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City of Seattle / Seattle Center
Seattle Climate Action Now

Seattle is taking action to prevent one of the biggest threats to the future our city and the planet - global warming. Through Seattle Climate Action Now, we are committed to leading by example and helping everyone in the city take steps today to reduce climate-changing pollution in their homes, at work and on the road. Get involved in Seattle Climate Action Now by visiting www.seattleCAN.org.

Conservation at Seattle Center

Water Conservation
  • Lavatory Faucets
    • The department installed 180 0.5 gallons per minute faucets in its public restrooms during 1994.  During 2007, the Center further reduced its water consumption by installing faucet nozzles delivering 0.2 gallons per minute of use.  The majority of the Center’s lavatory faucets are sensor controlled to provide water only when a person is present and using the lavatory and shut off automatically when the user moves away.
  • Toilet Replacement
    • During 1995 the Center embarked on a major effort to eliminate older model 6 gallon per flush high water use toilets that dated to the 1962 World’s Fair.  This project converted 245 toilets to low flow units requiring 3.5 gallons per flush in various buildings across the campus.
  • Low Flow shower heads
    • The Center changed 96 showerheads from devices that used 6.0 gallons per minute to showerheads that used 3.0 gallons per minute of use in McCaw Hall, KeyArena and the Bagley Wright Theatre in 2003. 
    • The Center House showers were converted to the 3.0-gallon low flow devices in 2003 and the shop building showers were converted just prior to occupancy in 2001.
  • Waterless Urinals
    • An experiment to place waterless urinals in campus restrooms was begun in 2002 with an initial installation in Center House.  From that test, we expanded the program to all six Center House restrooms with a total of 29 units installed between 2002 and 2006.
  • Extremely low consumption urinals
    • A new style/type of urinal came onto the market in early 2007.  Seattle Center converted the urinals in the Fisher Pavilion and the restroom pavilion to 1/8-gallon sensor flush devices prior to the Northwest Folklife Festival in May 2007.  The urinals in the Alki Outdoor restroom were converted to the same devices prior to the Bite of Seattle festival in July 2007.  The replacement urinals represent a savings in water consumption of 1.375 gallons of water each time the urinals are used over the water used by the changed out urinals.
    • A project to replace the waterless urinals installed in McCaw Hall during construction was begun and 50% completed in 2007.  The waterless urinals have been the subjects of significant customer dissatisfaction in the building.  We believe the newer technology will reduce the carbon footprint by eliminating the plastic cartridges in the waterless devices.  The second phase of this project will be undertaken in January 2008.
  • Irrigation control system
    • In 1989, the Center chose to computerize and centrally control its irrigation systems by installing a Maxicom™ system that automatically monitor and adjusts the amount of water applied by the various irrigation systems on the campus.  The system has a weather station that automatically adjusts the controlled timing to match time of year and rainfall rates during any particular time period.  It can also be set to regulate water flow to any single zone in the system and to shut it off when it senses either a low pressure or high-flow situation, thereby saving water.
  • Living Roof
    • Seattle Center, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, opens a new parking structure in 2008.  This building will be complete with a living roof to aid in our management of storm water runoff.  Planted largely with Sedums in varying colors to create a colorful and exciting roof-top garden, the roof system on the Fifth Avenue North Garage is the largest living roof in the United States.

Campus Attractions

  • Decorative/Interactive Fountains
    • Fountain of Creation; Everett Dupen
      • Built in 1962, situated just north of KeyArena, and remodeled in 1992, the fountain’s water has been chemically treated to provide high quality and clean water since 1992.  A swimming pool filter was installed in the system to further enhance water quality and to control the amount of water lost to cleaning and draining operations in 2006.
    • Fountain of the Northwest; James Fitzgerald 
      • Dating to the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair, the Fountain of the Northwest in the Intiman Courtyard does not have the capability for the water to be treated or filtered.  The water is, however, recirculated by pump.
    • Negative Fountain; Ned Khan
      • The Negative Fountain is a small recirculating fountain located east of the Intiman in Founders’ Court.  It was built in 1995 and is not treated or filtered.
    • International Fountain 
      • In the Center of the campus, the International Fountain was rebuilt in 1996 with spectacular features that interact with sound to program the animation of the fountain.  Water quality is maintained by chemical treatment and filtration since it was reopened reducing water use.  The fountain provides a fun place for people to enjoy the water as well as place for community celebrations or remembrances.
