Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Energy Trust of Oregon
With support from independent non-profit Energy Trust of Oregon, Clackamas County has opened a modernized, energy-efficient courthouse designed to meet the needs of a growing community while reducing environmental impact and long-term costs.
Located in Oregon City, Clackamas County’s new courthouse was developed through a Public-Private Partnership (P3), an innovative model for a project of this scale. Once the final project design was selected, the county enrolled with Energy Trust to help bring its energy goals to life.
From there, Energy Trust played a key role in helping the county take a holistic approach to energy efficiency. Energy Trust experts looked at the building’s design and identified all potential energy-saving opportunities for the building, both inside and out.
“Energy efficiency was a priority from the start, and we worked closely with the county to make sure smart, cost-effective systems were part of the plan,” said Shelly Carlton, senior program manager at Energy Trust. “The result is a building that’s more affordable to operate, comfortable for staff and visitors, and sustainable for the community.”
Key energy efficiency features in the new courthouse include high-efficiency heating and cooling systems that recover and reuse waste heat, high-performance windows and insulation that minimize energy loss, and long-lasting LED lighting that reduces maintenance needs and energy use. Cash incentives from Energy Trust helped offset the cost of these upgrades.
These features are estimated to reduce energy use by as much as 140,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each year – enough to power at least 10 Oregon homes – and cut natural gas use by up to 25,000 therms, the equivalent of what dozens of homes might use in a year. In addition, a large solar array on the roof and carport structures will generate clean energy and further minimize energy bills for the county.
“Energy efficiency is a smart way to manage public dollars,” said Scott Anderson, Clackamas County Public Information Officer. “With support from Energy Trust, we’ve built a modern facility that’s not only efficient and cost-effective but also designed to provide significantly more room and security for courthouse staff and visitors, and to serve the community for decades to come.”
Energy Trust works with communities across Oregon to improve public buildings and invest in infrastructure that works better now and in the future. Support is available at every stage of a project – from early design through construction – and includes expert technical guidance, help identifying funding opportunities and cash incentives that reduce up-front costs.
Have a public building in need of upgrades? Energy Trust can help. Learn more at www.energytrust.org/newbuildings or visit Energy Trust’s booth at the upcoming AOC Annual Conference in November.
(Photo courtesy of Clackamas County.)