BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIF.—Cwc La Casa Del Zorro LLC, the owners of the upscale 42-acre, 67-key La Casa del Zorro resort in Borrego Springs, Calif., recently decided that spending $1.3 million a year on utility costs was unacceptable. Given the resort’s desert location—the busiest time of the year, thanks to the desert heat, is from November 1 until the end of May—the owners decided that investing in solar technology for heating water and generating electricity made sense. So far just a portion of $3 million committed to solar has been spent but the resort is already experiencing energy savings.
The first phase of the investment in solar, a 10,000 square foot project completed by San Diego-based Everyday Energy, consists of panels that heat water for five of La Casa del Zorro’s largest guest pools, naturally maintaining a temperature between 80 and 90 degrees at all times. In addition, it fuels hot water for four of the resort’s five main lodging buildings, with the fifth and final building soon to come. According to Patrick Sampson, General Manager of the resort, $225,000 has been spent on the solar system so far. The system is partially located on building rooftops with the remainder of the system on racks in a hidden area of the property. Future plans call for a solar photovoltaic system to help make the resort even more energy dependent.
Together with the installation of new pump equipment for some of the resort’s swimming pools, the property is experiencing a 40 percent energy savings. LED light bulbs, motion detectors in back-of-house and public areas, and a towel/linen reuse program are also helping to trim energy consumption. Sampson says laundry, kitchen and maintenance areas are currently being looked at for additional savings.
Given its desert location and California’s ongoing drought, the resort, which has been under current ownership since 2013, is a prime prospect for water-saving initiatives. A 2013 water conservation project, which saves over 600,000 gallons of water and from $3,000 to $4,000 each month, involved dormant well reactivation, and evaporation reduction. “It makes sense to use our own water source,” Sampson says. The resort also saves water through low-flow fixtures and reminds guest to be on the lookout for water leaks.
From a waste management perspective, the resort recycles cans, bottles, etc. and uses mulch made from overgrown landscaping in planting areas.
Go to the La Casa del Zorro.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
