City of Hillsboro OR : Energy Investments at SHARC Lead to Big Savings

Energy-efficiency upgrades at the Shute Park Aquatics and Recreation Center (SHARC) are paying big dividends. City employees have reduced the facility's annual energy expenses by nearly 40 percent since 2009, saving $110,000 in annual costs.

More than 250,000 patrons visit the indoor and outdoor pools, and exercise rooms at SHARC each year, making it one of the largest energy-users among City facilities. Major mechanical and lighting upgrades installed in 2015 helped to dramatically cut monthly utility costs, including:

• Comprehensive facility lighting retrofit to high-efficiency LED lights
• New heating and cooling system for the locker rooms
• Replacement of separate water heating for showers with already-heated water from the pool boilers

Incentives from the Energy Trust of Oregon helped the City of Hillsboro to achieve its aggressive sustainability goals for energy. City employees continue to seek and implement efficiency measures that not only make City facilities more comfortable, but also provide a substantial benefit to the community through future cost savings.