ENERGY PROJECT ACCELERATOR LOAN
The Rocky Mountain Cabins of Buena Vista
What CCEF
Financed
Solar Array
About the Project
Project investment: $126,900
Location: Chaffee County
Environmental highlights:
- Solar energy
Key terms:
- Solar Array: A collection of solar panels that are wired together in a circuit to produce electricity.
“The information CCEF asked for to be able to move forward with the loan was very attainable and the process was easy to understand.”
– Paul Sullivan, Owner of the Rocky Mountain Cabins of Buena Vista
The Story
Paul Sullivan, owner of the Rocky Mountain Cabins of Buena Vista, has had a journey and vision to creating a homey, personalized experience for all guests—including updating the cabins and going solar. Sullivan and his wife, who currently live in Central Nebraska, always wanted to purchase cabins to run a dude ranch or get involved in the hospitality industry. Sullivan shared that his wife was searching the internet for a possible lead, and came across what was soon to be their business.
After purchasing the cabins in 2022, with the idea of creating a dude ranch, they operated the cabins as such for the entirety of last season, running from June 1st through mid-September. Sullivan quickly realized that the labor of running a dude ranch made employers difficult to find, so at the beginning of June 2023, he and his wife decided to switch to renting the cabins to visitors and get more involved in hospitality.
With the Rocky Mountain Cabins of Buena Vista being in the heart of the San Isabel National Forest, overlooking the Arkansas Valley, creating a peaceful and serene experience for their guests remains a priority. Up until Sullivan and his wife decided to go solar, all of the cabin’s utilities were run by a diesel generator. Sullivan shared that the diesel generator was run from 6 a.m. to around 11 p.m. every day, with no utilities in the in-between hours. Sullivan stated that the generator also created a distracting noise, taking away from the silence and peacefulness of the cabins, so they decided to install solar arrays to restore the aesthetic of the cabin’s surroundings. After consulting with CCEF, they decided that the Energy Project Accelerator Loan (Energy PAL) was the best fitting option for Sullivan’s cabins. With the cost and environmental damage of the diesel generator, installing solar arrays seemed like a no-brainer for Sullivan and his wife.
“The information CCEF asked for to be able to move forward with the loan was very attainable and the process was easy to understand.” -Paul Sullivan
After consulting with Colorado Solar Energy, Sullivan decided to move forward with obtaining a loan to install a solar array with CCEF. Sullivan is looking forward to not only the restored quietness and lack of pollution, but also the ability to run their utilities and systems 24 hours, especially after having to shut off the generator every night. Hopefully after installing their solar array, Sullivan and his wife will be able to put their savings back into their business and get closer to having their dream cabin experience for visitors.
