The Mountaineers
Next time you shed your jacket or turn on the tap at the Tacoma Program Center (TPC), take a moment to bask in our all-electric heat and hot water. We are proud to report that Phase II of our Net-Zero Energy Project is complete - a milestone in our quest to go 100 percent carbon-neutral at the TPC!
In late December, Narrows Heating and Air Conditioning replaced the TPC’s natural-gas-fired furnaces and water heater with two air-sourced electric heat pumps and a heat-pump water heater. By early January, final inspections were complete and permits signed. Our gas line has been disconnected permanently, and the gas meter will be removed shortly! The TPC now runs on electricity from Tacoma Power, and more than 80 percent of their power is generated from hydroelectric sources. Even better, the efficient new heat pumps use less than half the electricity that traditional baseboards or electric furnaces require.
Air handlers and hot water heater at the Tacoma Program Center.
This $70,000 heat-pump-technology project came together thanks to monumental support from our membership. Mountaineers Charlie and Carol Michel made a major donation. Members contributed upwards of $33,000, with 50 donors giving more than $250 apiece. A small Tacoma Power energy reduction rebate rounded out the number to cap off the fundraising effort. Commemorative pavers, a perk for donors who gave $250 or more, have been set in place along North Carr Street and will be engraved this spring.
New heat pumps at the Tacoma Program Center.
Next up? Phase III - a 29Kw solar array on the TPC roof! With Phase II a wrap, and a competitive $50,000 Evergreen Options grant awarded to The Mountaineers by Tacoma Power, we are charging ahead on renewables. Our final stage in the Net-Zero Energy Project is under way.
The Carbon-Footprint Reduction Committee expects to share updates on the project this spring and summer, and members can look forward to celebrating these environmentally-friendly achievements at the TPC in fall 2022.
