Mountain Village: Audit for Energy Efficiency

16 Sep Mountain Village: Audit for Energy Efficiency

Some people say the cleanest kilowatt is the one that is never used. The Town of Mountain Village is taking that philosophy to heart by working with the International Center for Appropriate and Sustainable Technology (iCAST) to perform energy audits and modeling on its government facilities to identify potential energy and cost savings.

iCAST is a nonprofit corporation based in Denver that offers turnkey energy efficiency services to interested residents and businesses in the region. iCAST has teamed with San Miguel Power Association (SMPA) and Telluride Foundation to offer discounted services to all SMPA members through the San Miguel Power Partners (SMPP) program, a simple energy efficiency improvement program designed to create a one-stop shop for energy saving needs. As an SMPA member, Mountain Village will begin the audit process this month.

“With the growing cost of energy, we believe that performing efficiency upgrades is a win-win solution that reduces our carbon footprint and saves us money,” says Deanna Drew, Mountain Village’s environmental services director. “The energy audits performed by iCAST will provide us with a road map to efficiency so we can prioritize and budget our projects to reduce energy and save money in our government facilities.”

In 2009, the town pledged to reduce its energy use in government facilities by 20 percent. By the end of 2012, the town had achieved a five percent reduction. Once the energy audit is completed, Mountain Village will consider the next steps in order to achieve its goal.

HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS

For an initial fee, iCAST will audit a home or business and develop a list of Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) that can be implemented, including costs and return on investment (ROI). Anything that uses energy is analyzed. The list includes water consumption and air quality in the facility.

Based on available budget, ROI, and other factors, the property owner may choose which ECMs they wish to implement. Once projects are selected, iCAST hires a contractor (local when possible), who oversees and inspects the work, and signs off once completed. San Miguel Power Association and Source Gas offer rebates for the audit, as well other potential ECMs. Moreover, iCAST provides attractive financing options if needed and when the work is complete. For an entire year after a project is complete, iCAST will monitor the performance of the upgrades to ensure that the targeted energy returns are realized.

With the assistance of iCAST, Mountain Village will perform energy audits on several facilities and structures: Town Hall, Police Station, Maintenance Shop, Village Court Apartments, street lights, parking garages, and surface parking lots. Several of these facilities are shared with Mountain Village partners including Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association, Telluride Ski & Golf Company and Telluride Fire District, all of which will participate in the program and have their portions of the facilities audited.

 “Our intent is to have a road map to energy efficiency for all of our town buildings and facilities so the town can continue to reduce its carbon footprint in a planned and budgeted manner,” says Community Development Director Chris Hawkins. “The iCAST EMCs will be included in a climate action plan for town buildings and facilities, and will most likely provide a good policy direction for private buildings.”

To learn more about the iCAST program, contact Brian Firestone with San Miguel Power Partners at 303.462.4100 extension 324.

ABOUT MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

Mountain Village, situated in the heart of the breathtaking San Juan Mountains, was incorporated in 1995 as a home rule municipality.  Its founders envisioned a European-style ski-in/ski-out, pedestrian-friendly destination resort that would complement the historic mining town of Telluride. A three-stage gondola transportation system connects the Town of Mountain Village with the Town of Telluride. Situated at 9,500 feet, Mountain Village is comparably a world apart from other resorts: it is innately spectacular, beautifully orchestrated and planned, and overflowing with style, charm and sophistication. For more information, please visit us on the Web at townofmountainvillage.com.