GREEN SOLUTIONS: BUILDING WITH A CONSCIENCE
RENEWABLE ENERGY SURVICES DESPITE OBSTACLES
By Cyril Vidergar / Photos by Carter Photographics

The ultimate source of all energy on our planet is the sun. American society is beginning to catch on to this concept and become more sensitive to the indelible environmental impacts of our massive energy consumption.

Nevertheless, domestic federal tax incentives for employing renewable energy systems or building materials expired in 1985. The resulting decline in the use of such systems in residential construction is now out of synch with current energy-efficient technology. No matter where Grand County falls on the curve however, discrete evidence of energy-conscious construction and renewable energy devices can be seen around the county.

Junction Ranch, east of Tabernash, for example, hosts multi-family buildings with passive solar-thermal collectors, as do the Solar Plaza business center and the Grand Living Senior Homes outside of Granby. These buildings offer an alternative to swallowing ever-rising utility costs for water and space heating.

A close eye will reveal photovoltaic (PV) collectors on the entrance lights to Pole Creek Valley and Hidden River Ranch. The entrance gates to Ten Mile Creek Estates and many private residences sport smaller collectors. However, with both active and passive devices, “smaller” is the operative word, as there is so much more potential to integrate renewable energy technologies into new and retrofit constructions.

GREEN HOMES OFTEN HARD-WON -
The home of Jason Steigers, owner of Alpenglow Heating, is visible from Highway 40, though only a discerning eye will notice the unassuming solarthermal panels on his garage. Steigers’ simple, log-accented Innsbruck home is a recent example of how to harness free solar energy with modest efforts. A three-panel solar exchange system, nearly flush with Steigers’ roof, provides 120 gallons of hot water to his home. But that is only the beginning of what is possible. Steigers is among a group of local contractors and builders who champion renewable energy systems, and help educated homeowner architectural review committees (ARCs) about the benefits of such proposals.

Many seeking to implement solar or “green building” practices encounter an information gap among ARCs, not so much because the practices do not comply with design guidelines, but more so because they are not embraced by the guidelines. ARCs have a duty to apply their rules consistently and, as Steigers discovered, sometimes that requires educating an ARC and neighbors as to how environmental responsibility makes sense and fits within design guidelines.

Steigers and Alpenglow Heating have installed five local domestic solar-thermal exchange systems since 2006, using two panels per 80 gallons in a system. Alpenglow’s largest project was outside Grand Lakea 12-panel, 850-gallon, integrated space and water heating system. Though solar-thermal collectors are not as thin as PV panels, Steigers attributes his success in getting ARC approval to making reasonable accommodations.

Steigers approached his own reluctant ARC with a bevy of industry data on operating efficiencies and available models. Steigers was willing to negotiate aesthetic compromises,that is, he agreed to paint all mounting hardware to match his roof. But Steigers’ passion for domestic thermal exchange systems was strong enough to urge several committee members on his ARC to research fitting these systems into their own homes.

RENEWABLE OPTIONS -
Passive solar-thermal is the most common type of renewable energy system in homes, with pure electric systems the exception. Though the most efficient of these are incorporated into a building’s structure, retrofit installations are also common. The core function of solar collection equipment is to convert sunlight into heat or electricity for use in space heating, cooling, hot water, or electricity supplementation.

Such systems come in two flavors – active and passive. Active systems incorporate PV and other “active” components to harness, convert, and store solar radiation in the form of electricity. Passive systems rely on storage and reradiation of heat through static methods windows, and dark walls and tanks on sun-exposed surfaces.

Similarly, geothermal systems harnessing in-ground temperatures are also available. Non-steam geothermal systems rely on in-ground temperatures in the range of 50 degrees Fahrenheit to decrease stresses on heating and cooling systems, resulting in minor 10 to 20 degree gaps to reach desired in-home temperatures (conventional system gaps are often double that range).

Solar and geothermal systems are not one-stop fixes however. Neither is likely to meet 100 percent of typical residential heating, cooling, or water heating needs due to fluctuations in seasonal conditions, especially in Grand County’s sub-alpine climate. Auxiliary systems are invariably necessary. Similarly, these systems are most effective when employed in conjunction with other conservation strategies - modest home size, tight construction, thorough insulation and weather sealing, and use of low-volume water fixtures.

COST-CONSCIOUS FACTORS -
Renewable energy systems typically have a high initial cost offset by extremely low operating costs; the former however has discouraged many spec builders from installing such systems. The cost and parallel system requirements of renewable energy systems do not warrant labeling them “impractical” in residential construction.

Initial costs can be controlled and returns recovered more quickly when the overall size of the system is appropriately matched to the ultimate load required. Reducing the overall square footage, zone climate control, and combining systems to perform multiple functions also leverages the system investment to provide returns all year.

