{"query_echo":{"q":"","filters":{"geography":["Basalt"]},"warnings":[]},"total":{"value":4,"relation":"eq"},"page":1,"page_size":20,"self":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/api/v1/search?geography=Basalt","stability":"beta","ai_marking":{"digital_source_type":{"uri":"http://cv.iptc.org/newscodes/digitalsourcetype/trainedAlgorithmicMedia","name":"Created using Generative AI"},"notice":"Summary and key insights are generated using artificial intelligence."},"results":[{"id":"rmi-000761","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000761","title":"WORKING TOGETHER TOWARD A MORE RESILIENT FUTURE","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"report","language":"en","date_published":"2020-05","source_url":"https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2020/05/holy-cross-report.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The report examines the increasing need for energy resilience in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, Colorado, following the 2018 Lake Christine Fire. It argues that traditional grid hardening and backup generators are insufficient and proposes a shift toward distributed energy resources (DERs) and community-centric planning. Through a partnership between Holy Cross Energy (HCE) and local stakeholders, the report identifies five priority resilience areas: community microgrids, bulk power supply flexibility, mobile generation fleets, gasoline pump resilience, and critical end-use efficiency. It emphasizes the need for 'blue sky' value—benefits during normal operations—to justify the cost of 'black sky' emergency investments and recommends new business models, such as split ownership and updated tariffs, to facilitate the deployment of clean energy resilience solutions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"The 2018 Lake Christine Fire highlighted critical vulnerabilities in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley, where the loss of three out of four transmission lines into Aspen nearly caused a prolonged power outage during peak tourist season.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"There is a growing reliance on electricity for critical functions, including cellular communications, which first responders identify as a top priority because outages prevent 911 calls.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Traditional resilience efforts have focused on grid hardening and on-site diesel or natural gas generators, but these often lack 'blue sky' value, meaning they provide no benefit during normal operations.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Distributed energy resources (DERs) can provide both 'black sky' backup and 'blue sky' value, such as balancing variable renewables and managing peak demand, which helps justify their higher upfront costs compared to traditional generators.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The report identifies five specific distributed resilience options for further exploration: community microgrids, mobile generation fleets, gasoline pump resilience, bulk power supply flexibility, and end-use efficiency at critical facilities.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"A survey of gas stations in the Upper Roaring Fork Valley revealed that none of the eleven service stations had backup power in place, creating a risk that fuel pumping would be impossible during an evacuation.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"To overcome financial barriers to DERs, the report suggests 'stacked investment' or split ownership models where the utility pays for grid controls and the customer finances behind-the-meter assets.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Holy Cross Energy is implementing a new DER services agreement to allow customers to spread the costs of acquisition, installation, and maintenance over monthly utility bills.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The report recommends exploring the use of electric school buses as mobile backup power sources for schools and refuge centers through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-9","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Effective resilience planning requires a shift from isolated facility-level actions to a community-wide partnership between the utility and stakeholders.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000761#insight-10","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["Resilience (power system)","distributed generation","microgrid","photovoltaics","battery energy storage system","decarbonization","electric vehicle","energy efficiency","climate change adaptation"],"geography_discussed":["Aspen","Basalt","Snowmass Village","New York City","Sylacauga","Fremont","Houston","Borrego Springs"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["case study","policy recommendation","technical assessment"]},{"id":"rmi-000293","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000293","title":"Reality Check: Debunking Industry Myths on Leased Net-Zero Energy Buildings","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"fact sheet","language":"en","date_published":"2018-01-24","source_url":"https://rmi.org/resources/debunking-industry-myths-leased-net-zero-energy-buildings/","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"This fact sheet by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) challenges four primary myths regarding net-zero energy (NZE) leased buildings, asserting that they can be more profitable for developers and more beneficial for employees than traditional buildings. Using the Boulder Commons project as a case study, RMI demonstrates that NZE buildings can achieve higher occupancy rates, rental premiums, and increased employee productivity. The document also outlines a four-step process for transitioning existing buildings to NZE operation and promotes the NZE Leasing Best Practice Guide to scale adoption in the commercial sector.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"NZE-leased buildings can offer higher profitability for developers compared to standard buildings, with potential increases of up to 19 percent for those who retain the property and 17 percent for those who sell immediately.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Energy-efficient buildings can command a market value premium of approximately 13 percent, driven by lower capitalization rates, lower operating expenses, and higher anticipated rent. Additionally, ENERGY STAR-certified properties have shown rent premiums of 3.5 percent based on research of over 21,000 U.S. rental buildings.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Tenants in NZE buildings benefit from improved employee productivity and satisfaction, which can increase by 6–16 percent due to factors like natural daylight and thermal comfort. This is a significant financial driver because employee salaries cost companies 100 times more than energy.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"While easier in new construction, existing buildings can achieve NZE operation through a four-step process: gathering and sharing energy data, setting goals with tenants, recommissioning the building, and implementing energy efficiency and solar PV upgrades via tenant pass-through financing.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Commercial buildings represent a significant energy challenge in the U.S., accounting for 36 percent of electricity consumption, with 52 percent of these buildings being leased.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000293#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["sustainable energy","commercial building","energy efficiency","photovoltaics"],"geography_discussed":["United States","Colorado","Boulder","Basalt","Pittsburgh"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["business case analysis","case study"]},{"id":"rmi-000768","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000768","title":"RE-DEFINING AND DELIVERING THERMAL COMFORT IN BUILDINGS","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"briefing","language":"en","date_published":"2016-05","source_url":"https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/Insight-brief_Thermal-Comfort-V7_FINAL-FOR-RELEASE.