Colorado: “Neon” Green
Posted on | December 1, 2009 | No Comments
While Portland is working towards being the greenest city in the country, and California is known for incorporating energy efficiency into its building codes, the real net-zero capital of the United States might soon be Colorado. The Centennial State is no stranger to energy efficiency and renewable energy: the University of Colorado won the Solar Decathlon twice earlier in the decade, plus the state is home to pioneers of the green movement such as the headquarters of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Rocky Mountain Institute. So when Coloradoans (er, whatever they are called) say they are going to have net-zero energy communities, you’d better believe them.
Take, for example, the news that the first net-zero neighborhood in the United States is being built in Boulder. At just 12 homes, it will be a tiny neighborhood, yes, but a photovoltaic-powered assemblage of LEED Platinum homes nonetheless.
Image courtesy of Inhabitat
Also, today I learned from one of the DOE’s daily updates that the U.S. Air Force Academy near Colorado Springs is committed to being the first institution of its kind to reach net-zero energy use, by purchasing or producing as much renewable energy as it consumes. The Air Force is actually leading the government charge on energy innovation, and according to the DOE,
“The Air Force currently uses more green power — 426.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh) annually — than any other branch of government, over a third more than the second-place Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and twice as much as third-place DOE.”
Very impressive! The Air Force has also collectively added several “green stripes” to its uniform (wait, do the Air Force get stripes on their uniform? I think so?) with several EPA and DOE Green Power awards, including:
- 2003: Green Power Partner of the Year;
- 2004: Green Power Leadership Award;
- 2005: Green Power Partner of the Year;
- 2008: Green Power Leadership Award.
Building improvements at the Air Force Academy will focus on the 6.4 million sf of space already in use, with high efficiency mechanical, electrical and HVAC equipment; security and energy efficiency upgrades to window wall systems; improved building insulation; utilization of natural lighting; and energy-focused roofing replacements. The goal in making these improvements is to have all its buildings reach or exceed the USGBC’s LEED Gold standard.
And NO, I’m not finished yet. As IF that weren’t enough, the Air Force’s leadership on renewable energy has led Colorado’s elected officials, military and energy leaders to create the Front Range Renewable Energy Consortium (FRREC) to “collaboratively develop and utilize the state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency resources”. This new consortium includes:
- Department of Defense and military (Air Force, Army, Colorado National Guard);
- DOE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory;
- Governor’s Energy Office;
- USNORTHCOM/NORAD;
- Xcel Energy;
- Tri-State Generation;
- Colorado Springs utilities.
That list above doesn’t even mention the Air Force Academy’s Army neighbor, Fort Carson, which is ALSO now marching towards net-zero energy status and hopes to reach this goal by 2015.
Whew! That’s a heck of a lot of bullet points, and a heck of a lot less energy consumption. Massachusetts, New York, and Wisconsin, you have an answer to this? California, Oregon and Washington? …Your move! Colorado might soon be renamed “The Net-Zero State”…
Tags: building > efficient > energy > government > renewable > solar > technology
Comments
Leave a Reply
GDC Creative Commons License
Subscription Options:
