Public Housing - Seattle Housing Authority

Ecotope has been involved with a number of public housing projects addressing both new and existing buildings. We have provided mechanical engineering and energy conservation consulting to improve comfort, safety, and operations in these buildings.

Holly Park - Phase I:
In phase I of the new Holly Park Housing Project in South Seattle, Ecotope provided mechanical engineering services to troubleshoot installation problems with the heating and ventilation systems. Ecotope rewrote equipment and installation specifications to address potential backdrafting of gas fired water heaters installed in the living space and
provided on-site testing and diagnostics to evaluate the efficacy of those changes. Ecotope also developed a commissioning protocol to ensure the safe and adequate operation of the HVAC systems before turning the units over to the occupants.

Holly Park - Phase II:
Ecotope developed performance simulations to optimize energy efficiency in these new row houses and compare life cycle costs of a range of insulation and mechanical system options. Ecotope assisted in negotiations with Seattle City Light to include this project in the Built Smart incentive program.

Beacon Tower:
Ecotope developed an optimized energy conservation plan for the renovation of the Beacon Tower housing project on Seattle's Beacon Hill. The energy efficiency improvements include installation of new high performance windows and the addition of 2 inches of exterior rigid foam insulation. Ecotope developed documentation of energy savings and arranged for energy conservation incentive payments from Seattle City Light to fund a significant fraction of the improvements. To address indoor air quality concerns, Ecotope also designed an inexpensive constant flow exhaust system to be retrofit into existing chases and existing exhaust fan housings.

Olive Ridge:
Olive Ridge is another Seattle Housing Authority building dating from the 1960s and located on Seattle's Capital Hill. Ecotope's work on the Olive Ridge project was similar to the scope of work described above for Beacon Tower. Ecotope's recommendations for work at Olive Ridge included replacement of existing all electric central hot water and central ventilation systems with new high efficiency gas equipment. Ecotope documented simple payback periods of approximately 2-years based on fuel costs for these measures.