Wilderness wonder: a backwoods waterpark resort uses high-tech green technology to cut energy costs.(PROFILES IN GREEN)

Respecting the environment comes naturally when you're out in the wilderness. Just ask the owners of the Three Bears Lodge Indoor Waterworld at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Warrens, Wis. Their facility is "the most aggressive design we've had with energy focus in the waterpark report industry to date," says Jeff Nodorft, director of aquatic engineering with Ramaker & Associates Inc. in Souk City, Wis.

Due to the project's rural location, propane is the only available fuel source. As propane's price continued to rise, (it jumped 26 percent in one year), the owners became increasingly concerned about energy costs.

As a result, the biggest investment for the $16 million, 48,000-square-foot indoor waterpark was a chilled water system. Cooling the hotel produces exhaust heat that is then used to worm the waterpark's pools. What's a waste product for the hotel becomes a useful necessity for the waterpark. The system costs approximately $1.8 million, with projected annual savings of $115,000.

The facility also uses a high-energy boiler system and heat exchanger system, operating at a 10 to 15 percent higher efficiency rate than traditional systems. The boiler costs $140,000 a year and has a projected savings of $65,000.

An independent HVAC system is used to heat the pool as well. Exhaust air is extracted via heat transfer plates. The HVAC system reclaims 60 percent of the heat ...