A Guide for Hotels: Boosting Profits with Energy Efficiency & Conservation
Lighting: Guest Rooms
Each hotel guest room has as many opportunities to cut lighting costs as there are light bulbs in the room. Each traditional incandescent light bulb uses approximately five times as much energy as a new compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL). CFLs also last many times longer than incandescent bulbs, so by replacing all traditional bulbs with CFLs, a hotel can reduce maintenance and dramatically cut lighting costs.
Along with improving the efficiency of guest room lighting, hotels can take action to reduce the amount of electricity wasted lighting empty rooms. Key-activated lighting systems and motion sensors will minimize unnecessary lighting use.
Key-activated lighting systems operate by requiring the guest to place the room's key card in a slot just inside the door. With the key in place all room lights operate normally, when the guest departs the room and removes the key the lights will shut off automatically. With such a system the room lights will always be off when unoccupied, without inconveniencing the guest.
Motion sensor controlled lights are mainly employed in guest room bathrooms, where the lights are most often left on. The sensors replace a traditional light switch and will simply turn on when the room is occupied and switch off after a few minutes with no motion.
Effective conservation of lighting, and other energy, will benefit from guest involvement and education. Consider providing informational materials to guests that inform them of your energy conservation measures and their importance to California and the world. Provide a few simple tips to guests on ways they can help, such as turning off lights and HVAC when rooms are unoccupied. This information also provides hotels with an opportunity to spread their message of energy efficiency outside of the hotel.
Leading by Example: Atman Hospitality Group Inc.
After a study found that 60% of travelers leave their environmentally-conscious behavior at home when they check into a hotel (e-Newswire, 8/08/07), one hotel company is using new technology to encourage guests to remember their energy-saving habits. Atman Hospitality Group Inc. has installed kiosks at its Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa (e-Newswire, 11/15/06) that show guests the status of energy efficiency in the building. The GreenTouchscreen kiosks and software - a $51,000 expense - display electricity and water use and carbon-dioxide emissions, as well as charts comparing the energy consumption at the Gaia Hotel to other hotels.
As it turns out, accountability results in behavioral changes. With guests aware of their energy use - in-room television sets display the guests' individual and collective power and water consumption - the Gaia Hotel has seen a 26%-drop in energy costs and a 45%-drop in water costs, a significant improvement for both the environment and the hotel group's bottom line.
Leading by Example: The Doubletree Hotel Sacramento
In their efforts to control energy waste and lighting costs, the Doubletree Sacramento turned to a new motion sensor developed by Watt Stopper, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. These motion sensor LED-lit nightlights were installed in 100 bathrooms in the hotel and cut usage by over 50% in those locations. These sensors ensure that bathroom lights are not left on inadvertently by sleeping or departing guests to reduce instances of bathroom lights being used as nightlights.