Case Study: Tribal Casino P2 KONOCTI VISTA CASINO AND RESORT, LAKEPORT, CALIFORNIA \ EPA Region 9 completed a pollution prevention (P2) evaluation of Konocti Vista Casino and Resort to identify projects for reducing the property's environmental footprint. EPA visited the facility in 2006 and identified several potential P2 projects as well as noted several measures Konocti had already implemented. Since the visit, EPA collected cost and environmental data from the property and this case study summarizes the key features and challenges of each project as well as the quantitative and qualitative outcomes. s^tDSX PRO"^° Seasonal Konocti changed operation of the hotel pool to better match the seasonal Swimming Pool nature of their visitors - the pool got very little use between October and Operation March. The pump and heater for the 22,700-gallon were turned off during those months saving electricity and extending the life of the IhP pump and heater, and reducing propane used to heat the water. Results Total Cost $0 Total Savings $16,900/yr Reduced Propane Use 6,688 gal propane/yr (64% reduction) Reduced Energy Use 2,102 kWh/yr Simple Payback Immediate Notes Konocti made the change in pool operation immediately and has continued the practice to date with no problems and has also realized the following benefits: ¦ Lower maintenance time for pool chemical addition and pump and heater maintenance/repair ¦ Less water consumption from evaporation of heated pool water ------- Case Study: Tribal Casino P2 KONOCTI VISTA CASINO AND RESORT, LAKEPORT, CALIFORNIA, (cont.) Hotel Water Heater Reconfiguration Konocti has four 100-gallon hot water heaters that provide hot water to all portions of the resort. At the time of EPA's visit, there was no distinction between heaters that provided hot water to the laundry and heaters that provided hot water to the rooms. Thus, all four heaters were set at 132° - 135°F, Typically, the hot water used for washing linens is between 132° - 135°F, = .= ¦ c NH while water around 110°F is sufficient for use in sinks and showers. Water used in the laundry must be hotter for the detergents and bleaches to be effective. Konocti replumbed the heaters so that one water heater was the sole hot water supply for the laundry facility operated at 132° - 135° F, while the remaining three heaters now supply individual rooms with hot water and operate at 110° F. Results Total Cost Total Savings Reduced Propane Use Simple Payback $500 $l,658/yr 975 gal propane/yr (32% reduction) 0.3 years Notes Konocti implemented the change within 3 months at an estimated cost of $500 to reroute the plumbing of the water heaters. Once implemented, no further problems or complaints were noted. LED Slot Machine Lighting The Konocti Casino operated 494 slot machines each containing lights to illuminate buttons and features. All machines contained 1, 2, or 3 different fluorescent lights per machine and operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, year-round (8,760 hours annually). Fluorescent light lamps in the machines use 3,600 kilowatt-hour (kWh) and burn out frequently - Konocti staff spent at least 20 hours per week replacing the lamps. The slot machine maintenance staff identified a vendor offering retrofits to replace most of the fluorescents with light emitting diodes (LED) that used only 120 kWh. The staff replaced existing fluorescent lamps as they burned out with LED lights to reduce energy consumption and labor costs for light changing and only purchased new machines containing LEDs. page 2 # Q \ ------- Case Study: Tribal Casino P2 KONOCTI VISTA CASINO AND RESORT, LAKE PORT, CALIFORNIA, (cont.) Results Total Cost (labor and materials) Total Savings Reduced Energy Use Simple Payback $34,916 $16,189/yr 148,438 kWh/yr 2.2 years Notes In implementing the LED retrofit project, Konocti also realized the following benefits: ¦ LEDs do not contain mercury and therefore can be thrown away as trash. Because of low, but regulated levels of mercury in fluorescent bulbs, disposal of used bulbs can be problematic and expensive for businesses due to universal waste regulations. LEDs eliminated nearly all of this waste stream from the slot machine operation. ¦ LED Lamps produce approximately 50 percent less heat than fluorescent lamps and less heat from the machines can decrease air conditioning costs by an estimated $3.58 per LED lamp per year. ¦ Lower maintenance time for changing bulbs. Solid Waste Recycling Implementation Konocti generates solid waste primarily from its gaming and dining operations with a much smaller amount generated from the adjacent hotel. Konocti Vista currently contracts with a local solid waste hauler, Lakeport Disposal, to provide waste collection services. By contractual agreement with the Lake County, Lakeport Disposal must provide containers, pickup, and recycling of various recyclables free of charge, including: beverage Containers (aluminum, glass, plastic), cardboard, paper (newspaper, office, magazines, etc.), and metal/food containers. Lakeport Disposal currently provides dumpsters of various sizes, and smaller 90-gallon and 75-gallon rolling containers for source separation and storage of recyclables. Smaller recycling containers are located adjacent the casino building near the exit to the kitchen and two of the 15-cubic yard (cy) roll-off bins (dumpsters) are stored in the paved area behind the casino. One 15 cy dumpster is stored between the casino and the RV Parking Lot. Lakeport disposal empties all containers twice per week. Results Total Cost (labor and materials) Total Savings Reduced Energy Use Simple Payback $34,916 $16,189/yr 148,438 kWh/yr 2.2 years i. w/ ? page 3 ------- Case Study: Tribal Casino P2 KONOCTI VISTA CASINO AND RESORT, LAKE PORT, CALIFORNIA, (cont.) Notes In implementing the LED retrofit project, Konocti also realized the following benefits: ¦ LEDs do not contain mercury and therefore can be thrown away as trash. Because of low, but regulated levels of mercury in fluorescent bulbs, disposal of used bulbs can be problematic and expensive for businesses due to universal waste regulations. LEDs eliminated nearly all of this waste stream from the slot machine operation. ¦ LED Lamps produce approximately 50 percent less heat than fluorescent lamps and less heat from the machines can decrease air conditioning costs by an estimated $3.58 per LED lamp per year. ¦ Lower maintenance time for changing bulbs. page 4 l'flL\ i. ? v1 J ------- |