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The briefing advocates for redefining thermal comfort in buildings by moving away from monolithic central heating and cooling systems toward a model based on six variables: air temperature, air velocity, activity level, clothing level, surface temperature, and humidity. Using the ASHRAE 55 standard and the CBE Thermal Comfort Tool, designers can use the Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) metric to create more energy-efficient, occupant-centric environments. The author details the application of this approach at RMI's Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado, highlighting the necessity of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to manage the risks associated with passive design and the complexity of integrating multiple targeted systems. The document emphasizes that achieving such efficiency requires a paradigm shift in risk allocation, long-term system tuning, and active occupant engagement.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Traditional building design relies on an air temperature-centric approach that is considered \"ineffective, inefficient, and expensive.\"","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Occupant thermal comfort is driven by six specific variables: air temperature, air velocity, activity level, clothing level, surface temperature, and humidity.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"The ASHRAE 55 comfort standard utilizes a formula to translate the six comfort variables into a single output called the predictive mean vote (PMV), which predicts the percentage of people who will be comfortable under given conditions.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"RMI's Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado, utilized a whole-systems, passive design based on these comfort variables to meet \"ambitious net-zero energy goals.\"","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Implementing targeted, simple systems instead of a large central system increases complexity in system integration and commissioning, as proprietary control systems may conflict with central strategies.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"To manage the risks of a passive design, RMI used Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to align incentives and created a contractual framework to explicitly allocate risk between the owner and the design/construction team.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Effective commissioning for passive, multi-system buildings must move beyond equipment-based testing to a long-term building-tuning perspective that monitors how systems interact over time.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Occupant engagement is critical in passive buildings, as users must be trained to actively manage their own comfort using tools like personal fans, adjustable windows, and appropriate clothing.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000768#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["sustainable architecture","Passive design","energy efficiency","heating, ventilation, and air conditioning"],"geography_discussed":["World"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["case study","policy briefing"]},{"id":"rmi-000734","url":"https://climateinsightsdirectory.org/document/rmi-000734","title":"MAPPING A PATHWAY TO LOW-CARBON CAMPUSES","publisher":{"name":"RMI","organization":"rmi"},"document_type":"guide","language":"en","date_published":null,"source_url":"https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2017/03/CampusGuide_Digital-V6.pdf","generator":"Climate Insights Directory","generated_fields":["summary","key_insights","climate_tags","geography_discussed","analysis_type"],"summary":{"text":"The document outlines a framework for universities to transition to low-carbon campuses by focusing on three pillars: people, policy, and plan. It emphasizes assembling multidisciplinary teams, aligning investment policies with life cycle cost analysis, and adopting an iterative planning process. Key strategies include implementing portfolio-wide energy efficiency measures before building-specific deep retrofits, leveraging 'incremental costs' during planned maintenance, and reducing peak loads to downsize central plant equipment. The guide advocates for moving beyond 'business-as-usual' practices to maximize the economic and environmental impact of carbon-reduction initiatives.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#summary","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},"key_insights":[{"text":"Effective climate action plans require a multidisciplinary team with specific skill sets in building energy analysis, economic evaluation, financing, and knowledge of campus systems. The guide suggests mapping these needs and exploring partnerships with external research, industry, and nonprofit organizations to fill gaps.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-1","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Universities should move away from simple-payback or return-on-investment calculations in favor of life cycle-cost analysis (LCCA). LCCA provides a more comprehensive view by accounting for the time value of money and expenditures over a project's lifetime, which can make projects appear financially viable that would otherwise be rejected.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-2","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Standardizing and strengthening contracts through Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) and performance-reward pools can align incentives between owners and contractors. This approach encourages integrated design and holds teams accountable for actual energy performance targets.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-3","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Baselines for carbon reduction must be projected into the future (business-as-usual) rather than just measuring current emissions. This projection must account for planned growth in building area, student population, and changes in carbon emissions from energy sources.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-4","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"When selecting renewable energy strategies, campuses should evaluate three primary options: renewable energy credits (RECs), on-site generation (such as rooftop PV), and off-site power purchase agreements (PPAs). These should be weighed against the cost of energy efficiency measures to identify the most cost-effective path to carbon reduction.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-5","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"A 'portfolio-wide' approach to energy conservation measures (ECMs) is often more economically advantageous than building-by-building retrofits because it allows for faster deployment and greater accumulated savings. The guide recommends a process of 'kick starting' with low-cost, high-return measures across the campus before moving to deep, building-specific retrofits.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-6","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Climate action plans should be treated as living, iterative documents. Spending less time on the initial plan and establishing feedback loops to refine targets based on actual project results reduces 'data-analysis paralysis' and increases the accuracy of the plan over time.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-7","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Reducing building loads (e.g., through better envelopes or LED lighting) can lead to 'tunneling through the cost barrier' by reducing the peak demand on the central plant. This allows universities to avoid expensive infrastructure expansions or install smaller, cheaper equipment during replacement cycles.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-8","date_modified":"2026-10-23"},{"text":"Universities can significantly improve the ROI of energy upgrades by utilizing 'incremental costs.' By aligning efficiency projects with planned maintenance or equipment failures, the university only pays the additional cost of the high-efficiency upgrade over the cost of a standard replacement.","ai_generated":true,"unit":"rmi-000734#insight-9","date_modified":"2026-10-23"}],"climate_tags":["Climate Action Plan","carbon neutrality","energy efficiency","renewable energy","power purchase agreement","Deep energy retrofit"],"geography_discussed":["United States","Los Angeles","North Carolina","California","Basalt"],"frame_perspective":[],"analysis_type":["best practices guide","strategic framework"]}]}