by Jennifer Tuohy
photos by David N. Seelig

Sagebrush Solar
Winner of two SustainIt! Awards (See sidebar), Sagebrush Solar is a solar thermal design and installation company. Doing business since 2007, owner Billy Mann claims his company is currently offsetting 88 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Sagebrush Solar began when Mann remodeled his own house. Researching radiant heating led him to thermal solar, which led to not only a new business, but a personal crusade. "I felt if we were going to make any impact on climate change, it had to be cost effective," Mann said.

He chose to focus on solar thermal (which uses solar power to heat water) over photovoltaic solar (which converts the sun's energy into electricity) because it can offset six times as much energy per square foot than photovoltaic. "Up here, we need more thermal energy than electricity," Mann said. "Hot water and space heating represent 70 percent of our annual energy costs, so thermal represents our greater potential for environmental and cost savings."

Mann's recent projects include installing the largest solar system in Idaho at the Blaine County jail, giving LeRoy's Ice Cream Shack in Ketchum a green retrofit and helping The Sage School in Hailey produce a bounty of lettuce, tomatoes and fish with an aquaponics combi system for its greenhouse.

Despo's
 Jim Funk and his Mexican restaurant in Ketchum walked off with three SustainIt! Awards (see sidebar). The most common refrain from those who voted for him was praise for one particular change he implemented. "In December 2009, we stopped all takeout business," Funk said. The move, which angered some customers, also removed an annual total of $30,000 worth of Styrofoam containers from the manufacturing-to-landfill cycle.

But while that high-profile move garnered Funk a lot of attention, it's just one of a raft of changes implemented at Despo's, Idaho's first Certified Green Restaurant. "We installed an ultraefficient hot water system, including a state-of-the-art dishwasher that uses just 1.2 gallons per wash," Funk said. A new high-tech fryer has cut gas consumption by 20 percent; an ice machine that hogged 500 gallons of water a day was replaced with an Energy Star alternative. Funk switched out all his light bulbs to CFL and has plans to eventually replace those with longer-lasting LEDs. In addition, his vegetable oil is recycled into bio-diesel fuel, all the restaurant's paper and cleaning products are Green Seal certified, and the main ingredient used for cleaning is vinegar.

Funk's award-wining salsa, made with Idaho-grown onions, is chopped up fresh every day and sold in shops across the county. Funk incorporates lots of regional foods into his kitchen, including cheese from Jerome, tortillas from Boise and beans grown in the Magic and Treasure valleys.
The 2012 SustainIt! Award Winners

 Favorite Green Advocate
1st Jim Funk, owner of Despo's—"Because his commitment to green borders on obsession. He opted for a drop in business revenue when he intentionally stopped using to-go containers. He walks the walk," Karen Bean said when she nominated Funk.
2nd Environmental Resource Center—An organization dedicated to promoting a more sustainable environment through education, awareness and participation.
3rd Kaz Thea—"She organizes many green events in our community and lives her life in such a green way," Sherry Warner-Steinberg said when she cast her vote for the wildlife ecologist, founding member of Idaho's Bounty.
Favorite Green Business
 1st Sagebrush Solar—A solar thermal installation company based in Ketchum.
2nd Despo's Mexican With Altitude—An environmentally friendly Mexican restaurant.
3rd Rocky Mountain Hardware—Hailey-based producers of SCS-certified bronze hardware.
Favorite Green Restaurant
1st Despo's Mexican With Altitude—An environmentally friendly restaurant.
2nd CK's Real Food—Hailey eatery serving local, organic, seasonal and sustainable fare.
3rd Glow Live Food Café—An organic, vegan and live food café in Ketchum.
Favorite Locally Made Product
 1st Despo's Salsa—Made fresh daily in the Ketchum Mexican restaurant.
2nd Sawtooth Brewery Beer—Ketchum's local brewery serves up brews such as Out Cold Winter Ale.
3rd Rocky Mountain Hardware—Hailey-based producers of SCS-certified, hand-cast, bronze hardware.
Favorite Green Service Provider
1st Sagebrush Solar—A solar thermal installation company based in Ketchum.
2nd Western States Geothermal—Installing heating and cooling systems that use the power of the earth.
3rd Idaho's Bounty—A food co-op and online marketplace that supports local producers.



Copyright 2012 Express Publishing Inc.
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