Baker County Library overcomes challenges, leads by example with energy efficiency

Ed Adamson, a facilities specialist with the Baker County Library, sees the library as a valuable community resource that exemplifies sustainable energy practices for the whole county. With the library playing such a crucial function in the area, Adamson and his team are always trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of the building and be responsible stewards of public resources.
The library, constructed in 1969, was renovated in 2000, expanding the square video of the structure by about a third. One result of the remodelling was a hybrid HVAC system with a combination of devices from the 1960s and 2000s, presenting many operational obstacles for Adamson and his team.
Image Credit: Baker County Public Library
As soon as Adamson saw that the librarys double system was affecting ventilation performance, he found that the controls were incompatible with the current equipment. Adamson worked with Energy Trust of Oregon to confirm his findings and learned that the controls replacement job was eligible for Energy Trust cash rewards.
Investing in new controls permitted the library to change other ventilation system components that were not compatible with the old pneumatic controls. These upgrades helped the library fulfill the ventilation requirements required to re-open safely. “I had a number of clients shake my hand to tell us how pleased they were that the library was back online, and they felt safe inside the library due to the fact that of whatever we did,” stated Adamson.
The controller upgrades assisted the library play an even bigger role in supporting the neighborhood. “The library is now advertised as a cooling center so that individuals can invest time here out of the heat when were at triple-digit temperatures,” stated Adamson. During the current summer heatwaves, the structure was able to keep 70-to-73-degree temperatures without increasing energy use. “The new controls adjust air filtration and circulation based upon outdoors air aspects, which has helped our resiliency going forward.”
Image Credit: Baker County Public Library
Adamson is proud of the districts work and thinks they can model how energy-efficiency can benefit everybody. We need to sell energy effectiveness to our neighborhoods,” he stated.
To find out more on existing structure residential or commercial property upgrades, call 1.866.605.1676 or email existingbuildings@energytrust.org.

As soon as Adamson noticed that the librarys double system was affecting ventilation efficiency, he found that the controls were incompatible with the current equipment. Investing in new controls allowed the library to replace other ventilation system components that were not suitable with the old pneumatic controls. “I had a number of patrons shake my hand to tell us how pleased they were that the library was back online, and they felt safe inside the library due to the fact that of whatever we did,” said Adamson.
“The library is now advertised as a cooling center so that individuals can spend time here out of the heat when were at triple-digit temperature levels,” stated Adamson.