    • Howard S. Wright Fountain; Space Needle 
      • Seattle Center maintains the privately owned fountain in the Space Needle turnaround.  Built in 1998, the fountain is both treated and filtered to maintain water quality and reduce water use.
    • Seseragi Fountain; Gerald Tsutukawa
      • Nestled in an area adjacent the Kobe Bell, the Seseragi Fountain has an integral recirculation system that continuously reuses water.  It was added to the campus in 2000.
    • Neototem  II Garden; Gloria Bornstein
      • Dubbed the Whale’s Tail, the Neototem II Garden was built in 2002 and has been filtered and chemically treated to conserve water and to maintain water that is suitable for young people to play in.
    • Kreielsheimer Promenade Water Feature 
      • This water feature was included as a part of the McCaw Hall project and was added to the campus in 2003.  Seattle Center added filtration, treatment and reuse capability shortly after construction in 2004.
HSQ Building Energy Control Management System
  • An automated building energy control system was installed to operate the Center’s heating and cooling plant in 1980.  This was the precursor to today’s more robust and fully capable building control system.
The Center upgraded its initial HVAC management system to Siemens Insight Energy Control System (Apogee) in 1991.  The Siemens system remains the campus standard today.  It automatically controls and manages pre-set or pre-determined on/off cycles, the amount of outside make-up air required and when to activate or shut down the boilers and water chillers for he campus.  It has the capability to monitor and alarm building entrances and control lighting circuits across the campus.

Greenhouse Gas Reduction
  • Central Utility Plant
    • High Efficiency Boilers
      • The Seattle Center Central Utility Plant was completed in 2000. Steam is provided to campus buildings by two 800hp high-efficiency natural gas fired high-pressure steam boilers.  The plant also has a smaller 100hp auxiliary natural gas fired boiler that provides steam for domestic hot water and small heating loads.  The boilers are dual fuel capable with diesel fuel serving as the alternative fuel.  The Center has several thousand gallons of fuel stored to operate the boilers in the event the supply of natural gas is curtailed.
      • The steam system on the campus is a closed loop system meaning that the amount of steam going out is returned to the plant in the form of condensate and water, which is reused in the boilers.
    • Chillers & refrigeration equipment 
      • The Central Utility Plant has two large chillers—one 1500 ton and one 900 ton unit, each of which uses 123 Freon a low CFC refrigerant.  The plant began operations in 2000 and provides chilled water for cooling operations in the various campus buildings. 
      • The warmed water byproduct of this operation is returned to the plant to be re-chilled and is then redistributed across the campus.
      • The Central Utility Plant and KeyArena Cooling towers for the chillers are a closed loop system that recycles and reuses water that is not lost to evaporation in the cooling process. 
      • KeyArena has two chillers that support ice-making operations for hockey and ice shows.  These chillers are capable of making enough ice to provide cooling for the building via an ice storage system.
      • The Center also has a portable 125-ton chiller that supports the Winterfest ice rink.  This unit is forced air-cooled using fans integral to the machinery. 
  • Fleet Equipment
    • Seattle Center made a decision to begin converting its vehicle fleet from traditional petroleum based fuels in 2000 and has been changing the fleet composition as funding or opportunities were available.  In 2008, battery/electric, hybrid, CNG, LPG or bio-diesel will power 100% of the vehicle fleet.  The Mayor and Council provided funding in the 2007 and 2008 budgets that enabled the Center to convert the last of its equipment on an accelerated pace and also provided money to establish an on-site fueling station for B-20 bio-diesel that is scheduled for completion in November of 2007.
    • Bio-Diesel Fuel
      • The Center has had, at various times, as many as five pick-ups.  These vehicles have been a combination of gasoline and bi-fuel units capable of using either gasoline or Compressed Natural Gas.  That number has been reduced to three and all are powered by bio-diesel.  This effort was completed with purchase of the three diesel units and conversion of one of the bi-fuel pick-ups to a hybrid SUV unit in 2007.
      • The Center has a single intermediate sized lawn mower that is fueled with bio-diesel.  It was purchased in 2000, but is bio-diesel compatible.
      • The Center replaced a gasoline-powered scooter that was used to remove garbage and recycled materials from the campus with a battery/electric powered scooter in 2002.  That equipment didn’t hold up against the demands of the work we had and was replaced with a bio-diesel capable scooter in 2006.
