greening your lodging - energy management

Money Saving Tips - Energy Management
Reprinted with permission from www.GreenLodgingNews.com

• During low occupancy periods, place guests in closely-located guestrooms.
  
  
• Install energy management systems in guestrooms, meeting rooms and other public spaces.
  
  
• Hire an energy expert to conduct an audit of your hotel.
  
  
• Ask your energy providers or local government if they offer any type of incentive program for implementing energy-efficient equipment or processes.
  
  
• Improperly maintained air handlers can waste up to 32 percent of the energy they consume. Check HVAC controls for proper calibration.
  
  
• Check all duct work for air leaks and repair where appropriate. Air ducts should be cleaned monthly.
  
  
• Check all electrical systems for loose connections or poor motor conditions. Without proper preventive maintenance, these systems typically generate a 5 to 10 percent energy loss.
  
  
• Purchase renewable energy from your local utility.
  
  
• Shut down office equipment such as photocopiers and computer monitors when not in use.
  
  
• Explore the purchase of a fuel cell power generator.
  
  
• Install energy misers on vending machines.
  
  
• Install thermal-glass windows.
  
  
• In hotels with whirlpools in use, keep the aerator on only when needed.
  
  
• Furnaces and boilers should be completely inspected by a professional mechanical contractor at least once or twice a year.
  
  
• Electric meters should be submetered to make it easy to identify the largest electricity users at the hotel and to recognize problem areas. Set targets for energy consumption per meter.
  
  
• In swimming pools, remove foreign material from the strainer baskets in the skimmer and pump regularly to maximize water recirculation.
  
  
• Operate your pool pump during off peak hours.
  
  
• Implement an employee awareness program and encourage them to report energy waste to managers, maintenance or engineering personnel.
  
  
• During the winter, ceiling fans should be set to draw air toward the ceiling.
  
  
• Shut down one or more of your elevators during periods of light traffic.
  
  
• Program your elevator to remain stationary on the exiting floor rather than returning to the main floor.
  
  
• Encourage staff to use stairs when moving between one to two floors when not carrying loads.
  
  
• Install draperies with thermal reflective liners.
  
  
• Use light-colored reflective surface on roofs.
  
  
• Tint windows that receive direct sun.
  
  
• Assign someone to monitor energy consumption on a consistent basis.
  
  
• Implement a comprehensive preventive maintenance program to monitor all potential areas of energy consumption.
  
  
• Turn off coffee makers, hair dryers and other appliances or personal electronics while guestrooms are unoccupied.
  
  
• Put together a written energy management plan. Key components should include energy forecasting and procurement, facility audits, financial analysis, integrated building upgrades, equipment purchasing, new construction and preventive maintenance.
  
  
• Use adequate amount of insulation in ceilings, exterior and basement walls, flooring and crawl spaces.
  
  
• Use solar panels to generate electricity.
  
  
• Purchase minibars that use LED lighting and that incorporate energy-efficient cooling systems.
  
  
• Metal tile panel roofing systems can help reduce energy costs. Also consider green roof systems that incorporate soil and plants.
  
  
• Watch for scale build-up in boilers, hot water heaters, cooling towers, humidifiers, washing machines, dishwashers, and shower heads. Hard water that leaves scale build-up results in more energy consumed. Water conditioning can address scale issues.
  
  
• Contract with an energy monitoring and reporting service to track utility costs and interpret billing trends.
  
  
• Beware of energy vultures: plugged in appliances, radios, clocks and other items that are on around the clock.
  
  
• Be cautious of energy remarketers when planning your energy purchasing strategy. Locking in rates can actually eliminate incentives to save energy.
  
  
• Participate in as many Energy Star programs as possible.
  
  
• Purchase computer products that meet the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) standard. They meet the Energy Star guidelines for energy efficiency.
  
  
• Purchase hand dryers with automatic sensor controls.
  
  
• Train housekeepers to turn off lighting and heating and cooling equipment when not needed. Provide bilingual instructions. Spanish-speaking employees typically think in terms of Centigrade, rather than Fahrenheit. This can cause difficulty for them in setting thermostats to the proper temperature. Issuing each room attendant a simple placard with a sketch showing a typical guestroom thermostat setting can easily resolve this problem.
  
  
• Weather stripping on outside entrances typically lasts less than two years. Placing a brush-type of weather stripping that does not affect the operation of the door and that provides a good seal from the outside cold weather will pay handsome dividends.
  
  

Reprinted with permission from www.GreenLodgingNews.com.