For people who have been to
LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, it’s no stretch to think “green” with the
center’s abundance of beautiful trees, shrubs and grass.
What may come as a surprise
is Ridgecrest’s commitment to being a good steward of its finances by reducing
energy consumption and finding eco-friendly alternatives to traditional ways of
doing things.
- Among the environmentally
friendly initiatives and practices that have been put in place are:
All of the guest rooms use
fluorescent lighting.
-
More than 80 percent of the
conference and public spaces use fluorescent lighting.
- Occupied space, outside
ambient conditions and temperature determine the operational parameters.
- The facility participates in
a fluorescent bulb recycling program, keeping mercury out of local landfills.
- Conference and public spaces
are monitored throughout the day with an energy management system to optimize
HVAC efficiency.
- Fireplaces are equipped with
timer controls.
- Recycling bins are available
throughout the campus to encourage recycling by guests.
- A linen exchange program is
in place to cut down on unnecessary washing of linens, saving hundreds of
gallons of water each day.
- Ongoing steps include
recycling of wood pallets and paper.
Metals and other recyclables
are salvaged from demolition projects.
-
Vehicle fuel usage has been
cut in half by downsizing to non-highway vehicles where possible and adding the
use of electric vehicles.
- A master plan for sidewalks
and covered walkways is being followed to make the entire conference center
pedestrian friendly, thus encouraging guests to walk instead of using their
vehicles to move about campus.
“These steps make sense for
us, environmentally and economically,” said Byron Hill, director of LifeWay’s
conference centers.
“I am proud of our staff and engineers who are helping us
find new ways to protect our beautiful campus. I’m also grateful to our guests
who appreciate what we are doing and join us in recycling when they’re on our
grounds. When conservation is done well, everyone wins.”