Number 8 on our Top Ten highlight list are the great strides we made toward efficiency and reducing our ecological footprint.
In February, Sierra Watershed Progressive installed a greywater system that connects the public restroom sink and our swamp cooler with the landscaping out front. It’s only the fourth commercial project in California, and this summer visitors and staff watered the trees by washing their hands!
After the busy remodel summer, we squeezed in one more project before the snow arrived: adding 33 photovoltaic solar panels to the south-facing roof of the bookstore. Sierra Solar came back to help us max out our solar panel capacity after installing 9 panels on the ice house roof back in 2010. Making use of our high-altitude, consistent sun, our 42 solar panels will help us cut our grid electricity consumption by more than 50%.