      • The Center has had a medium sized diesel powered utility tractor for several years.  When it was last replaced, one of the requirements was that it be bio-diesel compatible.
      • Seattle Center has a medium sized sweeper this has been used to clean debris and litter from the parking lots and surface streets on the campus.  This unit is Bio-diesel powered.
      • The Center purchased a small bio-diesel fueled vacuum sweeper to better clean the parking structures servicing the campus in 2007 as a part of the Mayor’s Green Initiative.  This machine will also enable staff to perform more frequent cleaning on the perimeter sidewalks of the campus and to remove plant debris from planters along the edges.
      • Garbage and recycling removal from the campus’ buildings to the Central Waste Reduction Facility is managed by a truck mounted forklift known as the ‘D’ truck.  It is fueled by bio-diesel.
    • Compressed Natural Gas Fuel
      • The Center has had two CNG cars in the fleet since 2003.  A hybrid unit replaced one of those vehicles in 2007 and the remaining vehicle will be converted to a hybrid SUV unit at its next replacement cycle.
    • Gasoline/Electric Hybrid Vehicles
      • The Center converted one of its two CNG cars and its remaining bi-fuel pick-up to hybrid units in 2007.  The remaining CNG car will be converted to hybrid technology at its scheduled replacement time.
    • Liquified Petroleum Gas Fuel
      • The department maintains six LPG forklifts in support of its event and maintenance operations.  These vehicles are operated both on the grounds and inside the various venues on the campus.
      • The department maintains two LPG powered Zamboni ice surfacers in support of its ice operations in KeyArena.  The older back-up unit was converted to LPG fuel from gasoline in 2005.
    • Battery/Electric Powered
      • The department had a collection of gasoline powered scooters and pickups in its working fleet.  We that the technology had advanced far enough that there were sufficient alternatives available for us to entertain switching to battery/electric equipment.  As a result, the department converted 13 vehicles to battery/electric units in 2000.  While the vehicles look a bit different today than they did in that first purchase, the vehicle mix is much the same as the early project was designed and implemented.
      • A similar discussion took place regarding large area floor maintenance equipment.  Seattle Center had two LPG large area floor scrubbers that were replaced with battery/electric technology in 2000.  The units have been very serviceable and have met the maintenance needs of the department.
    • Gasoline Fuel
      • The department has a single gasoline powered utility scooter capable of operating multiple attachments for turf and landscape maintenance.  That unit will be replaced with a Bio-diesel unit similar to the one already in use on the campus during 2008.
      • The department has a 2005 mid-sized van used by our operations staff.  That unit will be replaced in 2008 by an alternatively fueled vehicle depending on the available vehicle power source.
      • The department has a fifteen-year-old self-propelled turf sweeper.  This unit is scheduled for replacement in 2008 and will be replaced by a Bio-diesel compatible machine.
    • Bio-based Lubricants
      • Seattle Center began using vegetable-based hydraulic oil in its vehicle fleet in 2007.
      • The department is using vegetable-based chain bar oil in its chain saws and bio-based lubricants in its two-cycle small engine equipment.
  • Department Maintenance Equipment
    • Mayors’ Green Initiative
    • The Mayor and Council provided funding that enabled Seattle Center to convert the majority of its operating equipment to alternative power sources.
      • The department purchased a battery/electric trim mower for its landscape operation.  It replaced a gasoline-fueled mower in 2007.  A second mower will be purchased in 2008 as a back-up.
      • The Center had two LPG powered high-speed floor burnishing machines that were replaced by battery/electric technology in 2007 and 2008.
      • The department had six gasoline engine hot water pressure washers in its inventory.  The funding replaced one of them with bio-diesel powered units in 2007 and the other five in 2008.)
      • The department has five small gasoline emergency generators, two were replaced in 2007 by bio-diesel fueled 4kW generators and the other three will be replaced in 2008 for use by various campus work units.
    • The Center owns three battery powered pallet jacks two were purchased as a part of the KeyArena project in 1995 and the remaining one is used at the trades’ shop building to move materials throughout the building.  That machine was acquired used in 1997.
    • The department maintains one LPG powered welder/generator for its Metal Fabrication shop.  Purchased in 2000, the machine can be safely used indoors without creating a potentially dangerous air quality issue.
    • The department has two riding floor scrubbers that are battery/electric powered.  These units were converted from LPG units in 2003 and service medium sized open floor areas on the campus.
