November 24, 2014--Snowmass Village, CO--The Snowmass Water and Sanitation District, the Base Village Master, and Capitol Peak Homeowner’s Association (both managed by Snowmass Hospitality) earned the second annual Snowmass Village Environmental Award for their leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship.
The Snowmass Village Environmental Award, granted by the town’s Environmental Advisory Board, celebrates local leadership and commitment to environmental stewardship through policies, programs, or actions focused on energy conservation, water quality and/or conservation, and waste reduction and recycling. Applicants must be organizations or businesses located in and/or operating in the Town.
“This year there was an incredible response from many qualified nominees. Projects were evaluated as much as possible on the quantifiable results that positively affect the environment,” said Environmental Advisory Board Chair Lindsey Palardy. “It’s great to see how many organizations are making a difference in our own backyard.”
2014 Award Winners
Snowmass Water & Sanitation District: For leadership in water conservation due to the Ziegler Reservoir project
The Ziegler Reservoir became operational in 2013 and upon its opening the District quickly realized what a key role it would play in a long-term sustainable water management strategy for the Village, and its role in protecting the East Snowmass Creek.
Ziegler has proven to be an important water management tool allowing the District to store water during peak runoff periods when stream flows in the East Snowmass Creek are high, make this water available later for system recovery, and guard against catastrophic events or to make snow. In fact, within the first year, the storage capacity of the reservoir allowed the District allowed Snowmass Village to avoid severe mandatory water restrictions during the last two weeks of the ski season.
Prior to the acquisition of the Ziegler Reservoir, the Aspen Skiing Company used water from the Snowmass Creek under a set of rules designed to protect minimum stream flows and piscatorial habitat. Now, all snowmaking water comes directly from Ziegler Reservoir instead of the creek, thereby protecting the creek and its entire ecosystem.
In addition to Ziegler the District has focused on programs to prevent water loss in their systems. Conservation and leak detection programs have led to an overall decrease in water usage from 642 million gallons in 1998 to 480 million gallons on average per year currently.
Snowmass Hospitality: Base Village Master Association and Capitol Peak Homeowner’s Association: For leadership in energy efficiency
Under the management of Snowmass Hospitality, the Base Village Master Association and Capitol Peak Homeowner’s Association have undertaken multiple energy efficiency projects with proven energy savings. These projects are easily replicable and provide a sustainable model for other multi-tenant building managers or homeowners.
Base Village Master Association
The homeowners and board of directors have long held an interest in green initiatives, and have been looking for cost effective ways to reduce heat loss, reduce energy consumption, and find ways to measure the effectiveness of energy upgrades.
Most recently the homeowners and board have taken on four projects including replacement of all light bulbs in the Base Village parking garage with high efficiency LED bulbs, the installation of a high speed door at the parking garage entrance to reduce heat loss, snowmelt system improvements, and the utilization of a building automation system to minimize heating demands on unoccupied spaces.
Overall, these projects have helped the Base Village Central Plant reduce its annual consumption by approximately 22 percent with an average annual cost savings in excess of $100,000.
Capitol Peak Homeowner’s Association
Homeowners of the Capitol Peak Lodge in Base Village have also shown a deep commitment to sustainability, and the association has recently taken on four energy efficiency projects resulting in quantifiable energy savings. They include replacement of all common area light bulbs with high efficiency LED bulbs, installation of digital shutoff timers on the natural gas fireplaces in 81 residential units and one common area, insulating exposed piping for hot tub hot water supply, and the installation of automatic door closers on exterior doors.
So far these improvements have allowed them to save—on average—5,192 therms, and 130,641 kWh per year, and $20,038 each year in energy costs.
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About the Environmental Advisory Board
The Snowmass Village Environmental Advisory Board is a collaborative group committed to updating and accomplishing the goals of the Town's environmental sustainability plan. The board provides technical expertise and a broad community perspective in order to develop recommendations concerning projects, programs, policies, and operational practices that benefit the natural environment, the local economy, and community. They encourage community participation in these pursuits and manage relationships with other area environmental groups.