Bardessono Hotel receives first LEED Platinum award in California

• Solar Power: 947 solar panels are installed on the flat roofs of the buildings in a manner so as not to be visible to the neighboring community. The 200-kilowatt solar energy system provides a significant portion of the Bardessono’s electrical energy requirement.
• Geothermal: 72 300-ft. geothermal wells were drilled to work with a ground source heat pump system to heat and cool rooms and heat domestic water. Consequently, the only electricity used in this system is for operation of the pumps.
• Construction: Over 93% of building waste was recycled.
• Reuse of materials: The stone featured on both the exterior and interior of the building was recycled from the stone blocks of an old wine cellar on the property. All of the wood visible on the exterior and interior of the buildings was milled from salvaged trees, including Monterey Cypress, Orchard Walnut, Redwood and Elm.
• Heat retention: Guest rooms are constructed to minimize solar heat gain with wide overhangs and specially designed motor-controlled exterior Venetian blinds, driven by occupation criteria delivered through the fully converged IP network developed by MTM Luxury Lodging. Large expanses of glass allow winter sunrays to naturally warm rooms and enhance daytime lighting.

• Lighting: LED and fluorescent lamps are used throughout the property and IP network driven sensors in the rooms extinguish lights when rooms are unoccupied.
• Low Water Use: Low water flow fixtures, dual flush toilets and waterless urinals are used. Outdoors, drought-resistant indigenous landscaping prevails, serviced by an efficient buried drip irrigation system.
• Water recycling: All grey and black water is treated and recycled for irrigation uses by the Town of Yountville.
• Creek-side Protection: Buildings are set back 35 ft. from Hopper Creek with native riparian plants installed to restore a hospitable natural environment for wildlife and fish while minimizing soil erosion.
• Compost: With a goal of contributing as little as possible to the waste stream, the Bardessono composts all kitchen and garden vegetable and plant waste in an “Earth Tub.”

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