Representatives from the Governor’s Energy Office Visit South Park for Unveiling of New Biomass System
January 2010
Project one of many aimed toward increasing Colorado's supply of clean, reliable power while bringing jobs, economic development to communities across the state
Denver, CO (1/11/10) – The future of Colorado’s clean energy economy is unfolding in South Park. Saturday, January 23, Representatives from the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO), the Department of Local Affairs and McKinstry, a local energy services firm, will be on hand at the South Park Recreation Center, 1190 Bullet Road in Fairplay, to demonstrate the new biomass heating system, commercialized in December, 2009. During the event, which is open to the public, McKinstry and the GEO will discuss woody biomass resources and usage in Colorado and answer questions. In addition, the event will introduce Park County’s new Energy Efficiency / Renewable Energy Initiative and include information and displays on various energy related topics.
Historically, South Park consistently used 35,000 gallons of propane per year with most of that fuel going toward heating the pool. High propane costs in recent years have resulted in heating expenditures in excess of $60,000/year for the building and pool. To reduce these costs the South Park Park and Recreation District (SPPRD) engaged McKinstry, located in Conifer, to perform an energy audit. Using the GEO’s energy performance contracting program, McKinstry evaluated various renewable technologies including solar thermal and woody biomass. It was determined that a woody biomass heating system using wood pellets would provide the highest return on investment.
McKinstry recently installed a 650,000 BTU/hour input size biomass boiler and a hot water coil in the pool air handling unit so that both the pool water and the pool area indoor air are now heated by wood pellets produced from beetle kill trees. The biomass boiler is installed in a container system, and the wood pellets are stored in a weather-tight silo. Both are Located on the north side of the Recreation Center building. SolaGen, Inc. of St. Helens, Oregon provided the biomass boiler and the Confluence Energy processing plant in nearby Kremmling produced the wood pellets. The Recreation Center is expected to burn nearly 220 tons of wood pellets per year.
This project is saving the Recreation Center over $40,000/year in heating costs - a 53% reduction in their previous propane and electricity costs. These energy reductions equate to an estimated 225 tons per year of greenhouse gases, which is equivalent to planting 61 acres of trees or removing 30 cars from the roads.
Funding for this project includes grants from the Department of Local Affairs and the Colorado Governor’s Energy Office. The SPPRD financed the balance with a lease purchase agreement from Colorado East Bank in Fairplay. The annual lease payments will be made by SPPRD from the annual cost savings achieved, which are guaranteed by McKinstry.
McKinstry has shown commitment to serving municipal governments and recreation districts in Colorado and has provided similar services in the past year to the Cities of Golden and Longmont and to Jefferson County.
About McKinstry
McKinstry is a full-service, design-build-operate-and-maintain (DBOM) firm specializing in consulting, construction, energy and facility services. Our innovative, integrated delivery methodology provides clients with a single point of accountability that drives waste, cost, time, and redundancy out of the design/build process. We employ over 1,600 professional staff and trades people throughout the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, West, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States with operations in more than 15 states. McKinstry advocates collaborative and sustainable solutions designed to ensure occupant comfort, improve systems efficiency, reduce facility operational costs, and ultimately optimize profitability for “The Life of Your Building.”
For more information, visit www.mckinstry.com
Contact: Lynnel Hampton, Marketing Specialist
(206) 762-3311 or email at lynnelh@mckinstry.com
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