learn about the Lab’s energy use through new online data systems. Learn about special moments in the natural history of the Lab. Stop by the Safety, Security, & Sustainability Fair. Participate in Earth Month! Subscribe to the Sustainable Berkeley Lab calendar or see details below!

March 8, 2017 -

Recent restroom retrofits at the Lab are saving over half a million gallons of water annually. Sustainable Berkeley Lab partnered with Facilities to replace urinals and install dual-flush toilet handles in the highest used restrooms across the hill campus.

In addition, all of the old fixtures were diverted from landfill — with 2098 lbs of porcelain converted into road aggregate, and 258 lbs of metal recycled through the Lab’s normal salvage process.

This effort was made possible by support from DOE’s Sustainability Performance Office, and aligns with the Lab’s goal to reduce water use intensity 36% by 2025.

• More about the project
• More on SBL’s water initiative

March 6, 2017 -

For a limited time, Berkeley Lab employees are eligible for a steep $10,000 discount on a Nissan Leaf, in addition to other federal and state rebates. Offer ends 3/31/2017 or while supplies last. Learn more >

February 27, 2017 -

SBL’s 2016 Refrigerator Replacement Project has verified that its new refrigerators use 70% less energy on average.

This project:

• Surpassed expectations of 50% savings
• Cut total break room refrigerator energy use on the Hill by ~25%
• Replaced ~50 old and inefficient break room refrigerators (more than a quarter of the total)
• Verified energy savings through energy metering of both the old and new fridge
• Reduced the usage of harmful refrigerants
• Was supported by the UC’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative Student Fellowship Program
• Supports Lab sustainability goals

Learn more about the project >

Your refrigerator is one of the biggest energy-using appliances. Save money and energy by upgrading your old refrigerator — see the Refrigerator Purchasing Guide.

January 30, 2017 -

Check out the Lab’s Site Sustainability Plan (SSP) for fiscal year 2017, detailing sustainability performance in FY16, and plans for FY17. The plan covers more than 30 sustainability goals.

For more details, see:

• FY16 Accomplishments
• SSP Summary & Full Report

Highlights:

• Total greenhouse gas emissions are 21% below 2008 levels (Goal: 41% by 2025).
  See graph | More about Climate
• Waste diversion is at 70% (Goal: 75% by 2020)
  See graph | More about Waste
• Water use intensity is 34% below 2007 levels  (Goal: 36% by 2025).
  See graph | More about Water.

December 14, 2016 -

Brie Fulton joined the Sustainable Berkeley Lab team as the new Sustainability Program Manager. She leads the development and implementation of the Lab’s waste diversion activities, as well as supporting other sustainability objectives such as climate and water conservation goals and increasing sustainable purchasing. See Brie’s full bio on the Lab Directorate Staff page. Welcome, Brie!

August 12, 2016 -

We’re replacing the Lab’s old, inefficient, break room refrigerators with new models that use half the energy. This project supports the Lab’s effort to meet the Federal goal of reducing greenhouse gases 50% by 2025. Learn more about the project.

Have an old refrigerator at home? Save money and energy by upgrading to a new Energy Star certified refrigerator. For more guidance on choosing a new refrigerator, for the Lab or home, see the Refrigerator Purchasing Guide.

August 12, 2016 -

Chu Hall has earned LEED Gold certification, joining four other LEED-certified buildings at the Lab. LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a prominent green building certification that rates a building’s sustainability aspects, including indoor environmental quality and the efficient use of water, energy, and materials. See a detailed overview of Chu Hall’s LEED Profile.

