Case Study: Lied Lodge & Conference Center

Situation

The Arbor Day Foundation is a non-profit conservation and education organization with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Lied Lodge & Conference Center is located on Arbor Day Farm, a former 260-acre estate of J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Day. The lodge and conference center is owned by the foundation, but it was built through funds from a congressional appropriation via the U.S. Forest Service, the Lied Foundation and thousands of private donations.

While its message attracts many, the nationally recognized, historic landmark in Nebraska City desperately needed renovations. That’s when they started gathering donations like TCP Lighting’s LED A-lamps and dimmable, decorative lamps.

Solution

Recognizing the importance of energy in the environment, the Arbor Day Foundation decided to run a campaign for the renewal of Lied Lodge & Conference Center. TCP wanted to join the foundation in encouraging people to care for the natural environment by providing a longer-lasting, energy efficient light source. As a result, TCP donated $17,000 worth of LEDs to the lodge and conference center.

“We’re glad we had the opportunity to show our dedication to an energy efficient environment,” said John Nowicki, former business development executive for TCP. “The lodge and conference center is supporting a great cause, and we hope its renovation brings more awareness to conserving our natural environment.”

The facility will not only take advantage of reducing wattages from switching from inefficient incandescent products, but they will also take advantage of HVAC savings because LED lighting utilizes thermals to naturally absorb the heat generated. Incandescent lamps emit 90 percent of their energy as heat. Therefore, TCP’s donation will help the lodge and conference center to save significantly on overall energy consumption costs. In fact, after looking at the lodge and conference center’s previous lighting system, it will have an estimated $25,000 in energy savings alone.

Throughout the renewal project, the environment was definitely a priority. The rooms in the lodge were equipped with recycling bins and low-flow toilets. Old carpet was recycled and furniture was donated to Keep Nebraska Beautiful. The guest rooms that were converted to suites had the lodge and conference center re-purpose the timbers.

The lodge and conference center remained open during the extensive, $9 million renovation, so guests could see the changes. Guests could also attend meetings about nature and enjoy Arbor Day Farm’s hiking trails, orchards and vineyard. On August 13, 2015, Lied Lodge & Conference Center and the Arbor Day Foundation finally celebrated the renewal of an energy efficient location with a Vine-Cutting Ceremony (below).