Marriott Implements Measurement and Verification (M&V) Process for New Technologies

Marriott International  has demonstrated its commitment to sustainability via their 2016 based SERVE 360 goals.  Among these are new goals to reduce carbon and water intensity by 30 percent and 15 percent respectively by 2025. 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 M&V process allows Marriott’s engineering and sustainability team to prioritize new technologies based on validated energy-saving potential and verified typical returns that enable  them to offer  accurate and compelling ROI business case to the myriad ownership groups.

All products undergo “Step 1” of the process, which is a high-level review of the product’s energy savings and application within the Marriott Portfolio. Products that pass this review move on to “Step 2,” a detailed M&V evaluation.

PROCESS

Step 1: Initial review of energy savings
Marriott’s third-party M&V provider reviews the product information (including technical details, installation processes, product applications, general costs, and energy savings documentation) and conducts independent research on similar products in the market. Based on these findings, the M&V provider evaluates the energy savings claims and determines whether the expected savings meet Marriott’s requirements (typically a simple payback of less than three years). The results are presented to Marriott, including a recommendation on whether the product should move on to the second step.

Step 2: Detailed M&V
The product is physically installed at a Marriott property, and pre-selected variables are monitored before and after installation using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s International Measurement and Verification Protocol. When selecting a Marriott property to pilot the technology, staff identify a list of criteria such as: climate, occupancy patterns, equipment type, and interest/sophistication of facility team. In addition to this process, if a vendor has completed a thorough pilot at another hotel that meets Marriott’s monitoring criteria, there is a path for reviewing that data in place of doing a pilot at a Marriott location. The M&V provider collects the data and evaluates the product’s overall performance, business case, and estimated annual energy savings which is then summarized in a final report for Marriott.

After the detailed M&V phase, approved products will be recommended to all Marriott managed facilities and listed on Marriott’s internal Energy Toolkit site. All participating product providers are required to pay a fee for the initial evaluation and pay for all associated installation costs for the detailed M&V. Although there is no guarantee that completion of the M&V process will lead to adoption by Marriott, participating providers benefit from a third-party report summarizing the details and results of the study.

To date, Marriott has used this M&V process to evaluate and adopt new technologies including lighting, building automation systems, occupancy sensors, refrigeration controls, demand control ventilation, and more. Marriott aims to remain proactive about adopting emerging energy and water efficiency technologies that deliver savings without impairing guest experience.