The Lab now has five LEED certifications:

• Chu Hall (B30) – LEED Gold
• General Purpose Lab (GPL / B33) – LEED Gold
• Advanced Light Source (ALS) User Support Building (B15) – LEED Gold
• Molecular Foundry (B67) – LEED Gold
• Earth & Environmental Sciences (B74) renovation – LEED Platinum

July 18, 2016 -

Get a copy of the new Waste Guide, with updated guidance on what to do with batteries, chemicals, foam peanuts, broken office furniture, etc. Visit the Berkeley Lab Cleanup website to download the new Waste Guide (pictured on the right in blue), which prints best in 11” x 17”. And please help us eradicate and replace the obsolete waste management poster (aka “Green” poster) pictured on the left! Have you seen one? Contact [email protected].

May 11, 2016 -

Check out photos, videos, and other resources from the Lab’s April Earth Month celebration:

• Water Security in a Changing Climate talk by Prof Roger Bales — View the video, abstract, and speaker bio
• PG&E Panel on Energy Efficiency — View the video, slides, and speaker bios
• Safety, Security, & Sustainability Fair — More about the Fair
• Photos of Earth Month Activities
• Lab Environmental Walk — Download the map

February 29, 2016 -

The statewide drought continues, but rain or shine, conserving water is always the right choice in California’s dry climate. This season’s precipitation is falling short of expectations given the El Niño conditions, and after five years of below normal rainfall, California’s reservoirs remain low. It will take several years of above-average rainfall to end the drought.

The Lab has embraced the challenge to reduce baseline water use, and implemented the following actions: 1) discontinued all automated landscape irrigation, 2) installed aerators in restroom faucets across the main site, 3) placed “leak reporting” stickers in main-site bathrooms, 4) established water-use monitoring for cooling towers, 5) launched a restroom fixture retrofit program at the main site, and 6) developed a website to monitor forecasts and precipitation.

Learn what you can do at work and at home to help save this precious resource.

December 23, 2015 -

Sustainable Berkeley Lab is excited about a few new projects. In November, we started working with Facilities to upgrade the efficiency and temperature controls in Building 6 (the ALS). We are also in project design for a pilot of Daintree advanced lighting controls in Building 78, a small office space, which will allow better controllability of lighting, space conditioning, and plug loads. Lastly, we are partnering with the JGI to better understand electricity use of cold storage and benchtop equipment and learn possible controllability strategies.

December 11, 2015 -

For the first time we now have clear and relatively consistent climate mitigation goals established from the international to the institutional level. The United States has committed to a reduction of total greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. The Lab is committed by executive order to a 50% reduction in electricity and natural gas emissions below 2008 levels by 2025 and a 25% reduction in transportation-related emissions over the same period.

November 9, 2015 -

Karen Salvini joined Sustainable Berkeley Lab as the Sustainability Project Manager. She will manage key energy efficiency projects and lead several employee engagement efforts. Karen formerly worked in Berkeley Lab’s Energy Technologies Area and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. We are excited to have Karen join our team.

October 7, 2015 -

Governor Jerry Brown has signed California state Senate Bill 350, setting aggressive renewable energy and energy efficiency goals. SB 350 increases the renewable portfolio standard to 50% by 2030. Energy efficiency is an essential first step to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy. SB 350 sets a goal of 50% increase in energy efficiency in existing buildings by 2030. In addition, CA air regulators approved a new policy that will reduce the amount of carbon from all transportation fuels by at least 10% by 2020. All of these goals are impressive and essential steps to achieve CA’s goal of 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.

September 28, 2015 -

Welcome Berkeley Lab’s first official bike lane! Chu Road was recently repaved between Blackberry Gate and the Bevatron traffic circle, and the new striping includes an uphill bike lane. A few weeks earlier, “sharrows” (a bicycle with arrows pointing forward) were painted on many downhill lanes, and signs saying that bicycles may use the full downhill lane were installed. These are great improvements to road safety around the Berkeley Lab main site, AND they support the Lab’s commitment to enable employees to use alternative means to commute to work.

