Grant helps Junaluska hotels become energy efficient

{mosimage}LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. “ Come spring, Lake Junaluska will be green in more ways than one.

The conference and retreat center is undergoing a green transformation thanks to a grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The lake is using the $293,240 Energy Efficiency Grant, administered by the North Carolina Department of Commerce State Energy Office, to purchase new energy efficient heating and cooling units that will replace the old ones, said Jack Ewing, executive director and CEO of Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center.

The goal is to save $72,000 a year in energy costs, Ewing said. The grant requires an obligation from us to provide in kind work. So we ll be responsible for the labor.

Ewing said lake officials worked with Waste Reduction Partners of Asheville to identify areas where the lake could save energy. Specifically, the grant is paying for 100 new PTAC (in wall AC/heat) units for Terrace Hotel, 42 new PTAC units for the east wing of Lambuth Inn, 25 new PTAC units for Lakeside Lodge, the replacement of boiler burners in Lambuth Inn to allow for the switch over from fuel oil to natural gas and the replacement of incandescent light bulbs on campus to LED lighting.