GOVERNMENT REGULATION AND INCENTIVES -
Similar to standardized building and fire codes, the 1988 IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials) Uniform Solar Energy Code is the most broadly accepted code for renewable energy system installations. Some communities have adopted further local regulations, as well as providing tax incentives and legal protections for renewable energy systems.

Though Colorado law allows local governments to extend tax incentives for renewable energy systems, none are currently offered. Perhaps the impetus for resource efficient building lies beyond the government level through community grass roots. Homeowner associations (HOAs) can be especially effective vehicles for change in the arena of renewable energy system use and green building.

GREEN BUILDING WITH LOCAL HOAS -
In surveying the Fraser Valley and Grand County in general, a prevailing character to local construction emerges. Be it the ranch, mining camp, farm, or simple homestead, local HOAs and the Grand County Master Plan itself have adopted names for it: “mountain rustic,” “mountain homestead,” or “mountain home.” Like any label though, the essence of the concept often escapes the crude tool of language, which is why one must look at how a community fosters its style of construction through its architectural and design guidelines.

As Jason Steigers and others have discovered, some HOAs support their vision by limiting the type of building materials allowed. The ARC Rules and Regulations for the Master Homeowners Association of SilverCreek (SCMHOA), for example, maintains the theme of “mountain rustic” construction by limiting manufactured materials, like high quality, fire-resistant, fiber cement/simulated wood siding, to no more than 25 percent of a residence’s exterior. SCMHOA has allowed more coverage for commercial buildings and is currently researching what types of solar devices should be permitted on both areas.

The Design Guidelines for Bridger’s Cache in Winter Park similarly allow only natural wood exterior building materials by right, with cementious treatments (such as stucco) reserved for special review, and say nothing about solar devices, with the exception of encouraging consideration of “solar exposure” when designing a home.

Nearby developments have chosen to address energy-conscious construction more head-on. The Legacy Park Ranch Design and Environmental Standards state a preference for building plans that maximize solar exposure and expressly embrace solar heating equipment. Such equipment must blend into the architecture and site, with roof-mounted units racked at the same pitch as the roof, though earth berm and hillside mounted units are preferred.

The Fairways at Pole Creek Design Review Guidelines are somewhat inconsistent regarding solar collectors, but generally leave the door open for their use. In addition to acknowledging carefully-sited active solar devices, The Fairways’ guidelines contain a specific section dedicated to passive solar design suggestions. The Lakota Design Guidelines prohibit non-natural siding materials unless the owner can “demonstrate that the material looks identical to other approved exterior surfaces from a distance of 15 feet.” Along with the tight reins on exterior finishes, Lakota’s guidelines require all active solar collectors to appear integral to the roof, mounted flush or nearly flush with the roof surface with all equipment located in the attic space.

OBSERVATIONS ON IMPROVEMENTS -
The gaps in design regulations embracing renewable energy building practices should not necessarily be read as conscious omissions. Rather, many of our local regulations were first penned when the county looked different, when cows outnumbered people, and before Grand County was the commercial recreation and resort area it is today.

HOA design regulations are categorically less engineering and infrastructure-specific, and more focused on appearance. As such, HOAs care about how improvements will look, without necessarily weighing the energy-efficiency of a particular construction method.

Nevertheless, gaps in regulations may actually lead the philosophies of many HOAs to fall short of their potential. Perhaps it’s time to review our HOA design regulations to make sure they really support “mountain rustic” living. After all, if the regulations suggest a preference for site placement that utilizes solar exposures, why not also tell homeowners what types of solar devices are supported? Isn’t a “mountain life” one that is especially conscious of the impacts of our energy needs on the environment?

In many ways, mountain communities like Grand County should be leading the way in renewable energy building. We can make a difference by showing that we need not rely on power and gas generated and regulated by Front Range or out-ofstate entities!

CLOSING THE LOOP -
The vocabulary of solar and ecological design is not yet widely accepted among architects and planners. Much of this is the result of impressions made during the 70s and 80s arising from the technology of those times, but recent achievements in manufactured building materials and efficient solar collectors far surpass what was available back then. Today as much as 35 percent of an urban area’s energy demand can be met through solarconscious design and collectors.

Energy-conscious construction is not about fashion; it’s about responsible living that is less reliant on nonrenewable resources. Taking less out of the environment leaves more to enjoy when the snow melts and the flowers bloom.

The major step toward meeting this challenge can be taken by local governments adopting building and design standards that incentivize energy-conscious building. HOAs can also affect a higher social consciousness by adopting design guidelines that direct builders toward harnessing the natural potential of a site, permitting appropriate energy-efficient, resilient, recycled exterior materials, and thinking through how to align solar collectors while protecting the “mountain rustic” image. Energy-conscious building means leaving a lighter energy footprint today and making the right decisions to close the loop on energy and resource waste every day.


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