July 31, 2015 -

Two new buildings, 30 (also called Chu Hall or the Solar Energy Research Center) and 33 (also called the General Purpose Lab), opened recently and have adopted Rethink Waste quickly. Occupants have gradually moved in, and we have been installing new waste stations and signs to support waste sorting. Lab groups have set up recycling bins for their non-hazardous recyclable bottles, pipet tip boxes, etc. too. Thanks to our new neighbors who are enthusiastically joining the cause!

July 10, 2015 -

We were pleased to read and hear several news pieces about recycling in mainstream media (Washington Post, Marketplace, Diane Rehm interview). Recycling contamination, lightweighting, and global commodity markets have hurt the recycling industry. Recycling is still the cheaper disposal option, compared to landfilling waste, AND recycling can create stronger US-based, closed-loop supply chains. Do you have questions about what to recycle? Check out this  infographic, and you can always email questions to [email protected].

June 15, 2015 -

We love this video! Thank you, Ben & Jerry’s.

June 15, 2015 -

Today we welcome Christine Li, who is joining us as a UC Carbon Neutrality Initiative Fellow for the summer. Christine finished her third year at Stanford University studying Civil and Environmental Engineering and Computer Science. She will be expanding use of an energy management software platform (Lucid Building OS) to encompass 25 buildings that emit 90% of the Lab’s buildings-related greenhouse gas emissions. Her work will establish an operational energy management platform and a standard process to identify energy saving opportunities in buildings. We’re excited to work with Christine!

April 30, 2015 -

The energy optimization pilot project in Building 15 has reduced natural gas use by 50%. The pilot started in January as a collaboration between SBL, Facilities, and building occupants. It focused on changing lighting and heating/cooling schedules to match occupant use and educating occupants about how they can adjust the lighting and temperature of their spaces, especially during nights and weekends. We are continuing to monitor the systems to adjust the schedules as needed. Based on this experience, we will implement similar energy optimization measures in Building 74.

April 22, 2015 -

In honor of Earth Day, a group of volunteers and SBL helped ESD researchers set up a gardening and composting study aiming to better understand the nutrient ratios in compost and how the ratio influences plant growth. We weeded garden pods and planted tomato and snow pea seedlings and tomato, chile, carrot, corn, sunflower, and cucumber seeds. We also set up a compost pile with pre-consumer food scraps from the cafeteria (thank you, Epicurean!). Volunteers will help tend the plants and compost piles. Thank you to Facilities and EHS for helping to set up the site.

April 21, 2015 -

A group of volunteers trekked to Golden Bear Transfer Station in Richmond, CA to sort and weigh Berkeley Lab’s landfill waste collected over one week. The total load weighed 3.9 tons. We saw a lot of block styrofoam and plastic film, which we expected. But we also saw (and smelled!) a lot of food waste and paper towels, which should go into the compost bins. One of the lessons we learned was that people are still putting food waste into their office bins, which then goes to the landfill. Remember to take food waste and compostable items to waste stations. Erin is always looking for volunteers to help educate peers and set up laboratory recycling, so email [email protected] if you’re interested.

April 7, 2015 -

California is in an exceptional drought and the Governor has ordered a statewide 25% reduction in urban water use. Please think seriously about ways that you can contribute to a third year of reducing the Lab’s water use by at least 15 percent. Resources and more information are available here.

March 6, 2015 -

We have finished setting up Rethink Waste in buildings on the main site after 2 years of gradual roll-out. Rethink Waste brings new waste bins and signs to buildings to help occupants easily sort their waste into compost, recycling, and landfill waste bins. It also changes workspace waste service to help custodians prevent repetitive-motion injuries. Behind buildings, our hauler has also added compost carts in dumpster areas to increase the capacity of compost collection. This will result in higher waste diversion rates across the site. Hooray!

January 28, 2015 -

The Facilities Division and Sustainable Berkeley Lab are partnering to optimize energy use in buildings across the site. Many of our buildings run at close to the same level 24 hours per day. We are working to better match the operation of building heating/cooling and lighting systems to what occupants really need and to track performance over time. In January, we deployed the program as a pilot in Building 15. Based on this experience, we plan to expand the program next to Building 67, Building 74, and the new buildings coming online this year: GPL, SERC, and CRT.

