Planting Knowledge for a Better Future

Surveying the Landscape

Surrounded by 40 forested acres with access to the Eagle River Chain of Lakes, the TFT campus hosts approximately 10,000 people annually. K-12 students find a variety of educational, fun, and engaging programs, while visitors of all ages enjoy year-round outdoor activities. Indoor rental facilities include four dormitory-style lodges, classrooms for training sessions, and a full-service dining hall for special events.

Working together, TFT, Focus on Energy, and the City of Eagle River Light & Water Utility found replacing fluorescent lighting and aging water heaters were the best opportunities to reduce operating costs, freeing up budget for other organizational priorities.  

Bright Ideas

Good lighting was particularly important in the Education Hall, as studies show proper lighting improves student performance. With the help of Superior Electrical Systems, a comprehensive lighting upgrade was completed, replacing nearly 140 fluorescent fixtures with LEDs. The new LED lights reduce glare and brighten formerly dim areas, making learning more comfortable for the hundreds of K-12 students coming to TFT each year.

"The lighting in the Education Hall is phenomenal!” notes Gingerich. “It is so much brighter! The staff really enjoys it, and we can't wait to have our students experience it."

Trees For Tomorrow also installed seven new tankless water heaters across two cabins and the dining hall. These buildings had relied on storage water heaters – some nearly 50 years old. Tankless water heaters are ideal for facilities like TFT, where hot water demand is intermittent. Instead of keeping a full tank of water hot all the time, the new tankless water heaters heat water only when needed.

Lasting Impacts

With predicted yearly savings of nearly 23,300 kWh, the lighting upgrade provides environmental benefits equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide that 15.7 acres of U.S. forests will remove from the air in one year. The tankless water heaters will save approximately 852 therms every year, which is similar to the amount of carbon 4.5 acres of U.S. forests absorb from the air annually.  

From a cost-savings perspective, these combined upgrades will save an estimated $3,900 every year. 

“We are so grateful to Focus on Energy, as this work has a substantial impact on our organization,” says Gingerich. “These savings will help us reach more people and support our vision to inspire and empower them to become stewards of our natural world.”