Improving Your Energy Performance at Your Green Hotel

One Easy Way to Get Started

If you stop to think about it, your hotel is sort of like a machine. It’s got a ton of moving parts – the building and all of its infrastructure, the staff and administrative personnel, the grounds – all of those components have to be in good working order or the whole operation will suffer.

But there’s another moving part to your machine that you might not have considered right off the bat, and that’s the energy that powers your entire hotel engine. If your building, its infrastructure, your personnel and the grounds surrounding the building are not conserving energy like they could be, the machine that is your green hotel will eventually sputter and stop running. It won’t be able to sustain itself, and it won’t be able to compete with all the other green hotel machines that are running at peak efficiency.

Even if you have implemented a green initiative or two at your property, there is still room for improvement, because green lodging is not a destination – it’s a journey. And a journey of a thousand miles begins with… say it with me now… a single step!

Maybe your green team would like to improve your property’s energy efficiency but you’re confused about the next logical step. Or perhaps your hotel has yet to launch a green initiative and you don’t even know where to begin. One easy way to overcome either of those scenarios and kick start the process in a single step is to conduct an energy efficiency analysis.

An energy efficiency analysis is an in-depth study of your property’s energy usage. It shows you – in black and white – how each of your hotel’s moving parts can become more efficient, and how you can save energy and money without disrupting the guest experience (and in many cases, how you can actually enhance the guest experience).

One of the most important things to come out of an energy efficiency analysis is benchmarking, which gives you a starting point from which to measure your green hotel’s progress toward greater efficiency and savings. The most trusted benchmarking tool for hotels is the one developed by Energy Star, which is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Almost 4,000 hotels have used the Energy Star benchmarking tool as part of their energy efficiency analysis. To learn more, visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com and click on “Energy Star” under Our Services section.

Generation Y’s Green Hotel Demands:

Not what you might expect!

A new study of the workplace preferences of Generation Y (people born between 1981 and 2000) reveals some striking information – and provides an important heads up for green hotels that hope to attract this up-and-coming demographic.

Not surprisingly, Gen Y’ers want their workplace to have the latest technology and to be set up to allow for greater teamwork, creativity and multi-tasking. But an overwhelming number also expect their employers to provide an eco-friendly work environment that not just meets but exceeds minimum compliance standards.

For example, 96% of those surveyed said they demand an “environmentally-aware or friendly workplace,” and close to 60% said they expect their employer to go above and beyond the regulatory requirements. They want more than just strategically-placed recycle bins – they want real water conservation efforts and the highest level of energy efficiency to be standard operations at work.

The report recommends that employers bring their green initiatives front and center, and that they make sustainability policies a meaningful part of day-to-day operations, because the eco-savvy Gen Y’ers are clearly on the lookout for environmental-friendliness in all aspects of their daily lives.

"[Gen Y] preferences for an environmentally focused working environment are very strong; not only in the physical aspects of the workplace, but also in their way of working: flexible working, travel patterns, etc.," said the report.

Are you listening, green hotels?Clearly, if the members of Gen Y are that determined to make eco-friendliness an integral part of their work-lives, they’re probably equally determined to exercise that same level of sensitivity when making travel and lodging decisions.

And there will be no fooling this knowledgeable bunch. They’ve grown up alongside the environmental movement. They know green-washing and lax or phony eco-standards when they see them.

If you’re ready to boost your hotel’s energy efficiency and water conservation efforts to prepare your property to attract a new generation of environmentally-aware consumers – contact EcoGreenHotel today.

From ENERGY STAR benchmarkingof your energy usage to finding rebates and incentives to help pay for energy efficiency upgrades to targeted, industry-specific marketing services, our professional green team has got you covered.

Smart Landscaping Radically Reduces Hotel Water Costs

Save Money while Maintaining a Beautiful and Healthy Landscape

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. –

Green Hotels want to make sure their lawn and landscape stays healthy and beautiful for the enjoyment of guests and improved occupancy rates. They must also think about controlling utility rates and being environmentally friendly.

Overwatering of landscape is often the major water waste culprit for a hotel property. But now, you no longer have to “guess” how long each watering zone should be operating thanks to the SmartLine System offered by Weathermatic, a global manufacturer and service provider of water conservation solutions for the outdoors since 1945.

EcoGreenHotel recognizes Weathermatic’s weather based watering technology that has proven to be an economical choice for properties of any size.

