Kirkland’s Lake Washington Institute of Technology receives energy efficiency grants

Lake Washington Institute of Technology has partnered with energy and facility services firm McKinstry to secure nearly $300,000 in grant money through the Washington State Energy Efficiency Grant Program.

May 20, 2014 1:08 pm
Lake Washington Institute of Technolgy
Lake Washington Institute of Technolgy

Lake Washington Institute of Technology has partnered with energy and facility services firm McKinstry to secure nearly $300,000 in grant money through the Washington State Energy Efficiency Grant Program. The program, administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce, allows institutions such as the college to perform facility upgrades that help reduce energy usage on its campus. Puget Sound Energy also awarded the college a $32,414 utility grant to aid the college in its investment in campus energy efficiency projects.

“McKinstry worked with us throughout the application process to ensure we presented a strong case to the Department of Commerce,” said Tim Wheeler, director of facilities and operations at the college. “We have been looking at this project for a few years to help us achieve our energy and carbon emissions reduction plan for the campus and will now be able to move forward with it thanks to these grants.”

Facility upgrades funded by the grants include the following:

• Exterior campus lighting upgrades to LED lighting

• Campus electric sub metering per building

• Campus control system commissioning

The college is expected to see $22,240 in annual energy savings from these facility improvements, and will save an estimated $1,799 in annual operational and maintenance costs. These energy improvement measures will reduce carbon emissions by 321,270 pounds a year, which is the equivalent of removing 28 cars from the roads or planting 40 acres of trees. This project will help create or maintain seven local jobs.

Approved by the Washington State Legislature, the Washington State Energy Efficiency Grant Program allocated $32 million to competitive grant programs to fund energy and operational cost saving improvements in public buildings across the state.

Since 2009, McKinstry has helped its clients secure over $94 million in state grant funding. Those grants have been leveraged into more than $200 million in project work. In addition to enhancing facilities, projects also stimulate the local economy by employing local consultants and contractors.