TownePlace Suites discovered an unused four-acre piece of land adjoining one of its properties, and developed the land with a solar installation, decreasing electric costs and improving the hotel’s environmental reputation.

Bardessono, a hotel in Yountville, California was designed to be one of the most energy efficient hotels in the world. A major roof-top solar array was included in the design to achieve significant energy savings and LEED Platinum certification. The PV system produces approximately one-half of the electricity used by the hotel.

Wastewater recycling is a market-ready solution that can save commercial washers an average of 365,000 gallons/month of combined water and sewer and 1,100 therms/month in hot water heating energy.

DOE funded evaluations of ozonation at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC, and the Rogerson House assisted living facility of Boston, MA and found up to 60% savings in hot water requirements.

The Hampton Inn & Suites Bakersfield North- Airport operates in a hot climate and has high HVAC operating costs. To mitigate these costs, a carport solar array was installed, producing monthly savings of $8,800.

DOE funded evaluations of a wastewater recycle system at the Grand Hyatt Seattle and of ozone systems at the Charleston Place Hotel and the Rogerson House Assisted Living Facility, saving $135,000 in the first year.

MGM Resorts decided to augment their retrocommissioning (RCx) efforts by installing fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) software, which identifies building systems with suboptimal performance. Beyond the significant energy savings, the addition of analytics has changed the organization’s energy management culture, and allows for accurate, actionable reporting at all levels of the organization.

Hilton's 5,100 properties across 103 countries are ISO 50001 certified, saving the company nearly $740 million in 8 years.

MGM lighting projects have covered more than 8 million square feet of parking area. By replacing 4,400 metal halide and high-pressure sodium light fixtures in the parking facilities with a mixture of LED and induction fixtures, MGM saved 4.5 million kWh per year as part of the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign.

The National Renewable Energy Lab developed this fact sheet for hotel operators to help optimize the use and function of building systems, guest rooms, and common areas to keep airborne disease transmission to a minimum.

This resource highlights examples of utility services and incentives that Better Buildings partners have leveraged to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. Using this guide, organizations can work with their utility provider to better understand if these or other energy efficiency programs are available to them.

The Better Buildings Initiative has identified resources and tools for the hospitality sector to help partners capitalize on energy efficiency opportunities.

This document contains a variety of resources intended to help commercial partners gain better access to energy data through the use of submetering.

HEI developed an energy management tracking tool that analyzes key variables such as weather normalized utility consumption, and hotel occupancy alongside capital and operational energy efficiency initiatives to create more centralized information and evaluate opportunities for improvement.

IHG developed a comprehensive online sustainability management system to manage hotel energy, water, and waste reduction efforts in a global, franchised business environment. 

Seeking to formalize energy efficiency and sustainability practices across timeshare properties, Wyndham developed a Green Certification Program, which includes mandatory low and no-cost efficiency measures for all properties with opportunities to achieve advanced certification levels for more capital intensive improvements.

MGM created a web and mobile tool to encourages employees to reduce resource use and maximize efficiency.

HEI developed standardized operating procedures for establishing, maintaining, and evaluating key energy set-points at their hotel properties.

Expert building technologists discussed what they are excited about now and what fledgling ideas are exciting for generations to come. This session highlighted information that can help you decide for yourself which building strategies can help you meet your goals now and well into the future.

Communications is a tool of the future and the present day. Take advantage of best practice techniques and tips for getting the word out on your energy achievements. Learn the difference between messaging what matters and messaging for impact.

This technology roundtable facilitated discussion around evaluating and implementing emerging technologies in commercial buildings. Hospitality Better Buildings partners and National Lab representatives shared their experiences with technology verification and pilot projects.

This session highlighted projects that have been able to achieve significant energy and water savings through technologies and innovative strategies.

For this report, DOE evaluated the use of LED downlight luminaires in the Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel.

Placer County's Granlibakken Conference Center & Resort identified several cost-effective efficiency measures to implement throughout the conference center and restaurant. The project improved property values with an estimated annual energy cost savings of $44,000.

Hilton Columbus Downtown features a number of energy conservation measures (ECMs) including efficient lighting, a building automation system, and variable frequency drives. As a result, Hilton Worldwide saved 32% in annual energy consumption and $387,000 in annual energy costs.

Through a combination of competitive bidding, innovative design, advanced controls sequencing, and attention to hotel guest satisfaction considerations, the Hotel Monaco team compiled a comprehensive suite of impactful retrofit opportunities that save nearly $450,000 in energy costs annually.

In response to a guest focus on green initiatives, the property implemented several public area and guestroom efficiency upgrades including HVAC improvements and chiller plant optimization, saving more than $600,000 annually in energy costs.

