Around the world Vail is known for its great fluffy white snow. Locally we search for green solutions. Vail is a very environmentally sensitive community. You have heard of blue collar workers, but have you heard of “green collar” workers. Thanks to the Nations renewed interest in the environment, green is a term that is on everyone’s lips. The green workers are the ones installing solar panels on your roof, consulting on how to make your home more efficient and businesses more environmentally friendly. In fact the Vail Valley commissions have made it a mandate that homes in Vail can add solar panels even when old community covenants have prohibited them.
Vail, Beaver Creek, Bachelor Gulch, Arrowhead, Cordillera and other high end neighborhoods are focusing on green solutions. Roofs which have traditionally been in wood shake are banned in some neighborhoods. New materials that have a green aspect to them and are fire retardant are what is in vogue.
Vail recently had a monumental moment in the green movement when a house on Chamonix, located right outside the heart of Vail Village was officially named the first “Built Green” home in Vail. What does the seal of “Built Green” mean? It is a statewide program that encourages healthy, durable, efficient building. It encourages builders to raise their standards in energy efficiency, air quality, water conservation, site preservation and recycled materials. There are various ways for a builder to get this certification and at the house on Chamonix, the builder installed an HRV (heat recover ventilator) which ventilates a home’s air, yet recovers much of the heat which would otherwise be expelled.
One local business owner started a company a few years ago which focused on performing energy audits in homes and business, designing solar power systems and consulting on making these dwellings more energy efficient. The business is booming as the demand for renewable energy surges. This industry is growing fast and college students are seeking internships in what seems to be the next hot field to be in.
As people move to the Vail Valley or remodel their existing homes, more and more people are interested in how their home can be greener. Real Estate Agents are asking for energy ratings on homes before their clients purchase. People want to know what it will cost to operate a home, given the soaring price of energy. Several of the Vail Valley’s green collar workers are making it their mission to put the Vail Valley as a leader in the green movement.
A similar certification is through LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design), recently a home in Cordillera, which is an upscale golf community located about 20 minutes west of Vail, received full LEED certification the new EverVail project will likely become one of the largest LEED projects in the entire nation. Classes are held on an on going basis on how to look for ways to great “green” houses and how to convert to simple things like long life light bulbs to save energy.
It is a different world now and change which is always a constant is really making itself apparent. The old slogan of the 60’s of “change it or loose it” has new meaning.