Santa Fe County's new public-works complex under construction on
N.M. 599 will include a car wash that uses water heated by the sun and
is reused seven times before going down the drain. A wind turbine will
generate about 10 percent of the power for the 50,000-square-foot
facility. The buildings will be heated partially by harnessing the
power of the sun — not from the use of cutting-edge technology, but
through the implementation of the simple, low-cost techniques employed
by dwellers of the southwestern United States for centuries.
Michael Freeman, the architect who designed this new $16 million
county hub, said he stayed away from high-tech, fast-changing solutions
and "focused on simple systems with no moving parts because they are
easy to maintain, and you can buy parts locally."
Freeman said the energy-saving features incorporated into the project are specifically tailored to New Mexico's climate.
Trombe walls — concrete slabs painted black and covered with glass
to trap heat — will soak up heat during the day and radiate it into the
building. The four buildings in the facility will have operable windows
to provide ventilation. Natural light will be optimized to reduce use
of electric lighting during the day.
The buildings will be insulated with material made from recycled
newsprint. "I hate to tell you this, but there could be pieces of
The New Mexican in the walls right now," Freeman said during a recent tour of the site.
The skeleton of the building is made from recycled steel that might
once have been cars or appliances, Freeman said. Hundreds of years from
now, he said, those same materials could be recycled themselves. "Steel
is endlessly recyclable," he said.
Most of the building will run on traditional energy sources such as
natural gas and coal-powered electricity. But the complex is designed
to allow the integration of solar or biomass down the road.
The 30-acre site where the public-works facility is being built was
once a gravel mine that is being reclaimed through the project. The
land will be revegetated with native plants that will be watered with
storm-water runoff collected in underground storage tanks that can hold
up to 50,000 gallons.
The county isn't seeking any specific energy rating on the complex,
but Freeman said it probably meets the criteria for Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, certification, a green
building rating system. "It's going to be a very strong building, very
energy efficient," he said. "It absolutely would qualify after the
fact."
The new $55 million District Courthouse the county is planning to
build in downtown Santa Fe will seek LEED certification from the start.
"That's our commitment to new construction," said Commissioner Paul
Campos, who has gained a reputation as the "green" commissioner on the
board.
Campos said the county will evaluate all its buildings in coming
months to figure out what can be done to make them more energy
efficient. "We'll put money aside for that every year," Campos said.
"We'll probably start with the jails because they run 24 hours per
day."
Santa Fe County is also taking steps to make its fleet of cars and trucks more efficient.
Approximately 177 county vehicles began using biodiesel April 1. A
new policy that requires county vehicles that can run on alternative
fuels to do so
will begin to have more impact as new vehicles are purchased, according to county spokesman Stephen Ulibarri.
Campos said some new vehicles will be hybrids, and overall, the
trend will be toward buying smaller cars and trucks. "If you need a big
truck for a particular purpose it's justified, but anything else is
going to be the smallest engine possible," he said.
Campos said deciding what type of alternative fuels to use isn't
easy. "There are not a lot of choices right now. There is diesel, but
America isn't really up-to-date on diesel right now."
The commissioner said he is not a fan of corn-based ethanol because
of the water it takes to produce and the effect is has on the price of
corn.
The county bought a Toyota Prius in October. "It's been nicknamed
'Bart' by staff," Ulibarri said, and "they fight over who gets to drive
him. They love how smooth and eco-friendly he is, and yes, they believe
Bart is a boy."
The county recently purchased a second hybrid, a Ford Escape, which serves as a staff car for Community Services employees.
Another environmentally conscious measure being taken by the county
is an in-house recycling program. Three buildings began recycling
paper, plastic and glass last year when Commissioner Virginia Vigil
allocated money from her discretionary funds for that purpose.
Rick Vigil, the Public Works solid waste manager, said the program
was expanded to all county buildings this past Monday. "We've also
implemented an educational program for employees," Vigil said. "It's
pretty clear that it's reduced the amount of trash we are throwing out
by about 50 percent here at Public Works."
Campos is also heading an informal "energy team" that is discussing
the possible benefits of a city-county owned electric utility that
could allow local governments to have more choice in the types of
energy they use. "That could make a big impact on the community," he
said.
Keep the conversation on the environment going at
www.santafegreenline.com. Keep a blog, start a discussion, share your photos and videos of New Mexico and make new friends.
0