George Kenney of Soundview Landscape has installed SmartLine for several properties in Hawaii. “SmartLine has changed the way we irrigate properties,” Kenney states. “[When] we converted the landscaping at a condominium to SmartLine, the water savings have been so dramatic that the resort has asked to convert additional sites. If the next six months are equal to the first six months, the property will realize a savings of six million gallons in the first year of system operation.”

How Does It Work
Simply stated, it is a thermostat for the landscape. The SmartLine System replaces existing sprinkler timers that operate like the old egg timer.

It uses weather readings from a small, on-property weather station to automatically calculate precise run times for the plants in each zone using a proven evapotranspiration formula. It also uses sprinkler precipitation rates, soil type, and slope to apply water in run and soak cycles at a rate the soil can accept to prevent polluted runoff. In addition,” Brodie Bruner, VP Marketing and Sales for Weathermatic, notes, “this technology eliminates the need to have lawn maintenance crews manually adjusting controllers to match ever-changing weather conditions.”

Real Dollar and Water Savings
“More than 200,000 properties in over 80 countries are now using SmartLine,” saidBruner, “with SmartLine water savings ranging from 20 to over 60%.“

“The comforting part about converting existing controllers to SmartLine,” Bruner explains, “is that a typical installation can be accomplished in a few hours without any disturbance to existing landscaping or interruption of property use for your guests. Most importantly, this high efficiency system results in a return on investment of typically 12 months or less.”

You Only Know What You Measure
Weathermatic can provide a SmartLine Water Management Service that includes access to monthly reports detailing site-specific water savings and performance compared to water usage goals considering the actual weather conditions. This service,” Bruner explains, “acts both as a monitoring device and provides analysis to verify the entire irrigation system is working properly.”

Alen Hinckley, Yorkshire West Realty Advisors, saw the payback in less than three months and saved almost 4 million gallons of water after a year. With an effective annual 70% reduction, their group is rolling out SmartLine on all their properties. “It’s a no brainer,” said Alen.

SmartLine controllers are available in sizes for any property with configurations for wall mounting or pedestal installation. They can be wired or wireless for flexibility in mounting locations on any property. Several remote control options are available to insure easy irrigation field maintenance for landscape crews.

Feds and States Link Up for Energy Efficiency:

Excellent News for Green Hotels

In a move that will undoubtedly benefit green hotels across the country, the Obama administration recently announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy have teamed up to create an action group that will assist states in improving energy efficiency in residential, industrial and commercial buildings – including green hotels.

The group, called the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network, will partner with representatives of state and local governments, public utilities, business leaders and associations to assist states with their energy efficiency initiatives, including energy efficiency programs for homes and businesses,funding opportunities to invest in carrying out innovative energy efficiency policies, and improving the availability of energy usage information.

The action network’s goal is to jumpstart the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, which calls for maximum energy efficiency to be achieved in the United States by 2025. SEE’s ambitious mission is to beat that deadline by five years. It aims to do so by providing technical assistance and funding “to states that seek to create new results-based policies and programs that encourage energy efficiency."

For green hotels, we envision a lot of good coming out of this partnership. SEE’s fierce determination to beat the 2025 deadline by five years creates a much-needed sense of urgency that has been sorely lacking over the past few years. The network’s goal of promoting energy efficiency through a web of statewide, regional and nationwide partnerships means there may finally be a coordinated, orchestrated and cohesive effort to get the job done.

And additional funding means that good state and local energy efficiency programs that have great potential to make a lasting difference – those that never received quite enough funding to get off the ground, or those whose funding was slashed – (remember Florida’s outstanding Green Lodging Program that was gutted due to budget shortfalls in 2009?) may once again have a fighting chance.

Thanks to the formation of this new action group, we see a future filled with wonderful possibilities for green hotels to take advantage of energy efficiency programs, rebates and incentives. Members of the network began meeting a few weeks ago, so we should begin to see positive movement very soon.

EcoGreenHotel will be monitoring SEE events as they happen, and we promise to bring you the latest news about how the green hospitality industry – and your green hotel – can benefit.

The Best Business Strategy for Your Green Hotel, Energy Efficiency

At EcoGreenHotel, clients are always asking for our advice about how to go green in the quickest and most affordable way possible. And our advice is always the same: operating a truly green hotel is not a piecemeal proposition. It’s not about switching a few light bulbs or putting out some recycling bins (although those are all good things to do!).

