Green Technology and Sustainability

The Field Station was constructed using green technologies and construction techniques in accordance with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards. The building features the use of solar power in light fixtures and for water heating, and includes multiple stormwater and wastewater recycling systems. The facility's water efficiency features include onsite greywater and sewage treatment with secondary and tertiary wetlands, the building's green living roof collects and stores 100% of all stormwater, and a river water supply pipeline enables researchers to pump river water directly into their wet labs and mesocosms.

Energy efficiency is optimized in the building's chilled water-cooling system (supplemented by river water and ice storage tanks in the summer), and heat wheel (captures tempered portions of air and recycles it throughout the facility in the winter), reducing grid energy needs and costs. Recycled materials are employed throughout the building's construction including:

• Rebar in the concrete (95% recycled steel)
• Metal studs (99% recycled metal)
• Rubber floor tiles (100% recycled material)
• Countertops (100% recycled glass)
• Bathroom floor and wall tiles (100% recycled glass)
• Insulation made from recycled newspaper and paper
• 90% of construction-related waste has been recycled

In 2015, NGRREC was awarded LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for energy and resource efficiency and a dramatic reduction of carbon dioxide emissions from conventional levels.