Green Hotels: Five Ways for Operators to Compete

Question:

What are the most common investments hotel operators are making to go green?

Answer:

Despite the hotel industry's cautious approach to green building investments overall, a "Green Building Survey" of 5,165 hotel operators, purchasing agents and corporate managers in the hospitality industry conducted in 2007 by BD+C/Hotels indicates there are strong recurring themes throughout the industry.

Of the top five green investments, the top three, or 60% had returns on investment that were easily quantifiable. Green hotel respondents indicated that of the sustainable/green concepts they had or were planning to incorporate, the majority focused on reducing energy use. The last two most popular characteristics were purchasing habits and indoor environmental quality, respectively.

1) Energy Management System (EMS):
EMS' are automated, computerized systems built to monitor and control heating, ventilation, air conditioning and interior/exterior lighting needs of one or a portfolio of buildings. They are common in large communities such as university campuses, office parks and/or industrial facilities and factories. Today, many EMS' are built to be remotely monitored and administered via the Internet where electricity, gas and water meter performance can be controlled. Data generated from an EMS can then be used to produce trend analyses, annual consumption forecasts and other reports used in benchmarking a building's efficiency.

2) Automated Lighting Controls:
Automated Lighting Control system may include features of an EMS, motion detectors, timers, light level sensors and daylighting systems. The use of lighting controls reduces air conditioning and lighting costs while working to compliment your property's operation. Many of these systems are inexpensive and virtually maintenance-free.

3) Energy Analysis/Modeling Tools:
Energy analysis tools typically allow a green hotel operator to predict energy consumption patterns before they occur. Sizing analysis and peak load modeling tools are designed to predict annual energy consumption in terms of BTUs, dollars, or pollution avoidance (carbon emissions). Today, with energy prices so unpredictable, many green hotels can benefit from energy analysis. Such tools are being applied earlier and earlier in the design process when new hotels are being built.

4) Environmentally Preferable Purchasing:
According to the EPA, "Environmentally preferable" is defined in Section 201 of EO 13101 to mean products or services that "have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance or disposal of the product or service. To green hotel operators, such materials may include: building and construction materials, carpets, cleaning products, electronics equipment, food and beverage, landscaping, office supplies, paper, etc...

5) Acoustics/Sound Proofing:
In terms of indoor environmental quality, a key component of the US Green Building Council's LEED rating system, indoor acoustics are a major factor for hotels. Just ask anyone who's ever had to try to sleep next to a noisy neighbor in the next room. Unfortunately, indoor occupant reviews of LEED-rated building acoustics have been mixed. New products are coming available including QuietRock, a drywall product that is made with a ceramic-polymer-gypsum composite that has near-zero VOC emissions. It has strong sound-control qualities and provides significant sound transmission reduction. It also installs like traditional drywall and results in very little increase in wall thickness, compared with other sound-control options. Such products can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.