In 2017, City Council approved a pilot Energy Savings Performance Contract approach for PP&R, which became an initiative in our 2017-2020 Strategic Plan. The goal of the Energy Savings Performance Contract was to lower utility costs and reduce the deferred maintenance backlog. In addition to making progress on these issues in a single project, it also moved us toward meeting the goals in the City’s Climate Action Plan.
On September 4, 2019, City Council heard a report from procurement on the regular agenda to accept the guaranteed maximum price of $978,978 from McKinstry, the contractor, to implement Phase 1 of the Energy Savings Performance Contract. This work was completed on September 30, 2021 for a final contract amount of $1,045,940.66 and resulted in 820,088 kBtu of verified annual energy use reduction, better pathway lighting, and reduced maintenance requirements.
Thanks to a combination of funding from the PP&R General Fund, System Development Charges, the Metro Bond Local Share, the City’s Capital Set-Aside process, and the Portland Clean Energy and Community Benefits Fund, City Council approved a contract amendment on April 5, 2023 to begin working on Phase 2, which is expected to be complete in spring 2025.
Phase 1
Phase 1 includes:
- LED lighting and select energy measures at seven parks (see list below)
- Improvements at Montavilla Community Center
- Replacement of irrigation well pump at East Delta Park
This initiative will:
- Lower costs at nine PP&R sites
- Address critical maintenance issues
- Set a precedent for other bureaus to use this alternative contracting approach to advance Portland’s City Climate Action Plan
Energy Saving Performance Contract: Phase 1 Sites and Measures
| Location | Equity Score* | Measures |
|---|---|---|
| Bloomington Park | 5 |
|
| Ed Benedict Park | 5 | |
| Raymond Park | 5 | |
| Ventura Park | 5 | |
| Knott Park | 4 | |
| Brentwood Park | 3 | |
| Kenton Park | 3 | |
| East Delta Park | 4 |
|
| Montavilla Community Center | 3 |
|
*1 to 5 scale, with 5 indicating more vulnerable sites based on three metrics for the Service Area exceeding City of Portland averages:
- Percent of people of color
- Percent of youth
- Percent of people below poverty line
Phase 2
These reliability and energy efficiency improvements totaling approximately $16 million will provide more dependable operation and comfort for community center visitors for years to come, reduce utility expense, and reduce Scope 2 carbon emissions by 689,905 pounds annually. Work is expected to be complete in the spring of 2025.
- Complete the Light Pole Safety Project
- Replace the heating system at Peninsula Park Community Center with one that heats and cools
- Upgrade the lighting at Peninsula Park Community Center to LED
- Replace the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system at Charles Jordan Community Center
- Replace the HVAC system at East Portland Community Center
- Upgrade lighting at East Portland Community Center to LED
- Upgrade the pathway lighting at Lents Park to LED
Energy Savings Performance Contract Frequently Asked Questions
Updated 2019
Why is PP&R doing this project?
Our utility bills continue to climb and are expected to exceed $6 million this coming year. We also need to reduce our deferred maintenance while meeting the goals in the City’s Climate Action Plan. This pilot will demonstrate a new contracting approach to make progress on these issues in a single project.
What work are you doing and when?
Efficiency retrofits at nine locations. Complete details at "Portland Parks & Recreation’s commitment to sustainability continues" February 19, 2020
How did Parks decide which sites to include in the pilot?
We initially analyzed 50 locations and selected these nine due to funding availability and based on:
- Urgency of maintenance issues
- Cost saving opportunity
- Equity considerations
We intend to eventually accomplish this kind of efficiency work at all applicable locations.
How did PP&R decide which technologies to use?
We relied on expert staff and consultant knowledge and modelling the tradeoffs for each alternative. Generally, lighting converted to energy-efficient and longer-lasting LEDs while pumps, motors, fixtures and other equipment were selected to be durable, maintainable, and energy-efficient.
What changes can I expect in the pathway lighting?
The box-style pathway light fixtures at many parks are obsolete (making spare parts difficult or impossible to obtain), inefficient, and leak light beyond the park boundary and upwards. The multi-discipline team weighed options including:
- The lowest cost of just replacing the bulb with an LED in the same fixture
- The highest cost of redesigning the entire pathway lighting system, including poles
- Replacing the fixtures but keeping the poles
This project will replace them with efficient, long-lasting, 3000K correlated color temperature, LED fixtures with no uplighting. The intent is to be consistent with DarkSky practices while reducing operating costs.
Additionally, the new lights will be optimally oriented, with some missing light poles being replaced during the project. The fixture was chosen to blend with the existing park aesthetics as best as possible, be consistent with the lighting we use on new parks, and minimize costs by using a commercial, off-the-shelf product.