NORTH BEND, Wash. - The Si View Metropolitan Park District in North Bend, Wash. has completed a $500,000 performance contract implemented by TAC Energy Solutions, a division of TAC, a provider of building automation, security systems, and energy solutions. Through this project, Si View replaced and/or retrofitted various mechanical, electrical, lighting, and control systems. The park district also received a guarantee from TAC that the facility improvements would provide more than $26,000 in savings annually in utility, operating, and repair costs.

The Si View Community Center, Park and Pool is located 30 miles east of Seattle on a 10.7-acre site in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, offering spectacular views of Mount Si. The park contains baseball and soccer fields, two tennis courts, and a children’s playground. A historic log building built in 1938 serves as a community center and houses a gymnasium with a basketball court, classrooms, and an indoor swimming pool.

“The park and its facilities are very important assets to our community,” said Jessi Richardson, director, Si View Metropolitan Park District. “Unfortunately, the aging community center began to experience equipment failures and infrastructure problems indicating that the facility required an upgraded HVAC system, as well as updated lighting and electrical systems. Because the park district has limited resources, we called on TAC Energy Solutions to provide a remedy.”

The community center now has a new, efficient mechanical infrastructure that reduces maintenance costs, increases reliability, and improves comfort and safety, while also providing overall energy savings. A simple but effective direct digital control (DDC) system allows for more efficient management and monitoring of building systems.

“We analyzed a variety of potential energy conservation measures (ECMs), along with deferred maintenance, and identified several ECMs for implementation,” said Wes McDaniel, vice president of TAC Energy Solutions. “The combination of these ECMs meets the economic payback criteria set forth by the state of Washington for its energy performance contracting program, as well as the critical infrastructure needs of the Si View Community Center and Pool.”

The specific projects completed in the eight-month project include new HVAC and control systems in the park administration building, the community center, and the gymnasium and natatorium, where one system serves the pool area and another serves the office/locker room area. The interior and exterior lighting were upgraded to including emergency and exit lights and the community center has updated electrical wiring and outlets. Energy efficiency has been enhanced by installing insulation in the gymnasium walls and in the ceiling of the community center.

In addition, TAC estimates that the reduction in energy usage at Si View will have a positive impact on the environment, leading to a decrease in emissions of the greenhouse gas CO2 of 112,375 pounds per year. This is equivalent to planting 15 acres of trees annually.

For more information, visit www.tac.com.

Publication date:12/11/2006