Green Initiatives

The Inn at Hickory Run has been designed with the latest environmentally friendly and energy efficient systems. In 2008 we completed the cornerstone of our efforts with a renewable energy wind turbine system. In cooperation with the State of Pennsylvania and the Energy Harvest Grant program, we installed an Elotec 6.6 KW wind turbine. The turbine has the ability to create enough electricity to power a substantial portion of the electrical needs of the Inn.

The Inn is heated and cooled with a geothermal system that uses a series of closed-loop wells next to the Inn to transfer heat in during the winter and transfer heat out during the summer. It also pre-heats the hot water system during the summer months. No fossil fuels are utilized in the system and the amount of electricity utilized to run the pumps and compressors is substantially more efficient than gas or oil heat. Since electricity is used for the HVAC system, the wind turbine generation goes directly to reduce the energy consumption of the environmental HVAC system as well as all other electrical appliances.

Energy consumption is further reduced at the Inn through a series of energy saving appliances. These include the use of CFL bulbs in most light fixtures and computerized control of thermostats and programmed lighting.

The net results of our efforts has been to create a comfortable 9600 sq ft living experience that utilizes a fraction of the energy needs, and corresponding fractional carbon footprint, of a traditional 1500 sq ft house. Feel free to ask for a tour of the systems while you enjoy your stay with us.