Transfer Stations

Finding the Right Shade of Green for Your Transfer Station

A new paradigm that includes a focus on sustainability is changing our approach to design, construction and operation of transfer stations. We must be prepared and willing to innovate further and plan for future generations by moving beyond just meeting current challenges.

Debra L. Frye

The goal of sustainable design in the built environment is to move the bar higher. A good definition of sustainability is the act of balancing the environmental, social and economic needs of the built and natural environments for present and future generations (Brundtland Commission, 1987). These principles can be applied to every type of project, including the design of transfer stations and other recycling facilities.

Transfer stations and Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) can be environmental stewards by minimizing their impact on the environment. There are various ways to implement sustainable options. The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Green Building Rating System™ for New Construction and Existing Buildings—the LEED® rating system—provides stakeholders with a template to show progress with a wide variety of measurement tools. Implementing a sustainable option at a transfer station or MRF can result in greater impact than similar actions at many commercial buildings.

Project owners begin by evaluating whether to aim for LEED certification. Because there are significant costs associated with applying for and receiving this official certification, some project owners decide to proceed with this goal while others work to incorporate sustainable features using LEED criteria as a guide, but choose to not submit a project for review and certification. The result in both cases is a more sustainable facility.

If you choose to incorporate sustainable design principles you should base your decision on what is best for your project, whether or not you choose to submit for LEED certification. The LEED process encourages operators to implement green operations and track energy efficiency and environmental improvements, which are components of long-term sustainability of facilities with or without certification. The key is for the owner to clearly define the role of sustainability in a project early on, so the design can incorporate appropriate options and explain the associated benefits. The bottom line is that project owners should think beyond LEED when defining a sustainable program for their facility or operations.

Why a Sustainable Transfer Station?

There are many reasons transfer stations are becoming more “green” in both new construction and operations. Many project owners wish to lead by example, or, in some cases, comply with government requirements of LEED certification for new facility projects.

There are important benefits derived from operating a sustainable building. Facilities that incorporate environmentally friendly features can rely on renewable resources and reduce disruption of ecosystems. At the same time, the economical viability of sustainable facilities results in lower operating costs and increased occupant productivity. It’s time to think about how we design transfer stations and how we can minimize a facility footprint and its environmental impact while reducing long term operating costs.

Sustainability also plays an important role in ongoing operations and maintenance. Energy efficiency improvements lower operating costs and can be enhanced through employee education. The operators of a transfer station have the best opportunity to identify improvements. Ensuring that employees feel engaged in this process and understand how “green” choices affect the bottom line is key to the ongoing program success.

Improvements to operations can be as simple as putting air monitoring gauges on tires to ensure proper inflation for improved mileage, purchasing green cleaning products, switching to better shipping practices and green product purchasing, installing more energy efficient light bulbs, or selecting plants that require less care, less water and less fertilizer to reduce a facility’s carbon footprint. Audits of energy and water usage can identify additional sustainable opportunities.

The results may come through trial and error as new products emerge that are not proven in all environments. If even small changes are tracked, a facility will recognize results and educate others on how to implement continuous improvements.

Measurement Tools

There are a number of ways to measure the level of sustainability in a facility and its operations. Measuring current conditions is an important first step to track improvement and identify areas of focus. One of the most popular methods is the USGBC LEED certification process.The mission of the USGBC is to promote the design and construction of buildings that are environmentally responsible, profitable and healthy places to live and work. Since it’s founding in the mid-1990s, the USGBC has helped integrate building industry sectors, lead market transformation and educate owners and practitioners. The LEED certification system was created to facilitate positive results for the environment, enhance occupant health and financial return, define “green” by providing widely accepted standards of measurement and promote whole-building, integrated design processes.

Today, there is a family of LEED standards. Of these, three are most applicable to transfer stations and MRFs: LEED for New Construction, Core and Shell, and Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance. LEED certification is based on points given for a variety of actions, design features and other criteria that incorporate sustainable elements into a project. To become LEED certified, a new construction project must have 40 to 49 points; LEED Silver projects require 50 to 59 points; LEED Gold projects require 60 to 79 points; and LEED Platinum projects require 80 or more points. The project must be registered online through the USGBC, and the design, and backup data is submitted to show how the project has achieved the requirements to meet certain points, and identify which points were not pursued.

Sustainable Return on Investment

This evaluation process can help identify the impact of different options that goes beyond costs. For example, when evaluating different HVAC systems, Sustainable Return on Investment can incorporate comparison of impacts to air quality, biological impacts, noise, vibration, aesthetics, land use, energy and others in addition to evaluating cost factors. This level of evaluation assures that the final equipment or system selected will have the smallest environmental footprint while enhancing operations from the perspectives of efficiency and cost.

Resilience

This is another way to measure sustainability. This is based on facility and equipment selected for long-term viability. While adding resiliency to facility design may require additional upfront costs, designing facilities or selecting equipment or systems with a long life contributes to sustainable development.

A facility does not have to be LEED-certified to be “green” and sustainable. It is more important to be willing to ask whether there are better, greener ways to build and operate a facility. Considering all options opens the door to determine the “right shade of green” for your facility. An evaluation process helps to narrow down the best areas to improve without binding yourself to the LEED process.