The Holiday Inn Diamond Bar hotel was selected for a deeper-dive water conservation pilot because of the hotel’s location in a drought-affected area and the willingness of the hotel staff and employees to participate in the program. Through this Pilot, the Holiday Inn was able to save over 1.3 million gallons of water annually.

Loews on-premise laundry system uses an innovative filtration system that allows it to recycle 70-85% of all laundry water. This system is estimated to save the Santa Monica hotel over 4.3 million gallons of water a year. Other improvements related to energy were also completed, showing over $200,000 in savings.

The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo are a combined property and metered as a single campus, making this site an ideal target for energy efficiency upgrades and improvements. Las Vegas Sands Corp. identified a number of energy and water efficiency upgrades for its large campus that have already resulted in 22% energy savings.

The Hilton Austin Convention Center is a city-owned mixed-use complex consisting of a hotel, condominiums, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Hilton Austin implemented energy conservation measures in guestrooms, common areas, kitchens, and laundry facilities to achieve 31% energy savings.

Saunders Hotel Group achieved 21% energy savings at the Comfort Inn and Suites Boston by installing a new cost-effective cogeneration unit and implementing other ECMs throughout the hotel, contributing to Saunders' corporate sustainability initiatives.

HEI Hotels & Resorts implemented the Fab Four Energy Buddies program which employs smart operation and maintenance procedures and effective employee engagement to achieve the full value of their investments in energy-efficient equipment.

The Gold Wrench Award is a novel way that Loews Hotels recognizes leadership among the engineering managers across the country.

Loews Hotels developed a Score Card tool to evaluate physical and operational performance across their building portfolio. This tool provides accountability for the engineering staff, who are tasked with meeting the company’s corporate sustainability goals, and helps direct capital investment in renovations and upgrades.

As part of Marriott’s energy efficiency efforts, they have established an internal Measurement and Verification (M&V) process for assessing new energy-saving technologies, products, and services to be used in its global portfolio.

The Green Ideas Challenge at The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo allowed resort staff to help identify opportunities for energy or water savings, helping staff get more involved in Las Vegas Sands's corporate sustainability efforts.

This webinar hosted Better Buildings Challenge partners United Technology Corporation, the City of Atlanta, and InterContinental Hotels Group on the innovative measures taken to improve water efficiency while reducing energy use.

Featured on the Beat Blog

Water Efficiency: Tips From the Healthcare and Hospitality Sectors

General Resources

U.S. EPA Guidelines for Energy Management
A proven strategy for energy management developed by the U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR® program.

ISO 50001 Energy Management Standard
A proven approach for U.S. industrial and commercial facilities to continually improve energy performance. This powerful new standard from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) provides an internationally recognized framework for organizations to voluntarily implement an energy management system.

CEE Programs Resources
A list of initiatives and resources for achieving verifiable energy savings in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. Visit the commercial sector list to find initiatives applicable to your hospitality organization.

Sustainability in Hotels, Opportunities and Trends Shaping the Future of Hospitality - Urban Land Institute
ULI’s report explores how the hospitality sector is embracing sustainability by, implementing energy, water, and waste management best practices.

 

Technical Resources

Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) BetterBricks
NEEA’s repository of resources and tools for improving the operations and performance of buildings.

ENERGY STAR Building Upgrade Manual
A strategic manual designed to assist building owners and managers to design and implement energy performance measures in commercial buildings.

Advanced Energy Design Guides
Created by ASHRAE and its partners, the Advanced Energy Design Guides for 50% Savings offer designers and contractors the tools needed for achieving a 50% energy savings compared to buildings that meet the minimum requirements of Standard 90.1-2004.

Federal Energy Management Program Technology Deployment
The federal technology deployment evaluation process, matrix, and recommendations of technologies that can be considered for adoption across federal buildings. Research and suggestions are frequently applicable to the commercial building sector, in general.

Anticipate RFP language requesting Green Meeting Space
An ENERGY STAR resource that provides guidance and sample language to include in your request for proposals (RFPs) that rewards your business partners for their environmental stewardship.

HVAC Resource Map
The HVAC Resource Map is an intuitive graphical interface that provides quick access to a broad array of quality information on operations and maintenance best practices and energy and water efficiency measures.

 

Financial Resources

DOE 179D Tax Deduction Eligibility Calculator (for small hotels)
A DOE approved tool that provides calculations to determine eligibility for the 179D federal tax deduction as a substitute for other modeling software. The 179D DOE Calculator provides pre-simulated results to determine qualification for both the partial and interim compliance pathways.

DSIRE (Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency)
A comprehensive database of incentives, rebates, and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States.

ENERGY STAR Purchasing and Procurement
An ENERGY STAR resource on purchasing efficient products to reduce energy costs without compromising quality. Learn more about ENERGY STAR qualified products and specify them in your purchasing policies and contracts.