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THPRD takes conservation seriously

The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District is stepping up its efforts to conserve energy at its Beaverton-area facilities.

Earlier this year, the district joined a Strategic Energy Management (SEM) cohort.  This free program, administrated by Energy Trust of Oregon, provides training and tools to help organizations consume energy more efficiently.

Alex Ragusa, HVAC technician for THPRD, works on a new energy management system for the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center. The computerized unit (on right) has replaced outdated mechanical equipment (on left). By sensing and adjusting the center’s heating and cooling needs automatically, the new system will save the park district thousands of dollars per year. The Energy Trust of Oregon consulted with THPRD on the HVAC upgrade. Photo: Bob Wayt

“Their contractors provide workshops, they do monthly calls with our maintenance techs, host site walkthroughs, provide toolkits and help us develop policy,” said Katherine Stokke, THRPD’s designated “energy champion.”

That lofty moniker, bestowed upon her by Energy Trust of Oregon, carries with it some big responsibilities. Stokke oversees the implementation of new processes to help THPRD conserve energy.

“Conserving is challenging, especially at pools,” she said. “You can take all of this theory of what you’d do to become more efficient, but you have air quality concerns to consider, or you run into challenges with the insulation. We’re waiting to see larger savings.”

The district earns cash incentives for electricity savings (2 cents/annual kilowatt hour saved) and natural gas savings (20 cents/annual therm saved) through operational and behavioral improvements at five THPRD locations registered with the program: Sunset Swim Center (adjacent to Sunset High School), Cedar Hills Recreation Center, Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center, Garden Home Recreation Center, and  Elsie Stuhr Center.

THPRD has established a nine-member energy team. Developing an employee team devoted to conservation earned the district its first of four $1,000 incentives available to participants for reaching key milestones.

“We were the first organization in our cohort to apply,” Stokke said. The energy team will help implement the SEM action plan and develop other energy-saving initiatives, including staff engagement and development of energy policy. “We want to get staff and patrons thinking about their role in energy savings and consumption,” Stokke said.

She noted the relationship with Energy Trust of Oregon is paying huge dividends. Energy Trust has consulted with the district on many recent projects, including:

• HVAC upgrades and improved insulation at the Tualatin Hills Aquatic Center.
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• Building automation upgrades at the Howard M. Terpenning Recreation Complex and other sites.
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• Heating valve replacements at Conestoga Recreation & Aquatic Center.
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• New LED lights on athletic fields at Conestoga Middle School and the Southwest Quadrant Community Park currently under construction in Aloha.

“The tools and training that this program has provided helps us manage all of our resources more efficiently,” Stokke said. “The incremental effect of many small improvements will soon amount to a pretty substantial reduction in energy.”

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