Vermont Ski Resort Keeps Water Park Running Year-Round with Propane
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VERMONT SKI RESORT KEEPS WATER PARK RUNNING YEAR-ROUND WITH PROPANE Heated by propane boilers to a comfortable 83 degrees, Jay Peak’s Pump House water park attracts 350,000 visits each year. A PROPANE CASE STUDY Jay Peak’s $50 million in annual revenue is boosted by amenities including 10 restaurants, three hotels, and a massive water park that COMPANY rely on cost-efficient propane. Jay Peak Resort Jay, Vermont ANNUAL PERFORMANCE requires reliable heating — and a lot of it. BACKGROUND Revenue: $50 million Jay Peak Resort is one of the premier ski Natural gas is unavailable in the Northeast Skier visits: 300,000 resorts in New England. Founded in 1957 Kingdom, and heating such large facilities Water park visits: 350,000 in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, with electricity alone is both impractical just two miles from the Canadian border, and prohibited: New commercial buildings CHALLENGE AND SOLUTION To keep its three hotels and popular it has 350 skiable acres, nine ski lifts, in Vermont are not allowed to use electric water park cozy in the frigid winters an iconic 60-person aerial tram, and a resistance heat. of northern Vermont, Jay Peak Resort reputation for lots of natural snowfall. SOLUTION requires a high-performance heating system. Propane is versatile enough The resort has undertaken a significant To meet the large heating demands for the to work in the resort’s remote, rural improvement in base-area amenities in hotels and water park, as well as to fuel a location and powerful enough to fuel the past seven years. To add to the more variety of other amenities throughout the the high-efficiency boiler plant. than 250 condos and townhomes on the resort, propane is an ideal choice. Delivered mountain, the resort built three hotels by a local propane retailer, it’s versatile RESULTS with more than 300 total rooms. enough to work even in Jay Peak’s remote, • Propane boilers at the Hotel Jay and rural location. It’s powerful enough to fuel water park create cost savings of To make the resort more profitable year- 14 percent, or more than $100,000 the resort’s sophisticated, high-efficiency round, Jay Peak also constructed an NHL- annually, and reduce emissions by boiler plant. And it has reliably kept the sized ice arena, a golf course that hosts nearly 900 metric tons of CO2 per resort running and heated throughout year compared with heating oil. 12,000 rounds per year, and a year-round even the coldest winter conditions. indoor water park with several large slides, • Restaurant kitchens, residences, a kids play area, and a stand-up flowrider. “We made the decision to go with propane and luxury outdoor amenities rely on versatile propane for over heating oil for a number of reasons,” In total, the resort has an annual revenue applications like cooking, fireplaces of $50 million, with 300,000 skier visits says Andy Stenger, Jay Peak’s director and fire pits, clothes drying, and and 350,000 water park visits each year. of facilities and development. “Cost was heat. a driver, energy efficiency was a driver, CHALLENGE • Developments like the large hotels emissions was a driver. When we added Northern Vermont’s long winters and and water park that drive Jay Peak’s all those decision points up, propane was $50 million in annual revenue frigid temperatures are ideal for natural a clear winner.” simply wouldn’t be possible snowfall, but they also mean the resort without propane. CASE STUDY JAY PEAK VERMONT Many of the buildings throughout the or on cool summer nights. Propane patio resort are fueled by standalone tanks, and heaters extend the outdoor dining season a larger propane storage system serves at several of the resort’s restaurants, , the flagship Hotel Jay and water park. and outdoor propane barbecues at the base of the mountain create a party RESULTS atmosphere in the late winter and spring. High-efficiency propane boiler system Perhaps most impressive is a propane- creates savings of over $100,000 annually. fueled hydronic snowmelt system that Maintaining a cozy 83-degree temperature runs under the resort’s paver walkways. in the water park throughout Vermont’s “It keeps the walking surface safe so frigid winter requires a lot of heating “People enjoy propane fireplaces,” Stenger says. there’s no slips and falls, and it also cuts power — and propane is up to the task. A “They’re easy, they’re clean, they don’t require wood, and it’s a user-friendly application.” down considerably on snow removal and central boiler room at the Hotel Jay and labor,” Stenger says. water park includes 12 AERCO Benchmark enjoy cooking with propane — they prefer Remote development relies on propane. 3.0 propane boilers, each with 3 million it,” Stenger says. British thermal units (Btu) of capacity. Residences are cozy and run efficiently. Ultimately, developments like the large The boilers have a 15:1 turndown ratio, hotels and water park that drive Jay meaning that they can easily meet all There’s nothing like curling up by the fire Peak’s $50 million in annual revenue part-load conditions. after a long day on the slopes, so propane simply wouldn’t be possible without fireplaces are included in nearly all of propane. The fuel provides a reliable Depending on return water temperatures the condos and townhomes at Jay Peak, heating source even for large businesses and the load being served, the propane and in all hotel rooms in the Hotel Jay and developments in remote areas that boilers will range from 87 to 98 percent and Tram House Lodge. The resort began lack natural gas infrastructure. And efficiency. Oil boilers in this same input replacing wood fireplaces throughout the Stenger’s company is continuing to use range average just 85 percent efficiency1. resort about 15 years ago. propane at other developments across Providing all of the snow melting, heating, Vermont. and hot water with an oil boiler system Jay Peak worked with Vermont’s energy would cost roughly 14 percent more every efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont, 1 Average efficiency based on data from the Air- to choose residential appliances and Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute. winter and have about 20% greater CO2 www.ahrinet.org. systems that were both efficient and emissions. By choosing a more efficient 2 reduced electrical consumption. As Cost projections for heating oil based on U.S. Energy propane boiler system, the resort saves Information Administration data. www.eia.gov. more than $100,000 annually in the a result, most residences follow the central boiler room alone and reduces the Propane Energy Pod model, using carbon footprint of the facility by nearly propane boilers to provide baseboard 2 heat and domestic hot water, as well as 900 metric tons of CO2 per year . Check out the video propane-fueled fireplaces, clothes dryers, Propane keeps the kitchens running. and cooking equipment. about Jay Peak at Jay Peak has 10 restaurants, ranging Propane fuels luxury hospitality amenities. buildwithpropane.com/ from small snack bars to fine-dining options, and each of them relies on Each hotel at Jay Peak includes an outdoor hospitality. propane equipment for cooking. “The propane fire pit, providing a comfy, chefs that cook in these restaurants campfire-like gathering place after skiing FOR MORE INFORMATION The Propane Education & Research Council was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the To learn more about propane-powered appliances and the passage of Public Law 104-284, the Propane Propane Education & Research Council, visit www.buildwithpropane.com. Education and Research Act (PERA), signed into law on October 11, 1996. The mission of the Propane Education & Research Council is Propane Education & Research Council / 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 1075 / Washington, DC 20036 to promote the safe, efficient use of odorized P 202-452-8975 / F 202-452-9054 / propanecouncil.org propane gas as a preferred energy source. © 2016 by the Propane Education & Research Council 5162-CS-15.