King County to install new boilers in Jail and Courthouse to cut heating energy cost in half

Over two weekends in November, King County, in partnership with McKinstry, will install 20,000 pound steel boilers on top of the King County Courthouse and jail. The new boiler-system is projected to cut heating costs in half for an $820,000 annual savings, eliminate 6.7 million gallons of wastewater from entering Puget Sound, and dramatically reduce county carbon emissions by an estimated 1,715 metric tons annually.

The new boilers, which McKinstry designed, will reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 1,715 metric tons per year due to the increased efficiency of on site boilers compared to the current steam heating system. The new boilers will re-circulate the hot water it uses, thus closing the system and ending the 6.7 million gallons per year of condensate discharge into the sewer.

The crane needed to lift the huge boilers will temporarily block the streets in front of the Jail and the Courthouse on installation days. November 14 and 15, the three west lanes of 4^th Avenue between James and Jefferson streets will be closed in front of the courthouse. The eastern-most lane of 4^th Avenue will remain open to accommodate traffic. When boiler installation begins at the King County jail on November 21 and 22, all lanes on 5^th avenue between James and Jefferson streets will be closed to accommodate the large crane.

The weekends designated for installation were chosen to have the least impact on traffic, employees and pedestrians. The only scheduled sporting event on those four weekend dates is the soccer MLS Cup on November 22. McKinstry has coordinated with the Seattle Department of Transportation to make impacts as minimal as possible for travelers. Road closures will not block parking garage entrances.

As King County's selected Energy Savings Partner since 2006, McKinstry has analyzed the energy use in the Courthouse and Jail facility. The design-build expert guarantees the savings, and King County expects to exceed the savings that are guaranteed.

###

The King County Facilities Management Division operates and manages the County's capital assets by developing and maintaining cost conscious, sustainable, quality, facilities, and environments for King County employees, visitors and the public. For more information, visit www.kingcounty.gov/operations/FacilitiesManagement.aspx

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