January 3, 2015 -

Berkeley Lab is developing a 3-MW, 10-acre solar array jointly with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The array will be installed by Juwi Solar at the Livermore site under a power purchase agreement later this year. Berkeley Lab will buy 20% of the array output. Read the press release here.

November 18, 2014 -

The Department of Energy recognized Berkeley Lab for its leadership in providing staff electric vehicle charging at the Workplace Charging Challenge Summit 2014. Fewer than 20% of all Challenge partners received this recognition, which was presented by Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Reuben Sarkar. The Department of Energy launched the Workplace Charging Challenge in 2013 with the goal of achieving a tenfold increase in the number of U.S. employers offering workplace charging by 2018. For more information, contact Sustainable Berkeley Lab or the Workplace Charging Challenge.

October 31, 2014 -

Sustainable Berkeley Lab, in close coordination with the Environmental/Health/Safety and Facilities Divisions, has greatly expanded the new waste diversion program over the last several months. The new program is now in place in the 50 complex, Protective Services (48), EHS buildings (26, 75, 75B, 85), and Engineering Division buildings (46, 57, 58, 71, 71B, 77, 77A). This brings Rethink Waste to about 80% of buildings on the main site. In addition, JGI added food waste collection to their waste diversion program! Thank you SO much to Pat Thorson for his impeccable coordination of bins and orders. Thank you to all of the occupants for adapting to the new processes and sorting their waste. And thank you to Custodial Services for partnering with us to make the processes successful. Check out our recent publicity!

September 15, 2014 -

As University of California employees, we are eligible for some sustainability-related offers from Mosaic Solar Loan and Nissan. Find more information and links to sign up at the Sustainable Berkeley Lab website. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) does not endorse or recommend any products or services identified

September 4, 2014 -

Sustainable Berkeley Lab hosted a booth at the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Fair to talk to Berkeley Lab employees about EV charging and alternative commuting options. Three of our EV-charging permit holders brought their vehicles to show the variety of cars available. Thank you, Valerie, James, and Henrik! We also talked to fair visitors about some alternative commuting options, such as WageWorks and Zimride. Thank you to the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee for inviting us AND for taking care of road safety around Berkeley Lab.

July 25, 2014 -

Thank you to Workforce Development and Education and Epicurean for achieving about 99% waste diversion at the annual Mentor and Intern BBQ. The lunch produced 5 bags (~75 lbs) of compostable material, 1 bag (~5 lbs) of recycling, and 1 handfull (<1 lb) of landfill waste. This is fantastic!

June 16, 2014 -

In partnership with ALS safety and operations personnel, Sustainable Berkeley Lab brought the new waste diversion program to Buildings 6, 15, 80, and 7. The waste stations around the ALS ring also include special recycling bins for aluminum recycling and copper gaskets. We are very excited to bring this program to another Berkeley Lab User Facility.

June 9, 2014 -

Our own Chief Sustainability Officer, John Elliott, was appointed to the UC President’s Global Climate Leadership Council, which is tasked with leading the UC system to carbon neutrality. In her short tenure, President Janet Napolitano has set ambitious sustainability goals, including climate neutrality by 2025. The council will also offer guidance in other sustainability areas.

June 9, 2014 -

Deirdre McShane, PE, joined the Sustainable Berkeley Lab team as the new energy manager. Deirdre comes from Taylor Engineering where she focused on HVAC design and retro-commissioning. Welcome, Deirdre!

May 21, 2014 -

As part of the Berkeley Lab Water Action Plan, the Plumbing Shop is replacing bathroom faucet aerators with .35 gallon per minute aerators. They have completed replacements in the 50 complex and Buildings 70, 70A, and 90. The next replacements will occur in Buildings 62, 64, 66, and 74. Thank you for helping us conserve water, Plumbing Shop!

