Geothermal Energy Powers The Peppermill Headlining the Resort Hotel’s Vast Green Initiatives

Geothermal Energy Powers The Peppermill Headlining the Resort Hotel’s Vast Green Initiatives

RENO — It took the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino $9.7 million and 4,400 feet of drilling, but the resort completed one of the most ambitious geothermal projects in the United States in 2010, tapping into a vast reservoir of natural geothermal activity more than three quarters of a mile underground to heat the property’s two million square feet of hotel, resort and casino operations. 

Several years after making that investment, the decision to invest in geothermal energy is paying off in spades for the Peppermill Resort Spa Casino. The property has saved  $2.2 million in natural gas bills they used to pay each year, and their carbon footprint has been drastically reduced by 12,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year, using the sustainable energy resource. 

The Peppermill’s pools, hot tubs, domestic water for showers, and mechanical systems, generate all of their heating energy from their geothermal operation 24 hours a day seven days a week. In addition to pumping the naturally heated water from the ground, the resort has also installed a reinjection well that returns the geothermal fluids back underground, to be reheated by the volcanic energy after it has heated the property. 

While the state-of-the-art geothermal system headlines the Peppermill’s green initiatives, the resort has invested millions more in making every facet of its operation more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. This combination of green initiatives makes The Peppermill Resort Spa Casino one of the leading examples of environmental stewardship in the nation:

• A closed-loop hydronic heating and cooling system utilizes outdoor temperatures to cool water rather than energy-intensive chillers. The natural, pre-cooling system saves the Peppermill $5,000 each 24-hour period in electrical energy costs.
• Automated digitally controlled smart states - regulate all hotel room heating and cooling systems s making the facility run 1,000 percent more efficiently than if they were controlled manually.
• Comprehensive water conservation programs, including 40,000-square-feet of artificial grass turf, save the Peppermill approximately 5.2 million gallons of water per season and reduce the hotel’s use of chemicals and pesticides.
• LED parking lot lights, and interior LED and fluorescent retrofit lighting recently installed throughout the resort, saves approximately $130,000 a year in electrical energy cost, resulting in an average of $ 98,000 in rebates from NV Energy each year.
• A paperless human resource department
• A soap recycling program diverts more than 1,000 pounds of soap and shampoo per month from local landfills and collects, sorts and processes them for donation. Nonprofit Clean the World redistributes the soap and shampoo to Third World children whose health is threatened by poor hygiene. The Peppermill’s recycled soap and shampoo serves more than 1,200 children per year.
• Reusable utensils, napkins and tablecloths in all restaurants
• Comprehensive recycling of laundry water saves millions of gallons of water per year. The Aqua Recycling system captures, filters and reuses enough water to save the resort hotel approximately $246,000 per year.
• Shredding and recycling of all on-site paper receptacles
• Diverts 60 yards of organic waste from the landfill each month through a composting program that takes food scraps and turns them into high-quality soil

About Peppermill Resort Spa Casino:

Experience the eco-conscious Peppermill Resort Spa Casino, Reno’s premiere AAA Four-Diamond resort, boasting 1,635 luxurious guest rooms including the 600 room all-suite Tuscany Tower. Embark on a pampered journey at the remarkable 3-story, 33,000 square foot Spa & Salon Toscana featuring 24 treatment rooms, the nation’s only Caldarium with indoor pool, sun deck and Secret Garden and a full-service salon. Enjoy slots, table games and poker in our beautiful 82,000 square foot casino and race & sports book. Resort amenities include a posh 9,900 square-foot fitness center; two beautiful pools and three outdoor jetted spas, heated with geothermal energy; designer boutique shopping; Reno’s hottest nightspot, EDGE; 16 bars and lounges, including the iconic Fireside Lounge; and 10 award-winning restaurants offering authentic Chinese, inspired Italian, steaks and chops, seafood, buffet, deli and café dining.

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