Photo courtesy of Wood Harbinger Waste heat from the ShoWare Center’s ice refrigeration system is reclaimed and used to warm the ground beneath the ice rink.

The city of Kent’s ShoWare Center, home to the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey team, is the first certified LEED gold multipurpose events arena in the U.S.

Wood Harbinger, the mechanical engineer, focused on sustainability throughout the mechanical design process. As an entertainment facility, ShoWare required elements that are rarely conducive to energy efficiency, such as high-tech lighting, ice-maintenance equipment and air flushing for smoke or vehicle exhaust. During concerts that involve pyrotechnics, for example, polluted air can be completely flushed from the facility. Also, waste heat from the ice refrigeration system is reclaimed and used to warm the ground beneath the ice rink to maintain the integrity of the foundation.

Even the arena’s parking lot plays a role in helping the environment: A gravel layer beneath the parking lot acts as a sponge during heavy rain to control runoff, releasing the water back into a nearby drainage system. ShoWare’s heating, cooling and lighting systems exceed national standards for low energy use by 37 percent.