April 22, 2014 -

In honor of Earth Day 2014 and according to Berkeley Lab’s Water Action Plan, the Bathroom Brigade, made up of 15 volunteer employees, visited the 200 bathrooms on the main site to take inventory of the bathroom fixtures and post “See a Leak?” stickers. The inventory will help the Lab understand water usage in bathrooms and plan fixture upgrades. Remember to report leaks to the Work Request Center (x 6274).

April 22, 2014 -

In partnership with the USPS and EHS, employees were able to drop off unwanted personal electronics for recycling at a lunchtime event. In total, nearly 100 employees on the main site and three satellite locations recycled 754 pounds of electronic waste. The USPS BlueEarth Program provides a free and convenient method to ship these items to an R2-certified (Responsible Recycler) vendor, making the process simple, secure, and free to employees. Thank you to Patrick Thorson (EHS) for planning and hosting this successful event! And remember, as employees to a Department of Energy site, this program is available to us from home any time, not just Earth Day.

February 18, 2014 -

While the nearly eight inches of rain earlier this month at Berkeley Lab more than quadrupled the season total, cumulative precipitation levels following these storms have only now just inched above the driest years on record in California. Read more here.

December 1, 2013 -

Following on the success of the waste diversion pilot program at Building 74, Sustainable Berkeley Lab is expanding the waste diversion program in Material Sciences Division and Earth Sciences Division buildings. This includes buildings 2, 62, 66, 67, 84, 70, and 70A. We continue to weigh the waste coming out of these buildings and monitor the dumpsters to understand the impact of the program and determine ways to constantly improve it. Learn more about the program here.

October 15, 2013 -

Berkeley Lab has adopted a new policy that sets sustainability standards for new building construction. The policy was developed by a committee convened last fall by Lab Director Paul Alivisatos, with input from a larger working group. The policy is intended to drive higher performance in buildings by setting clear sustainability targets that can be easily communicated with design teams and carried through into operations. The policy is available here in the Berkeley Lab Requirements and Policies Manual. For more information contact Sustainable Berkeley Lab at [email protected].

September 10, 2013 -

Berkeley Lab’s Earth Sciences Division is known for its leadership in the search for new energy resources, cleaning up the environment, and the study of climate change. Now, it has another feather in its cap: LEED Platinum status for the division’s newly renovated headquarters. It’s the highest possible rating for environmentally friendly design. A plaque conferring Platinum status from the U.S. Green Building Council, which operates the Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program, arrived this week at the Lab’s Facilities Division, which planned and managed the ambitious overhaul of Building 74 in the East Canyon section of Berkeley Lab’s hillside campus. Read the full article here.

August 17, 2013 -

As part of Sustainable Berkeley Lab’s (SBL) waste minimization initiative, paper towels coming from restrooms on the main site are now going to a local compost facility instead of the landfill. This collaborative effort with Facilities and EHS is an important step toward meeting federally-required targets to divert and reduce landfill waste. We will be monitoring and adjusting the program over the coming months, so feel free to e-mail [email protected] with feedback. Special thanks to the custodians who make this possible. To learn how to use fewer paper towels, check out this funny and compelling short video.

July 10, 2013 -

In collaboration with Facilities, EHSS, and our waste hauler, Sustainable Berkeley Lab is working to start collection of paper towels from bathrooms for composting. In preparation, we are posting signs in bathrooms reminding people to throw only paper towels into the large waste bins. Trash and recycling should be put in bins provided elsewhere. With this step, the Lab will begin diverting a substantial portion of waste material from the landfill and will provide an infrastructure to expand composting on the hill campus. We would like to thank the custodial staff for supporting this effort and doing the “heavy lifting” to help the Lab divert waste from the landfill to more productive uses. Feel free to contact [email protected] about the program.