Green Ideas for Hotels and Resorts

Paris 1.5

Posted On Friday, 06 November 2020 08:49

Helping SMEs in the Tourism & Accommodation Sector Increase Their Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Usage

Sustainable ideas for green hotels and resorts

Staff

1. Create a 'green team' at your hotel with the goal of continual improvement and scheduled re-evaluation and reporting.
2. Create an incentive program to encourage your staff to participate in and improve upon environmentally-friendly practices.
3. Regardless of your hotel size, consider writing an Environmental, Social and Governance Report to help focus in on areas for improvement and as a format for communicating your green practices to your guests.
4. Get your building or operations certified through LEED (LEED operations and maintenance), Green Key Global, Green Seal, Green Globe, Travelife, EarthCheck or Audubon International Green Lodging. Trip Advisor's GreenLeader program can help promote your work. Additional certification programs: green hotel certification programs and a list of certifiers (Green Lodging News).
5. Provide yearly staff training on green practices throughout the buildings and grounds and post informational posters in break rooms and guest areas.
6. Educate your staff to:

- Turn off lights and turn down heating/air conditioning in unoccupied rooms or employee-only areas
- Continually check for and respond to leaking faucets and toilets
- Close/open drapes to reduce the need for heating/air conditioning

Greening Your Hotel-Check for Toilet Water Leaks

- Continually check for and power down unused hotel equipment (i.e., kitchen exhaust fans) that have been left running
- Report opportunities to reduce resource consumption
- Make sure all rooms have linen reuse cards for both towels and sheets

Water and Energy

1. Install a renewable energy system onsite (no cost options are available including, in the U.S., PACENation which provides low-cost, long-term financing for energy efficiency, water conservation and renewable energy projects) or switch to a certified renewable electricity provider.
2. Consider buying carbon offsets - TerraPass and Green-E have joined together to offer some good options. The Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative can help with determining the carbon footprint for meetings, events and hotel stays. Other options for tracking emissions: Carbon Disclosure Project, WWF Climate Savers, The Climate Registry, and Energy Star Portfolio Manager.
3. Implement best practices no- or low-cost energy-efficiency measures by the EPA.
4. Start a linen (both towels and sheets) reuse program in all guest rooms. One example: Project Planet Program.
5. To reduce water use, consider using rainwater harvesting, greywater system, and/or air conditioner or refrigerant condensate for needs such as irrigation, toilet flushing, or fire suppression systems.

6. Switch to drought resistant native plants in garden areas and switch to WaterSense Landscape Irrigation Controllers. Replace mowed landscaping with native xeriscape ground cover (see also Native Plant Finder).
7. Install low-flow showerheads (.5 to 2 gpm) and sink aerators (.25 gpm to .5 gpm for hand and face washing and 2.2 gpm for dish washing).
8. To reduce operational costs, water and energy consider installing an ozone laundry system.
9. Switch to low flow or dual flush toilets/urinals (1.28 GPF or less) or install toilet-tank fill diverters. Also, stay on top of leakage from the toilet flappers (the #1 source of leaks - a leaking or poorly fitting flapper can waste up to 200 gallons of water a day and may cost hundreds of dollars a year). Flappers typically start leaking within 1-2 years so schedule regular checks for leaks. Add a sign to your public bathrooms letting people know how to report leaks.
10. Switch to LED regular and tube lights in guest rooms, lobbies, and hallways.
11. Use daylighting/occupancy sensors and/or timers for as many office, common areas and exterior areas of your hotel as possible.
12. Install keycard master switches or occupancy sensors in guest rooms that control lights, electronics, blinds and temperature settings.
13. Consult outside sources to evaluate the total system when replacing major mechanical equipment (such as chiller, water tower, etc). Often, this can lead to downsizing and other opportunities to reduce both the initial investment and operating costs.
14. Use an energy management and/or building management system (EMS/BMS) to tie in air handling units, HVAC, and lighting to prevent conditioning space when it is not necessary.
15. Use daylight exclusively in your lobby, bar, and restaurant for as much of the day as possible. Consider installing Energy Star skylights if needed.

16. Switch to Energy Star heating and cooling systems to increase energy efficiency. Consider using heat pumps, geothermal technologies, waste heat recovery, cooling tower, and/or variable speed ventilation fans. Set the indoor cooling setpoint to 72° F or higher and heating setpoint to 72° F or lower and put limits on cooling and heating ranges throughout the building and guest rooms.
17. Replace exit signs with Energy Star exit signs (i.e., Light Emitting Diode (LED)).
18. Conduct an audit of equipment that uses "standby power" (the energy used while an appliance is switched off or not performing - a usage monitor can show standby watts) - plug equipment into bye bye standby or smart meters so that they are powered down completely when turned off.
19. Purchase Energy Star appliances and windows for all rooms (guest, back office, kitchen, laundry, etc.) wherever possible. Replace old washing machines with both water and energy conserving models.
20. Even with a damp, a lot of heat flows up chimneys in the winter. Check out the Chimney Sheep to save on heating and reduce uncomfortable drafts.
21. If vending machines are used, learn about opportunities to reduce energy use.
22. Install window film to lower heating and cooling loads and reduce glare in guest rooms.
23. Plant shade trees or add overhangs on south facing walls to reduce energy use for heating and cooling.
24. If the hotel has a pool and/or hot tub that requires heating, install a solar PV system and air-source heat pump or Energy Star water heating system and use solar pool covers and hot tub covers when the pool area is closed.
25. For roofs, use recommended levels of insulation or, in hot and sunny climates, radiant barriers. Learn about other options at energy.gov (also see Cool Roof Rating Council). Consider switching to a green roof.
26. Consider installing an electric car charging station for your hotel, restaurant and/or bar guests and get it listed on plug sharing maps such as plugshare.com. It's a great help for electric/plug-in hybrid car owners and helps to draw in business.