No, developing and maintaining a green hotel requires a holistic approach that begins with a shift in the way everyone thinks about what it means to own and operate an eco hotel. At the precise moment that everyone from the owner on down starts thinking about environmental sustainability as a business strategy – that’s the moment your hotel begins to go green in a meaningful way.

Formulating a business strategy means that you meticulously choose and apply your business’s resources in a way that you think will bring some sort of competitive advantage in the future. Your team already does this at your hotel. Whenever you make a decision to upgrade the carpeting or offer a new amenity, you’re strategizing. You’re betting that the upgrade and new amenities will pay off in the long run through higher guest satisfaction, which translates into repeat bookings, which means increased revenue for your hotel. You are banking on that strategy.

But have you ever thought about how going green might be an equally good business strategy? Without a doubt, the most strategic way to go green is to increase your hotel’s energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to obtain the same quality of service. Here’s why energy efficiency should be the centerpiece of every hotel’s business strategy:

• The hospitality industry spends $3.7 billion a year on energy.


• Electricity use accounts for 60-70% of the utility costs of a typical hotel.


• Energy-efficient lighting can reduce electricity use up to 75%.1

Clearly, making your green hotel more energy efficient will positively impact more than the environment. It will positively impact your bottom line, and no matter how you slice it, that’s just good business!

EcoGreenHotel’s team of energy efficiency experts can help your green hotel plug energy efficiency into your business strategy, quickly and affordably. Contact us and get started today with our Energy Efficiency Analysis Program.

¹ California Hotel and Lodging Association

The Gulf Oil Spill: What Good May Come

Gulf front resort hotels are taking an economic hit without one drop of oil soiling their pristine beaches

We’ve all watched in horror as the ever-growing BP oil slick reaches shorelines along the northern Gulf of Mexico. Not only did eleven men lose their lives in the Deepwater Horizon disaster, but the spill that resulted from it is now fouling gulf waters in an area the size of some states – water that’s home to sea life including dolphins and sea turtles. It’s destroying precious marshlands that served as safe, healthy nurseries for all kinds of baby birds and fishes, right at the height of nesting and spawning season. It’s also wiping out the livelihoods of fishing families and obliterating the culture of some of the sweetest, hardest working people in America.

And it’s also adversely affecting the hospitality industry. In spite of BP’s multi-million dollar grants to gulf coast states to fund additional tourism advertisement, hoteliers from Texas to the east coast of Florida – many of whom are hundreds of miles from the nearest oil – report that they are dealing with a devastating economic fallout caused by cancellations from nervous travelers.

The director of Mississippi’s lodging association has estimated that beachfront bookings were down 50% with Memorial Day approaching, and the same was reported in the Florida panhandle. This is all in addition to the hit the region took from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the recession that followed right on the storm’s heels.

How much more battering can the hospitality industry take? How much more can any of us take?

If there was ever a wakeup call for America – including those in the hospitality industry – to get on board the energy efficiency and clean energy train, this oil spill is it. At last, it appears that Americans are finally getting the message that we must wean ourselves off foreign oil – and our dependence on fossil fuels in general – and turn our collective attention to developing clean, renewable energy sources for our country as quickly as we possibly can.

Imagine the good we could accomplish if we took all the brain power and resources we’re currently using to try and plug that oil gusher in the Gulf, and applied them to developing cleaner energy!

On a day when we’re all feeling so helpless and frightened at the devastating environmental and economic news we’re hearing today, imagining that kind of good – and vowing to work toward making it our new American reality – may just be the most righteous thing we can do.

The Energy Analysis: The First Step in Saving Your Green Hotel Some Serious Green!

If you read any hospitality industry news, you’ve undoubtedly seen stories of green hotels that are saving big money by becoming more energy efficient. You might wonder how they do it.

Indeed, hoteliers across the country are always asking us the same question: What’s the quickest, most affordable and meaningful way for our aspiring green hotel to begin reducing its negative impact on the environment while also saving money in the long run?

Our answer – Conduct an energy efficiency analysis!

An energy efficiency analysis, also known as the E²A program, is an examination and analysis of a building’s energy flow by an expert, for the purpose of identifying ways to monitor and conserve energy without negatively impacting overall productivity. In the case of green hotels, an energy audit would allow the property to figure out, quickly and precisely, how to reduce it’s consumption without having an adverse effect on the guest experience or on the green hotel staff’s work environment.

