Community - Climate Action at its CORE

Community Initiatives Lower Carbon Emissions for a Healthier Environment

At the Community Office for Resource Efficiency (CORE), community is not just part of our name, it’s in our DNA. We are hard-wired to support the people and businesses that are essential to our community. This year, CORE launched a strategic initiative that allocates 40% of our resources to “community priority participants” including teachers, first responders, nurses, nonprofits, and workforce housing residents. While eager to make a difference in the fight against climate change, the cost to take action is often a barrier.

Yellow Brick - Heat Pump Snowmelt System

The Yellow Brick is one of the Historical Buildings of Aspen and has been a hub for education and childcare since 1960. Today, it sees more than 135 kids daily from ages two months to five years, houses three preschools, and provides jobs for locals in our community. With safety as a priority, they continue to update the Yellow Brick building while preserving the history and iconic facade. A recent project on their list was adding an icemelt system.

Until now, the Yellow Brick used traditional ice melt crystals to melt the snow and ice that covered their exterior concrete steps in the winter, which can contribute to pollution in our watersheds and rivers. Also, the City of Aspen committed to cutting its greenhouse gas emissions by 63% by 2030. With all of this in mind, the Yellow Brick turned to CORE. And, with the guidance of CORE’s Energy Concierge decided to install a heat pump icemelt system, which will be ready for use this coming winter. The new icemelt system will provide safety for families and teachers using the Yellow Brick and serve as an example for others to use electric heat pumps.

Cold climate heat pumps are three times more efficient than a gas boiler icemelt system and run on electricity. Further, since the City of Aspen Utility is 100% renewable energy, the Yellow Brick’s icemelt system is net-zero, saving energy and increasing the overall health and well-being of our community. Trevor, Yellow Brick’s building manager, said it was easy to work with CORE, and that Tim, CORE’s Energy Concierge was very responsive. The icemelt system will be added to the list of projects that CORE has worked on with the Yellow Brick, further aiding in the transition to a clean energy future.

Two Roots Farm - Climate Battery

On 22 acres of land leased from Pitkin County and right off Highway 82 is Two Roots Farm, a beautiful and bountiful farm that provides produce for a 250-member Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), an onsite farm stand, and local restaurants in our community. Owner Harper Kaufam knows the importance of local, organic farming and started the farm in 2016. Her mission is to combat climate change through sustainable farming practices and grow the healthiest food possible while fostering a positive work environment, vibrant soil, and community connection.

Harper needed to install a new greenhouse for plant propagation to get her through the winter months. Greenhouses typically rely on a propane heating system, but with climate in mind, she wanted to stay away from fossil fuels. She learned about an innovative way to heat a greenhouse from the Colorado Rocky Mountain Permaculture Institute. It’s called a climate battery and uses the ground temperatures to control the greenhouse temperature. This innovative system will heat in the winter and cool in the summer and will reduce Two Roots’ reliance on fossil fuels, reduce costs, and extend their growing season.

CORE is a supporter of new, innovative ideas that lower carbon emissions and help our community thrive, so we provided a $30,000 grant to fund this project. This project will start in 2024, so stay tuned for an update once the climate battery is installed.

Harper is always looking for ways to lower the farm’s carbon footprint whether it's electrifying to use the on-site solar panels or installing a new climate battery. She takes a holistic approach, considering soil health, greenhouse gas emissions, and food quality. Everything is hand-powered instead of relying on diesel machinery plus, and the plants help sequester carbon. She uses a regenerative process to keep the soil healthy and grows a variety of vegetables such as broccoli, carrots, spinach, and radishes.

CORE supports projects that matter to our community and the locals living here. We remove the financial barrier and empower more people to take action, bringing equity and inclusivity to the climate crisis. Give our Energy Concierge a call today to learn how you can lower your carbon footprint.