DEERFIELD, Ill. — Caterpillar Inc. announced the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado, has chosen Cat® dealer Wagner Equipment to deliver and install a prime power system for the new 38,000 square-foot Pikes Peak Summit Complex.
The Cat C27 diesel generator set will supply 600 kW of power for the $50 million visitor center, which will provide enhanced amenities, more educational experiences, and greater accessibility for the 600,000 tourists who visit annually.
The complex will also incorporate a new High-Altitude Research Laboratory operated by the U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine (USARIEM).
The project is the highest active construction site in North America, and crews at the 14,115-foot summit work an abbreviated schedule due to limited oxygen content, which can cause dizziness, headaches, nausea, and fatigue.
“Pikes Peak features some of the harshest conditions at any National Historic Landmark in North America, with temperatures dropping to as low as 40 degrees below zero and winds gusting up to 150 mph,” said J.R. Bond, operations manager for Encore Electric, the electrical contractor for the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex. “Caterpillar has an impeccable reputation for performance that is critical for operations while keeping guests and staff safe and comfortable at all times.”
The complex has been designed to achieve LEED Silver certification as well as “The Living Building Challenge” (LBC) certification for highly sustainable, zero-energy buildings. Sustainable design aspects include energy, materials, resilience, site ecology, site water, and water and wastewater. Currently, no other federal buildings are LBC-certified.
The construction of the new Pikes Peak Summit Complex is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Office, tribal representatives, and the summit's five major permit holders: the City of Colorado Springs, Pikes Peak — America's Mountain, The Broadmoor's Pikes Peak Cog Railway, the U.S. Army High-Altitude Research Laboratory, and Colorado Springs Utilities.
“Cat power solutions provide unmatched performance and reliability in the most challenging environments in the world, from mine sites above the Arctic Circle to telecommunications towers at the equator,” said Jason Kaiser, general manager for Caterpillar Retail Electric Power Solutions. “The power solution from Wagner Equipment and Caterpillar is ideal for helping the Pikes Peak Summit Complex provide sustainability, safety, and comfort for its major stakeholders and visitors.”
