Media Contacts:
Julie Semancik/Tim Wirtz
Hoffman York
414-225-9568 / 414-225-9522
jsemancik@hyc.com
twirtz@hyc.com
– Focus on Energy collaborates with Home Concept to implement energy efficient improvements –
MADISON, Wis. (March 29, 2005) – Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center, a
161-unit facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wis., will save up to $28,000 in energy costs in the next
ten years. The savings are a result of the installation of 900 ENERGY STARÒ qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) throughout the resort’s guest rooms, suites, meeting rooms and restaurant. Stone Harbor President Lewis Krueger worked with Madison-based Home Concept, one of Wisconsin’s largest retailers of ENERGY STAR qualified lighting and fixtures, to determine the best lighting options for the facility. Through its partnership with Focus on Energy, Home Concept was able to provide Krueger instant Cash-Back Rewards toward the purchase of the CFLs.
The state’s renewable energy and energy efficiency program offers the Cash-Back Rewards on CFLs. For the past four years, Focus on Energy has educated Wisconsin residents and businesses about the benefits of switching to CFLs to reduce their utility bills while saving energy and protecting the environment.
The efficiency measures implemented by Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center are expected to reduce their annual energy consumption by more than 59,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity – enough to power 59 Wisconsin homes.
“Switching to CFLs is a practical way to implement energy and cost-saving strategies that meet our resort’s needs,” added Krueger. “It’s a quick and simple solution that will save our resort energy, money and help protect the environment.”
Since 2000, Home Concept has sold more than 250,000 CFLs to local businesses and residents in the Appleton and Madison area. This has saved customers more than $10 million in electrical and maintenance costs.
“Customers such as Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center really benefit from switching to CFLs,” said Steve Brielmaier, president of Home Concept. “CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy and last up to ten times longer than incandescent bulbs, making frequent changes of hard-to-reach light bulbs a thing of the past.”
The new CFLs installed at Stone Harbor Resort & Conference Center will prevent the emissions of more than 700 million pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year – the environmental equivalent of removing 96 cars from the road.
There are a variety of other ways hotels and lodging facilities can save money and energy including replacing incandescent EXIT signs with Light Emitting Diode (LED) EXIT signs. The LEDs are virtually maintenance free and last up to ten years. Greater efficiency savings also can be achieved by replacing electric water heaters with natural gas units and insulating all hot water pipes to maximize efficiency. Facilities with pools can maximize comfort and structural durability while minimizing energy costs by maintaining humidity levels and minimizing evaporation.
“Focus on Energy can work with any lodging business to identify energy efficiency opportunities, said Mindy Guilfoyle, hospitality team leader for Focus on Energy’s Commercial Programs. “Many owners and facility managers know that they spend a lot of money on utilities, but they may not be aware of ways they can control these costs and that Focus on Energy can help.”
About Focus on Energy
Focus on Energy is a public-private partnership offering energy information and services to energy utility customers throughout Wisconsin. The goals of this program are to encourage energy efficiency and use of renewable energy, enhance the environment and ensure the future supply of energy for Wisconsin. Since July 2001, the program has helped Wisconsin’s businesses and residents cut their utility bills by more than $61 million – reducing their energy consumption by more than
572 million kilowatt-hours and more than 27 million therms of natural gas. For more information, call 800.762.7077 or visit focusonenergy.com.
