A report authored by a coalition of locals aims to push Pitkin County’s land-use code toward smaller, more energy-efficient homes that function as houses and not “micro-economies.” The Community Growth Advisory Committee presented their 70-page.
“Melting snow outdoors is obviously very energy intensive. You’re trying to make a surface be warm enough to turn ice to water when the temperature outside is that of ice,” said August Hasz, president and principal engineer at REG, a Crested Butte-based engineering firm, who has been consulting with Pitkin County. “It’s a phase change, it takes a lot of energy.”