Green Building Legislation

Not only has the federal government been a prime proponent of LEED and other sustainable building initiatives, but an increasing number of states and municipalities have adopted green building mandates to encourage green building for both public and private interests. This is being reinforced by numerous stimuli including grants, tax incentives and the creation of special financing districts. Even in tenuous economic circumstances, there is recognition that sustainable building is an important investment in the future.

The following sections describe two projects that considered registering for LEED New Construction, but chose to not pursue formal LEED registration. Instead project owners incorporated sustainable design in the process and used the LEED guidelines for reference, ideas and as a checklist for sustainable development. Each continues to improve the long-term sustainability of their operations. The projects embraced sustainability as a key part of the design process and, as a result, each is the right shade of green to serve their community.

The projects were successful because they involved integrated design that brought both stakeholders and design disciplines together to identify resources, options and synergies to determine their best approach. Each project chose to incorporate sustainable options that best fit their objectives, site and location.

Phoenix North Transfer Station

The Phoenix North Transfer station is located in the Arizona desert, near a historic and scenic wash with native desert plants and a residential neighborhood looking down on the site. The design objective was to create a facility that minimized its footprint, protected native vegetation, was energy efficient, cost effective and provided a positive experience for onlookers while complementing the surrounding desert environment. The scenic wash was protected and the planners embraced protecting and preserving cacti and other native plants, including many full-grown Saguaro cacti, which produces the Arizona state flower when it blossoms each spring. To further preserve the desert habitat, the natural rock excavated during construction was used to line drainage basins. The native plant relocation effort included 98 cacti and 22 desert trees.

Energy efficient features included a solar system with roof-mounted solar batteries, a solar power inverter, building power grid tie equipment, solar-powered parking lot lights, high efficiency heating and ventilation systems, and lighting controls in administrative areas. Overhangs were incorporated into the facility design to provide additional shading and cooling, while natural day lighting was used extensively throughout the facility.

Additional conservation features included use of all steel framing, roofing and wall panels with approximately 90 percent recycled content, high thermal mass walls, fly ash content for all concrete, daylight controlled lighting systems with translucent wall panels and roof skylights and interior finishes featuring recycled material content.

The facility provides the public with a pleasant and educational experience through an education area and viewing gallery with a walkway between the material sorting area and the transfer station tipping floor. There are inviting outside walkways and education areas.

Puente Hills Material Recovery Facility

The Sanitation District of Los Angeles County strives to lead by example with sustainability features incorporated into its Puente Hills Material Recovery Facility. The design for this facility began in 1999, a few years after the formal LEED-certification process was in place. The districts reviewed the LEED certification requirements in comparison with their sustainability objectives and decided to continue to develop an aggressively sustainable facility without pursuing LEED certification. The process included consideration of environmental impacts, site development, minimizing resource use and maximizing use of earth friendly, recycled materials.

The Puente Hills facilities were designed to blend into the surrounding commercial neighborhood. Reclaimed water is used for water closets and urinals. High efficiency lighting and heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment was installed with extensive controls to minimize energy use. The districts targeted materials and products manufactured with recycled content for facility construction. Low-emitting adhesives and sealants, and paint and carpet products all met regulatory requirements.

Beyond construction, the districts practice sustainable operations. The Puente Hills MRF is currently operating entirely from power generated from landfill gas, “off the grid.” The districts promote education at the facility, using an enclosed walkway with a viewing area above the transfer and material processing areas to provide real time viewing of operations.

Approach

To identify the best sustainable solution for your project, a charrette process that includes stakeholders and technical experts has proven to be an invaluable starting point. The key steps to get a project on the path to sustainability are:

  1. Set goals and priorities for the project.

  2. Identify specific “green” measures in energy conservation and efficiency, indoor environment and air quality, outdoor environment, resource efficiency and comfort of building occupants. These discussions should recognize the variety of views and approaches.

  3. Apply measurement tools, metrics or USGBC LEED criteria.

  4. Evaluate costs and benefits of “green” options and risks to select the “right shade of green” for your project.

  5. Implement your approach through the design, construction and commissioning.

  6. Continue into operations by identifying ongoing improvements.

Continuous Improvement

A new paradigm that includes a focus on sustainability is changing our approach to design, construction and operation of transfer stations. We must be prepared and willing to innovate further and plan for future generations by moving beyond just meeting current challenges.

LEED criteria provides a great measurement tool for sustainable projects. If one chooses full certification, great! If another sustainable approach is selected, that’s great, too. The goal is always to strive for continuous improvement.

Debra L. Frye is Facilities Program Manager and Senior Vice President for HDR’s Federal Energy and Resource Management Business Group (Kansas City, MO). Her responsibilities include project and design manager for solid waste, industrial and rail facility projects as well as leading mechanical design activities for power and industrial facilities. Debra can be reached at (816) 360-2709 or via e-mail at [email protected].

References

  • U.S. Green Building Council, 2009, “LEED Reference Guide for Green Building Design and Construction,”Washington D.C., 2009 Edition, pp. xi-xxv.

  • Phoenix North Transfer Station, City of Phoenix, Marty Arambel.

  • Montgomery County Transfer Station, Montgomery County, Bob Downing.

  • Puente Hills Material Recovery Facility, Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, Matt Zuro.

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