Green technologies used to make Anythink Brighton the first “carbon neutral” library in the nation also may allow the Rangeview Library District to sell more than $30,000 a year in electricity back to utility providers.

Rangeview, which serves Adams County, decided to go green with its newest library branch when the planning began more than two years ago, said Dot Lindsey, vice president of the district’s board of trustees.

Anythink’s geothermal heating and cooling system built underneath its parking lot, its array of sustainable cost-saving features and its 357 state-of-the-art rooftop solar panels easily cost $1.25 million, said library director Pam Sandlian Smith. The entire construction project cost about $6.5 million.

“We made this commitment (to building a sustainable library) because it’s the right thing to do, even if it doesn’t pencil out immediately,” said Justin Sager, project manager at the Rangeview district, of the cost of construction.

“Getting green takes spending the green,” Lindsey said.

But many libraries in the metro area are closing or slashing hours in the wake of budget cuts.

In Aurora alone, four libraries plan to permanently close their doors Dec. 31.

The Rangeview district’s ability to renovate three of its buildings and construct another four from the ground up amid an economic downturn lies in its timing, said Steven Hansen, Anythink’s communications director.

“We were at the right place of the curve where we could take advantage of the community’s intense interest in improving its public libraries, and in this weak economy a lot of contractors were looking for work, so we could make better deals on sustainable projects,” Hansen said.

A $300,000 matching grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs for the library’s solar photovoltaic system helped too.

The library’s new PV system provides 108 kilowatts of power to the new building and at certain points of the day produces more than the library requires, spilling back into the electric grid that serves the Rangeview district.

“We’re building a beautiful building that will save taxpayers money, will sustain our community and take care of our environment,” Smith said.

Though there is no precise timeline as to when the district’s greening money will pay itself off, Sager estimates the geothermal heat pump may pay for itself in 30 years, while the new PV system should pay back sooner, maybe in 20 years.

“As energy costs continue to rise, it’ll make some of the more costly decisions even smarter,” Sager said.

The Anythink Library in Brighton has places to sit near a fireplace, areas to listen to music, a teen space and meeting rooms. The entire south-facing wall is open glass, capitalizing on winter sunshine to light and heat the room.

“It’s a library for the 21st century,” Smith said. “The basic idea behind all our libraries is creating spaces where people can interact with information in an interesting learning space.”

Since opening in September, Anythink already has doubled its circulation and number of people who use the library, Smith said.

A collaborative effort from the Rangeview district board of trustees, Humphries Poli Architects, Fransen Pittman General Contractors, Ambient Energy and Namaste Solar helped move the construction forward.

Victoria Barbatelli: 303-954-1698 or vbarbatelli@denverpost.com

CLARIFICATION: Although the Rangeview Library District and one of

its consultants, Ambient Energy, described the new Anythink

Brighton library branch as “carbon positive,” meaning the

building has a “positive” impact on the environment, the common

terminology for a building that generates more energy than it uses

is “carbon neutral” or “carbon negative.”