Facility Conservation

Solid Waste Division (SWD)

Percent of methane produced by Cedar Hills Regional Landfill that is converted to useable energy.

2006 results: 0 Percent

Influencing factors: Changes in local energy markets resulted in the need to amend the vendor contract, which delayed the project.

Strategy going forward: The new contract will be reviewed by the Metropolitan King County Council in early 2007. The new strategy for the project is to "scrub" the methane gas so that it is clean enough to be sold into the natural gas network.

Number of King County government buildings achieving any level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating

About This Performance Measure: This measure represents the number of commercial buildings being built by King County government that meet certain environmental standards. The standard being used is the national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)™ rating system. The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) developed the LEED™ rating system to provide a benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance commercial green buildings. LEED™ recognizes performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.

2006 results: 0.

Influencing factors: Some County buildings that could qualify for LEED™ certification have not gone through the certification process. The King County Green Building ordinance states that buildings must get certified if it is within budget to do so. As material and labor costs have increased, LEED™ certification has not been pursued for every eligible project. In addition, it takes several years for a project to go from registration to completion to certification, thus projects registered in one year will be certified several years later. No projects were certified in 2006, however, there were several registered projects working toward certification in 2006.

Strategy going forward: SWD will continue to provide LEED information and training to King County project managers in 2007, including hosting a King County Green Building Summit.

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Department Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP)

Facility Resource Conservation

About This Performance Measure: This suite of measures looks at the degree targets are met for reductions in facility energy and water use, and solid waste generation.

The utility management database, currently being developed by DNRP's Resource Conservation Manager, will be the source of this facility resource consumption information. The findings will help inform priorities for various efficiency investments at DNRP facilities.

2006 results:		Baseline information on DNRP facility energy and water consumption and solid waste generation are just being collected and consolidated. No results are available at this time.
2006 targets:		There were no targets for 2006. Targets for future years will seek improvement from baselines and will be calibrated based on potential savings from both operational changes and capital improvement efforts.

Influencing Factors:

Factors that will influence DNRP's ability to achieve performance targets include:

• Condition of existing buildings and facilities
• Buy-in and participation of staff
• Communication between DNRP Resource Conservation Manager and facility operators and maintenance folks
• Availability of utility incentive support

Strategy Going Forward:

• Conduct and/or update efficiency audits in all county buildings
• Develop energy management plans for energy intensive special-purpose facilities
• Pursue utility grant funding
• Seek achievement of LEED in new county building construction

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