    • There are some pieces of small-engine equipment that there are no good choices or alternatives for at the present time.  This gasoline-powered equipment includes 2 lawn-edging machines, 6 backpack blowers, a vibrating compactor and 2 tillers.  For this specialty equipment, the department has required that all purchases meet or exceed the California emissions standard for small engines since 2005.
      • As there are viable choices that permit the approximately same work to be performed without significant cost increases, the department will convert this equipment to alternatively fueled devices.
      • The department utilizes electric blowers inside KeyArena as a part of the cleaning operation.
    • Building Emergency Generators
      • The KeyArena generator was installed in 1995 and has a large diesel storage capacity.  Consideration will be given to converting to bio-diesel when that supply is replenished.  The generator provides back-up power to the arena and its emergency systems plus those of the commercial kitchen facility located under the Seattle Center Pavilion.
      • The Intiman Playhouse has a medium capacity emergency generator that is diesel fueled and also serves the Exhibition Hall.  That unit will be converted to bio-diesel when it is next used and refueled.
      • The Center House generator serves the City’s telephone switch in the building and provides back-up power for he emergency, fiber optic and computer networks for the campus.  This unit will be converted to bio-diesel with its next refueling operation.
      • Installed when Mercer Arena was converted for the Opera and Ballet in 2001, the building’s generator provides back-up power for the emergency systems in the building.  This unit will be converted to bio-diesel.
      • Similar to the Mercer Arena emergency equipment, the McCaw Hall generator was installed in 2003 and will be fueled by bio-diesel in the future.
  • Recycle Rates & Capacity
    • Seattle Center is committed to reducing its landfill-bound waste stream.  We have consistently worked to capitalize on available alternatives for recycling and to find new ones as they present themselves.  Seattle Center purchased 114 new garbage containers that have an integral recycle compartment in 2007 to enhance our on grounds recycling effort for cans and bottles.  The Center achieved a 42.18% recycling rate during 2006, up from 35.32% in 2004 and 32.21% in 2005.
  • Mayor’s Paper Use Initiative
    • The Mayor issued guidelines for the City’s departments to reduce their paper use by a total of 30% over 2006 and 2007.
      • Seattle Center reduced its paper use by 34% over the base year of 2004 in 2007.
      • 2,775 reams were used in 2004
      • 2,210 reams were used in 2006
      • 1,305 reams have been used so far in 2007
  • Compostables
    • Seattle Center has been sending its yard waste to Cedar Grove for composting for several years.  In 2003, the Center partnered with Seattle Public Utilities to pilot a pre-consumer food-waste recycling program at Center House.  That program has expanded to include the Aramark and Westin commercial kitchen operations at KeyArena and McCaw Hall.
    • Yard Waste
      • 156.06 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2004
      • 127.18 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2005
      • 105.71 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2006
      • 173.71 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2007
    • Pre-Consumer Food Waste
      • 7.2 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2006
        • Zero Waste at Center functions  (2007)
        • Food Waste capture at major festivals  (2006)
        • Food waste capture in employee break rooms  (2007)
        • Break and lunch rooms are using compostable tableware (2008)
      • 63.3 tons diverted from landfill and composted in 2007
  • Recyclables & Reusables
    • The Center has long been involved in recycling and reusing parts of its waste stream.  For several years, Seattle Center was a leader in the City’s recycling efforts as we moved into different kinds of recycling programs.
    • Cans & Bottles
      • 97.26 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2004
      • 102.53 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005 
      • 116.68 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 109.97 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Dirt and Rubble
      • 91.85 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2004
      • 111.28 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005 
      • 296.2 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 263 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Scrap Metal
      • 24.23 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2004
      • 30.2 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005 
      • 21.16 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 31.13 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Wood Waste
      • 19.16 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2004
      • 19.87 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005 
      • 22.83 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 26.49 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Paper and Cardboard
      • 41.52 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2004
      • 275.49 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005 
      • 256.93 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 276.32 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Batteries
      • 1 ton diverted from landfill and recycled in 2005
      • 1.2 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 0.52 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Light bulbs
      • 1.31 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2006
      • 1.70 tons diverted from landfill and recycled in 2007
    • Printer and Copier Toner Cartridges
      • The Center returns expended printer and copier cartridges to the manufacturer for recycling.
