Sustainable Adams County: Recent Program Updates

What are we busy doing?

Compact of Mayors

Adams County joined the Compact of Mayors in July 2017 to demonstrate the county’s commitment to addressing and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Through regular greenhouse gas reporting, risk assessment, and active climate action planning, the county will ensure that our community is actively reducing our contribution to climate change, as well as preparing ourselves for the future. In addition to the Compact of Mayors, the county also joined the Compact of Colorado Communities, a state-wide collaborative of communities that seek to build their individual and collaborative capacities to address climate change through training, education, program development, and knowledge sharing.

SolSmart Gold Designation

SolSmart, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot Initiative to help communities increase the use of solar power, has awarded Adams County a gold designation as a national leader in advancing solar energy. Adams County is one of just 40 nationwide to receive the gold designation, the highest level awarded.

To achieve this designation, Adams County took steps to reduce solar “soft costs,” which are non-hardware costs that can increase the time and money needed to install a solar system.

Waste Reduction

Adams County continues to strive toward the goal of a 30 percent reduction in the amount of waste sent to the landfills through county operations and has generated some impressive results. Partnering with the Adams County Fair, new waste systems and operations increased the volume of recyclables collected at that event from 8 percent in 2015 to 38 percent in 2016. The county also has implemented new strategies to increase the amount of recyclable material at the County Detention Center and in other county buildings.

Recognizing that many area nonprofit organizations are providing a great service to our community on limited budgets, the Board of County Commissioners recently chose to donate used office supplies and furniture to such organizations. This not only supports the missions of these important organizations but keeps usable and high-quality materials out of the waste stream. To find out more about this program and how your organization may benefit from it, visit the Supply Donation Program section.

Energy and Water Conservation

The County’s Sustainability and Facilities teams work hard to identify opportunities to increase our efficiency and reduce our energy consumption in county buildings. From lighting upgrades and HVAC system updates, to solar water heaters and low-impact landscaping, the county has reduced its natural gas and water consumption by 17% over 2012 baseline consumption. Additionally, the county purchases a share of our electricity from community solar gardens, meaning that several county facilities are powered entirely on the green and clean power of the sun.

Adams County is also busy greening our fleet and making it easier for citizens to gain access to electrical vehicle charging stations. The county is installing six new charging stations in 2017; to learn where they are and how to use them, visit the Alternative Transportation in Adams page.

Community Involvement

From hosting the State of Colorado’s first rain barrel workshops, to offering hazardous waste collection events to residents, to adopting policies that improve access to energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, we are busy greening Adams County while saving taxpayer dollars. Visit our Community Resources page for information about upcoming events and programs to benefit our residents.