Vail's snowless pedestrian streets have become a key amenity since the town installed its snowmelt system in the early 2000s. However, while the benefits of the system are now expected, the town is looking for new ways to power them as it strives to hit its climate action goals.
Currently, the town's snowmelt system uses natural gas boilers to heat fluid a combination of water and food-grade glycol and distributes this fluid under the pavers and streets in Vail Village and Lionshead, said Cameron Millard, Vail's energy efficiency coordinator.
The fluid can melt snow and ice from November to May, but however effective the system is, it is far from energy-efficient.
The snowmelt system is the largest producer of greenhouse gas emissions within the town of Vail's own operations. Each year, it is responsible for between 5,500 to 6,500 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or about 80% of the town's natural gas-related emissions, Millard reported. (The town's next largest greenhouse gas producer is buildings and transportation.)
This fact makes the snowmelt system antithetical to the town's stated dedication to preserving its natural environment and goals around climate action.
Click here to read the full article by Ali Longwell in the Vail Daily.