  • Hazardous Material Generation
    • Seattle Center has been required to file a Pollution Prevention Plan with the State Department of Ecology as a large quantity generator of hazardous waste materials for the last five years.  As of 2007, the Center has reduced its Hazardous Waste quantities sufficiently that the conditions that made filing Pollution Prevention Plan no longer exist.  We will continue to monitor and track our hazardous waste, but are committed to expanding our use of more environmentally friendly supplies, materials and equipment thereby further reducing our qualifying waste generation.
      • 1325 pounds of qualifying waste generated in 2002
      • 3629 pounds of qualifying waste generated in 2003
      • 2782 pounds of qualifying waste generated in 2004
      • 1610 pounds of qualifying waste generated in 2005
      • 1371 pounds of qualifying waste generated in 2006
  • Pesticide/herbicide use  (1997)
    • The Center practices an Integrated Pest Management approach to dealing with undesirable plants and animals.  That effort attempts to find alternative methods of eliminating pests before they become established on the grounds and therefore a problem.
    • The City has developed a program reducing or restricting use of pesticides and herbicides on its properties.  Seattle Center is a willing participant in that program and has a number of practices in place to accomplish the goal.  Weeds are removed mechanically or manually rather than by wholesale use of herbicides.
    • In conjunction with Seattle Public Utilities, the Center utilized biological controls for mosquitoes in 2007 as a part of the City’s West Nile Virus Mitigation and Response Plan.
  • Cleaning/maintenance products
    • Low VOC solvents
      • The Center began using Low VOC solvents in 1995 when they became commercially viable.  They are not presently available for all types of coatings presently in use at the Center.
    • Low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) paints & sealers.
      • In 2001, we converted to concrete sealers that were water-based for application on the International Fountain and other concrete paver surfaces.
      • In 2006, the latest generation of Low VOC coatings and finishes permitted us to extend their use across the campus. We are using 99.5% VOC free paints in almost every application on campus.
    • The Center’s Paint team began using Bio-degradable paint strippers in 2004.  They have been exceptionally effective in our graffiti removal efforts.
    • Low VOC adhesives  (2002)
    • Paperless gypsum board
      • The department began buying paperless gypsum board in 2007 to enhance indoor air quality and to reduce the ability for mold and other pathogens to establish themselves on the paper covered material
    • Green Seal cleaning products  (2005)
      • The Center will have achieved 90% GreenSeal certified product use in 2008.
      • The Center’s garbage bags contain a minimum of 30% post-consumer use recycled materials
      • The Center is using 100% bio-degradable food waste collection and disposal bags.
      • The Center is using 100% recycled fiber paper towels and toilet paper that has a minimum of 40% post-consumer recycled fiber content.
  • Indoor Air Quality
    • In conjunction with the NBA, Seattle Center increased its filter particulate removal capability in the fans serving parts of KeyArena in 2001.  The new filters remove 95% of the particulate in the air moving through them.  The filters have a pre-filter that permits the MV95 to have an extended five-year replacement cycle.
    • As a result of the success we had with the MV95 filters in KeyArena, we began looking to increase the air quality in the rest of KeyArena, Center House, Fisher Pavilion, Bagley Wright Theatre, Intiman Playhouse and McCaw Hall when it was completed.  The Center installed filters that remove 75% of the airborne particulate in 2002.  This filter also has a five-year extended service life.  The MV75 and MV95 are manufactured without fiberglass and metal components that permit a more environmentally sound disposal method.
    • Campus fan units with filters that are configured in such a way that the MV75/95 filters can’t be used have been converted to a High Capacity/efficiency paper filter.  These filters replaced a previously used fiberglass filter in a metal frame that was less efficient and more difficult to dispose of.  The project was completed in 2002.
  • Storm water Containment
    • Several Seattle Center buildings have retention and flow control structures in place that restrict storm water as it flows into the combined Metro sewer to help prevent that system from being overwhelmed.  All of Seattle Center’s storm water goes to combined sewer for treatment rather than directly into the Sound or South Lake Union.  These structures may allow for a future program to capture and reuse storm water for irrigation of grey water inside the various buildings.  This undertaking will require an evaluation of the built structures and how they could be modified and enhanced to permit suitable water for use in toilet rooms or for irrigation.
      • KeyArena’s flow control structure was built as a part of the 1994 renovation and is located beneath the International Fountain lawn.
      • Built with the building in 2002, the Fisher Pavilion flow control structure is located on the north end of the South Fountain Lawn south of Harrison Street.
