Energy Efficiency Day is October 5 and hoteliers are making significant strides in savings. We recently consulted Rockstar Hotels, The London West Hollywood, HHM Hospitality, and Double Tree by Hilton to highlight key learnings on reducing hotel energy consumption. Water-savings programs, motion-sensor lighting in guest rooms, and energy-efficient lighting top the list along with seven other savings suggestions:
Low Cost, High Savings: Top ways to save without substantial infrastructure investments
- Limit guest occupancy to lower floors during low occupancy, taking pressure off of elevator use and eliminating power usage on most of the unused inventory. Additionally, installing motion sensor light switches in storage rooms and back of house, as well as turning off lights and locking restrooms on meeting-level floors (HHM Hospitality)
- Take advantage of the various rebate programs offered at utility companies—a substantial ROI for a small investment (DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles – Commerce)
- Set specific hours of operation for their restaurants and consider outsourcing laundry to an eco-friendly third-party vendor (The London West Hollywood)
Long Term Investments: Top investments hotels can make to reduce energy consumption
- Invest in insulation—seal windows and weather-proof entrances—to significantly reduce energy consumption (Rockstar Hotels)
- Go one step beyond motion-sensor lighting and installing motion-sensor thermostats (The London West Hollywood)
- Install an energy management system to interface with the PMS, which engages the HVAC upon check-in or during meeting-room use (HHM Hospitality)
- Install UV protection on exterior windows—particularly east and west facing—with a film that reflects some of the heat to reduce air conditioning load (DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles – Commerce)
Tracking for Success: Energy savings metrics to include in the business bottom line
- Tracking and YOY comparison are key especially after an investment in the infrastructure. Key factors to monitor include heating and cooling days (i.e. cooler or hotter YOY); cost of energy per unit and changes in delivery charge from utility companies (peak seasons) (HHM Hospitality)
- Use Lightstay, a tracking system that shows a hotel where they are today vs a year ago. Also, log into Energy Star to log utility consumption in order to qualify for an Energy Star rating (DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Los Angeles – Commerce)
The bottom line: reduction of energy consumption is not only important for the environment, it equates to significant financial savings for hotels.