Our Facilities

More examples of how the building was designed to optimize energy usage: 

• Lighting control systems that shuts off lights when the building or rooms are unoccupied
• Heat recovery systems that transfer the heat from the building’s exhaust air to pre-heat the incoming fresh air
• Chillers use Free Cooling when the outside temperature is below 50°F, which allows chillers to shut off and still keep the building cool
• High efficiency motors and lights with variable frequency drive motors that reduce the speed of motors when maximum flow is not needed, thereby conserving energy
• Triple-glazed windows and highly insulated building envelopes help reduce energy loss throughout the year
• The Garden building features a multi-story 20°C vertical lift module to store materials. The module has an equivalent volume of 126 double-door freezers but significantly reduces demand on floor space. The inventory management system also allows scientists to find what they are looking for much more quickly, therefore reducing door openings and associated energy demand. 

Examples of environmentally sound choices of building materials and resources: 

• 100% of the total roofing is Energy Star compliant 
• 7% of the Main Laboratory facility is composed of recycled material
• Low VOC paints, carpets and adhesives are used in our facilities
• 30% of the construction materials used in the main laboratory facility originated within 500 miles of the site

Examples of conservation through building design at NEB:

• NEB is a CFC-free building and has transitioned to low-GWP refrigerants
• The NEB facility was designed to conserve the property’s trees and land, and exceeds open space requirements by 54%
• 78% of construction waste was diverted from landfill 
• The garden expansion and Main Lab are built into grade, meaning a large portion of the buildings are underground, improving energy efficiency and reducing our development footprint.

Most prominent in our conservation efforts is our state-of-the-art Solar Aquatics System^®. This modular system mimics the natural processes in wetlands to treat the campus’ wastewater, making it clean enough for groundwater recharge. This wastewater treatment plant has the ability to treat up to 27,500 gallons per day.