      • The structure serving McCaw and the Central Utility Plant structure was built in 2000 and is located in the Maintenance Courtyard.
      • The structure serving part of the Bagley Wright Theatre and all of the Leo K Theatre was built in 1998 and is located in the lawn southeast of the building.
  • Lighting/Controls
    • Seattle City Light has partnered with Seattle Center to make a number of energy saving enhancements since 1992, with the vast majority of the projects being performed as maintenance work since 2001.
      • Center House converted to electronic ballasts
        • One of the first energy saving packages undertaken at Seattle Center was the conversion of magnetic ballasts in fluorescent lighting fixtures to electronic devices in 1992.  Virtually all of the fixtures at the Center were changed at that time.
      • Center School and SC Productions lighting occupancy sensors
        • The lighting in the Center School and SC Productions offices were controlled by occupancy sensors with construction of the school in 2003
      • Center House 1st Floor lighting upgrade to CFL
        • The Center replaced 100 par-38 incandescent lighting on the 1st floor of Center House between the Children’s Museum and the Center House Theatre.  Not only did the project reduce energy consumption in the space by about two thirds, it created a much brighter and more attractive space from one that was dark and uninviting.  This project saved about 110,000-kilowatt hours and about $7,500 annually.
      • Winterfest Campus Lighting Controlled
        • In 2005, the Center established a control system for decorative lighting placed around the campus during the Winterfest Celebration.  This project allowed the lighting to be automatically turned off and on and predetermined times resulting in an annual saving of about $18,000 in energy costs. 
      • Center House Food Court lighting upgrade to HID  (2005)
        • This project also replaced about 70 halogen 250-watt theatrical lights on the Food Court with 23 Ceramic Metal Halide 150-watt fixtures lighting the Food Court and eighteen 1,000- watt fixtures on the North and South End Murals with eighteen 150-watt Ceramic Metal Halide fixtures. This project was completed in 2005 resulting in an annual saving of about 160,000-kilowatt hours and about $12,500.
      • Center House and 5th Avenue Parking accent lighting Neon to LED conversion  (2005)
        • The Center began replacing selected neon with LED light sources in 2005.  The south interior soffit lighting at Center House and the pay-park signage in the 5th Avenue parking lot were the areas selected for conversion.  The change resulted in annual savings of about 21,000-kilowatt hours and $1,500.
      • Seattle Center Pavilion upgraded to electronic ballasts and controls (2006)
        • The lighting in the Seattle Center Pavilion was controlled by manually turning switches and breakers on or off in the service hallway behind the space.  This resulted in the lights being left on for extended periods of time.  In 2006, we changed the old magnetic ballasts to electronic devices and installed an operating control system that saves about 60,000-kilowatt hours or $4,000 annually.
      • Occupancy sensor switch conversions 
        • This project will be on going for the next several years.  In an effort to reduce the impact of lights being left on when people leave a space, we are adding occupancy sensors to the switching capability of the majority of our spaces.  The project started in 2007 in our shop spaces and being extended as time and funding is available to other campus buildings.
      • Exit signs converted to LED
        • The department undertook a program to replace all but a few building exit lights with LED technology.  The project removed fixtures that used either incandescent lamps or fluorescent that consumed significantly more electricity than their LED replacements.  The pleasant upside is that their maintenance is also significantly reduced and the waste bulbs have been virtually eliminated for this purpose.
          • Mercer Arena was completed in 2001
          • Mercer Garage and 1st N garages were completed in 2003
          • Park Place, Center House, KeyArena and the Bagley Wright Theatre were completed in 2004
          • Seattle Center Pavilion and the Northwest Rooms were finished in 2005
Transportation
  • Alt Bucks
  • Commute Reduction
    • Bicycle racks (showers for staff)
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The Next Fifty
About Seattle Center
Seattle Center draws you in. Its vibrant pulse brings together people of all ages and walks of life to create thousands of extraordinary experiences that enrich millions of lives each year.  Entertainment options abound - starting with nearly 500 public program activities and over 5,000 shows and events annually. The 74-acre campus, with 17 acres of open space, is welcoming to all - and is home to more than 30 cultural, educational, sports and entertainment organizations. This treasured urban gathering place exists to delight and inspire the human spirit in each person and bring together our rich and varied community. The 12 million visitors to Seattle Center each year generate $1.15 billion in business activity and $387 million in labor income for King County.
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