I had an opportunity this past week to chat with Karen Avery, co-owner with her husband Richard of the Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs in Ouray, Colo. While writing an article about the lodge (click here for article), an image of Jed Clampett came to mind. And no I am not crazy. For those of you old enough to remember, Jed Clampett was a character in The Beverly Hillbillies, a TV show that ran from 1962 to 1971. In the beginning of every episode, the theme song would play and show Jed hunting for some critter. Jed would miss the “food” and up from the ground would come what the theme song called, “Oil that is, black gold, Texas tea.” Jed’s bullet had in fact struck oil and the rest, as they say, is TV history.
My point here is that sometimes you are just plain lucky when it comes to location and energy. There is something available in the piece of land that you have—some type of renewable energy potential—that you can use to your advantage. That was the case with the Averys at the Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs. On the 2.6-acre plot of land where their lodge sits, there are natural hot springs. Talk about an opportunity staring you right in the face. As part of a geothermal system, they are now using the 140 degree water flowing out of one of the springs to heat all of the hot water used in the 39-room property—the hot water that is ultimately used in guestrooms, in the laundry, hot tubs and for heating the lodge during the colder months.
Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of many things, once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.” In other words, the Averys saw an opportunity to use what Mother Nature was providing for free and took advantage of it with some good engineering and simple technology.
Explore All Renewable Energy Options
It is extremely unusual in the United States to have a hot spring gurgling in your backyard but it is certainly feasible in most cases to take advantage of the other energy opportunities Mother Nature provides: heat below ground, sun, wind, and even moving water.
I challenge you, if you are not already doing so, to examine how you can best utilize the power of nature to power your property in a cost-effective manner. If you are planning a new property, for goodness sake choose a site that will best allow you to take advantage of the wind, earth, water and sun (sun for energy generation and daylighting). If you are renovating an existing property, be sure to work with an architect and designer well versed in renewable energy and how to take advantage of it. Also consult first with experienced vendors who sell or lease renewable energy systems before lifting any shovel or hammer. At the core of a location, location, location mindset has got to be what makes the most sense not just from a business standpoint but also a renewable energy standpoint.
Sometimes, as in the Averys’ case, a renewable energy opportunity falls right in your lap; in other instances you have to look harder for it. Got a success story similar to the Averys’ to tell? Be sure to contact me at (440) 243-2055 or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
GLN Adds Biodegradable Food Service as Directory Partner
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