Where the Rubber Meets the Road: EMS and Sustainability at a National Laboratory

N. Denise Rayborn, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Objectives:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a Department of Energy Lab, has an integrated EMS in place. Now, with an initiative called Sustainable NREL, the EMS is helping to "roadtest" sustainability theories. Sustainable NREL was launched to promote sustainability throughout the operations and management of the laboratory. This presentation will discuss the implementation and operation of NREL's EMS and Sustainable NREL initiative and show how the laboratory is combining the benefits of both efforts, to look at all aspects of environmental stewardship from a more synergistic perspective.

Findings:

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, a Department of Energy Lab, has an integrated EMS in place. Now, with an initiative called Sustainable NREL, the EMS is helping to "roadtest" sustainability theories. Sustainable NREL was launched to promote sustainability throughout the operations and management of the laboratory. This presentation will discuss the implementation and operation of NREL's EMS and Sustainable NREL initiative and show how the laboratory is combining the benefits of both efforts, to look at all aspects of environmental stewardship from a more synergistic perspective.

Labs21 Connection:

This presentation reflects the following aspect of the Labs21 Approach: Overall environmental impacts of an R&D laboratory are minimized through coordination of an EMS and sustainability initiative. Tools used include LCA, setting performance goals, and campus planning approach including "Whole Buildings" applications.

Biography:

Denise Rayborn is a Project Leader in the State and Local Initiatives (SALI) group at NREL, the nation's premiere renewable energy and energy efficiency research facility located in Golden, Colorado. She works on energy and environmental initiatives such as promoting Renewable Energy technologies through Supplemental Environmental Projects, and is the liaison between NREL's EMS and the "Sustainable NREL" initiative. Prior to joining NREL, Ms. Rayborn was with the Waste Reduction Assistance Program at the Iowa DNR. Ms. Rayborn served as the P2 and EMS technical expert with WRAP and the Iowa DNR from August 1998 through November 2001. Her expertise is environmental management and policy issues including efficiency assessments incorporating pollution prevention, waste minimization, and energy efficiency techniques. Previously, she worked as the initial Waste Analyst Team Member at the University of Florida Industrial Assessment Center and as the National Activations Program Coordinator for Nokia-Mobira, Inc. responsible for all aspects of program performance including marketing, implementation and analysis. Ms. Rayborn received her M.S. in Environmental Management and Policy from the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at the University of Lund, Sweden; a B.S.E. in Environmental Engineering and Sciences from the UF; and a B.S. in Mathematics from UF.