Skip to main content
Sign In |
  Help (new window)

Campus Facilities & Operations

Go Search
Sustainability at ORNL
Campus Facilities & Operations
R&D Initiatives
Your Sustainability
Education
IT Sustainability
Earth Day 2010
  

View All Site Content

Sustainability at ORNL > Campus Facilities & Operations

Campus Facilities and Operations

ORNL has taken large strides toward achieving campus sustainability. Much still needs to be accomplished. ORNL's mix of new and aging facilities and infrastructure, legacy wastes, regulatory requirements, and evolving needs to support both its workforce and world-class science and technology research and development combine to create many challenges to achieving a sustainable campus. Over time, ORNL will face competing and conflicting choices for which there may not be a clear or ideal sustainable option. These choices run the gamut from using cutting-edge technologies to such simple actions as turning lights off when leaving a room, participating in work and community recycling programs, and buying environmentally friendly products. This site will keep you apprised of progress toward campus sustainability, alert you to challenges to achieving a sustainable campus, and explain the bases for some of the tough choices that are made in each of the following areas.

Buildings
ORNL's building stock is diverse, with a mix of new and old buildings whose occupants have widely divergent needs. Goals are to demolish excess facilities, target renovations for energy conservation and to obtain LEED certification, implement 100% advanced electrical metering, and improve indoor air quality.		  
Transportation
Employees, guests, and visitors clearly travel both to and from the campus, and within the campus. Goals include providing direct solar charging for lab and employee electric vehicles, and reducing the energy consumed, emissions produced, and reliance on petroleum by ORNL's vehicle fleet.

Wastes
ORNL science and technology, like its operations, necessarily produce wastes. Goals are to minimize and prevent pollution, move toward net zero waste discharges, and effectively deal with legacy wastes.		  
Energy and Water
To operate, this campus requires energy and water. As part of DOE's Transformational Energy Action Management (TEAM) Initiative, ORNL is working with Johnson Controls, Inc., through an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) to reduce energy and water consumption. Read ORNL's TEAM fact sheet to learn more about this endeavor.

Outdoors
Our campus surroundings include planted areas, paved surfaces, waterways and water features. Goals include using native vegetation and local materials, managing runoff, controlling erosion, and reducing the use of noxious chemicals.		  
Wellness
ORNL's comprehensive Health & Wellness Program provides health education and wellness services to ORNL employees and their families. A fleet of bicycles is stationed around the Lab. These bikes reduce energy use by cars and allow employees to quickly move between buildings while providing them with exercise.
  		 
ORNL East Campus

ORNL Projects Highlighted in DOE's "Best Practices" Report
  •

Two ORNL projects are among the 24 FY 2007 projects highlighted in DOE's Office of Health, Safety and Security's report: BEST PRACTICES IN SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP. (See pages 9 and 10 of the report to read about the ORNL projects.)


InformationExchange
Share and discuss your Comments, Ideas, & Expertise about working toward sustainability. Let others know about your successes, frustrations, and failures.

Questions
Ask Questions to learn about ORNL's efforts to move toward sustainability.

Sign in to make comments or ask questions
You must be signed in to the site as an ORNL user to post items. Click on "Sign In" at the top right of the page. Use "ornl\UID" (note that you must use a backslash) and your UCAMS password.