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.

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Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.