Blending Hospitality with Sustainability

Energy costs are once again on the rise and businesses are rapidly depleting their annual energy budgets. Hotels are especially susceptible to rising utility expenses because of 24-hour operations that simultaneously need power for heating, cooling and lighting. While there are many technologies to help reduce energy consumption, the real wins come from applying a “mixed plate” of solutions customized to the facility.

For the hospitality industry the guest experience is paramount. However, budgets for furnishings to enhance the guest experience might have to compete with the necessity of replacing mechanical equipment. The beauty of energy-efficiency projects is that, unlike other capital improvements, they can actually pay for themselves, preserving capital budget for other essential improvements. Using financial leverage, some projects might even generate positive cash flow.

The largest energy costs savings will involve replacing large equipment like chillers and boilers. But, the biggest bang for the buck might come from more modest projects like lighting, controls, and retro-commissioning. By focusing on these, you will achieve the maximum savings for your efforts. Here are five of the top energy efficiency measures hotels and condos should be pursuing:

1. Retrofit your lighting -- Replace 40-watt T-12 and 32-watt T-8 fluorescent lighting with 28 and 25 watt “Super T-8” lamps. Replace high wattage incandescent lights with compact fluorescent lamps, and low wattage incandescent lamps with dimmable cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFL). These CCFLs also fit a candelabra stem for use in chandeliers for ballrooms. Utility rebates have never been higher for lighting retrofits.

2. Sensors and controls-- Sensors in administrative offices, bathrooms, and conference rooms can significantly reduce lighting usage. In addition, there are dimmable stairwell lighting fixtures that reduce light levels to minimal fire code levels when the stairwell is vacant and provide full brightness when occupied. These have battery back-up, something we all found to be important after the October 2006 earthquake. In addition to utility rebates, federal tax deductions are often available for lighting control projects.

3. Variable frequency drives (VFDs) on domestic water booster pumps. Many facilities already have VFDs on their chillers and chilled water pumps. One area often overlooked is the domestic water booster pumps which can reduce power consumption by 25-50% on the pumps.

4. Programmable digital thermostats in guestrooms. There is no greater waste than cooling a space that is unoccupied. Guestrooms are occupied less than half the day, yet most hotels allow guests to cool the rooms the entire day and night. Programmable thermostats available today have passive infrared occupancy sensors that can set back the A/C in the rooms until the guest returns and the climate automatically resets to the guest’s desired temperature. This minimizes waste without sacrificing guest comfort.

5. Retro-commissioning of HVAC and system controls. Resetting the building systems to optimal energy-efficiency specifications can significantly improve operations and cost saving, without invasive procedures. Make sure that VFD’s are functioning and that control systems are set properly. It is sometimes surprising what you will uncover through an inspection of your central plant.

This list is not all-inclusive but it does provide some insight into where the largest opportunities lie. The best way to get started is to have an expert take a look at the facility and determine what energy conservation measures exist and what the return on investment would be for these measures. Utilities often subsidize energy feasibility studies to encourage conservation.

Ideally, a hotel that uses this approach will improve its building systems, reduce risk of equipment failure, and reduce its carbon footprint without incurring additional costs. In some cases, the program will actually add to a hotel’s net income, instead of adding costs. Blending hospitality and sustainability is achievable, without ever sacrificing the guest experience.