The city of Park City is currently in a friendly competition known as the “Ski Town Showdown” against Aspen, Colorado.
The Ski Town Showdown is a challenge to determine which town can install the highest number of LED light bulbs and smart thermostats.
This is the second year of the Showdown. In the 2013 competition, the two cities fought to see which town’s municipal staff could make the most changes in sustainability. Park City came out on top during the 2013 battle. According to city staff, the communities along with the municipal entities are encouraged to take part in this year’s challenge.
So how does it work? Entities, including residential, commercial, and municipal, can participate by installing LED lights and applying for energy rebates from state energy providers such as Rocky Mountain Power.
According to numbers and statistics supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy, residential LED light bulbs use at a minimum 75 percent less energy. Additionally, these types of light bulbs can last 25 times longer than incandescent lighting, providing additional energy savings.
The 2014 Ski Town Showdown is actually part of a larger national competition called the Georgetown University Energy Prize. During the competition, electricity and natural gas usage is measured in both municipal and residential building. Park City and Aspen are two of the 50 cities that are competing for the top prize. The Georgetown University Energy Prize will award its top contender $5 million based on both community involvement and energy savings.
Both cities are throwing themselves into the competition, with Aspen wanting to beat Park City for this year’s top honors. In addition to the Georgetown prize, there are also bragging rights. According to city officials from each town, the losing city’s mayor will have to wear a tourist-type shirt from the winning city.
The Ski Town Showdown competition kicked off Thursday and will last throughout the month.
At Park City Rental Properties, we understand the importance of energy savings, so we wholeheartedly throw our support behind this wonderful competition. We apply energy saving techniques to our properties to ensure that we are doing our part. If you are looking for a property management company who prides itself it looking after your properties in the best way possible, please give us a call. And of course, if you want to visit Park City, we can help you find the best rental accommodations to let you truly enjoy our town!
