A LEED-certified ski resort is coming to Snowmass, Colo., and it will house a 53-unit condo building that runs entirely on renewable electricity. Electric Pass Lodge will be powered by rooftop solar panels and additional renewable energy through local energy provider, Holy Cross Energy, according to The Denver Post. Developer East West Partners says building LEED-certified structures are typical for them and necessary to address the climate issue threatening the snowy winters that power business. Construction will begin in April, and Electric Pass Lodge is estimated to cost $50 million.
Gunion said he is still working on the numbers, but that price is not expected to be a higher than what it would cost to build a structure that relies on fossil fuel-powered systems.
“Money that would go to gas boilers and things like that you relocate and spend it on a really good building envelope,” Gunion said. “Triple-pane windows with really good seals, really good insulation.”
One design feature that will not only boost the building’s efficiency but also lines up with COVID-19 safety protocols is a mechanical system that continuously cycles fresh air into each unit, using tubes that pass through the earth and heat transfer technology to heat and cool the condo units while also continuously ventilating them.
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