Here’s how it works: our EcoGreenHotel team of qualified energy efficiency professionals uses a variety of specialized tools to determine exactly how much energy is being used at the property. We take things like weather, occupancy, and other factors into account to arrive at an accurate benchmark, or measurement standard, that your green hotel can use to begin tracking – and lowering – its energy consumption over time and results in savings.

We use the most trusted measurement tools and hospitality-specific resources in the industry – chiefly those developed by ENERGY STAR – to calculate the benchmark, so you can be sure it’s a valid representation of your property’s actual usage.

Our team then recommends concrete ways to reduce consumption at your green hotel – ways you may never even have thought of. For example, after one energy efficiency analysis, we recommended that the hotel install wireless energy management guest room controls that interface with the hotel’s software to give management direct control over energy use in unoccupied rooms. The savings for a 100-room hotel?A whopping 30% of the total energy used for guest rooms!The system paid for itself in no time. Of course, the key is to find the right technology, provider and price for it to make sense.

Whether it’s implementing new policies (linen re-use, for example), upgrading electrical and HVAC systems, exploring alternate energy or looking for ways to maximize your energy purchasing power, we’ll turn you on to all the hundreds of ways you can get more bang for your energy buck.

And speaking of bucks, we’ll help you identify and apply for all the rebates, incentives, grants and other funding available to help green hotels like yours go even greener, and we’ll do it faster and more affordably than you ever dreamed was possible.

Are you ready for an energy efficiency analysis at your green hotel? Contact an EcoGreenHotel energy efficiency professionalat info@ecogreenhotel.comtoday and let’s get started!

Why? Read our Triple Bottom Line & Eco-Efficiency article for more information.

Opening the Door to Volunteer Travelers at Your Green Hotel

In the wake of disasters in two of the world’s greatest tourist destinations (the 2004 tsunami in Asia, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in 2005, most recent Gulf Coast oil spill), tourists discovered that a vacation or meeting that includes volunteer time is a rewarding way to enjoy a trip away from home while also giving back to their host community.

In the last half of this decade, volunteer travelers, or voluntourists, have begun combining vacation or business travel with charitable work in and around their destination in greater numbers than ever before, and voluntourism has quickly become one of the fastest growing segments of the travel industry.

These days, savvy green hotel marketers around the world are finding inventive ways to attract volunteer-minded travelers. Is your green hotel doing everything it can to appeal to voluntourists? Here are a few of the many imaginative ways that green hotels and trip organizers are rolling out the welcome mat for volunteers:

• The Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitor’s Bureau created a special program called “Meet Responsibly” which helps local green hotels garner more convention and meeting bookings. Meeting planners choosing to hold their event in the Fort Lauderdale area can choose from a menu of volunteer opportunities for their attendees – things like helping at a nearby food bank, cleaning up a park, beach or bike trail, or planting trees.


• Give eight hours of community service to a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and receive a 50% discount – or in some cases, a free night’s stay! – at over fifty Sage Hospitality properties across the USA.


• Volunteers at the recent 2010 Albany Tulip Festival in Albany, New York were treated to lodging discounts from several hotels during their stay.


• Green hotels along the Gulf coast – including the Port Inn and Mainstay Suites in Port St. Joe, Florida, are offering discounts to oil spill volunteers.


• The Four Seasons Austin’s “Pay It Forward” program links volunteer-minded guests with a food bank and a downtown beautification project and rewards them with up to 46% off their room rate.

Voluntourism is clearly here to stay, and figuring out how to get in on this lucrative new segment need not stress you out. We volunteer to help! If you need some fresh ideas for attracting voluntourists to your green hotel, simply contact us today and let’s brainstorm!

Smart Landscaping Can Reduce Hotel Water Costs

Smart Landscape Watering Systems Reduce Hotel Water Costs while Maintaining a Beautiful and Healthy Landscape

Summer is here and most green hotels have geared up to make sure their lawn and landscape stays green and beautiful for the enjoyment of guests and improved occupancy rates. As you start switching on those irrigation systems, now is a good time to think about controlling utility costs and being environmentally friendly.

Over watering of lawns and landscapes is the most common cause of water waste. It not only runs up the utility bills, but also can cause other problems including:

• Plant diseases such as root rot


• Run-off from your lawn and landscape, which may contribute to the pollution of streams and lakes (because lawn care chemicals go along with it)


• More frequent mowing and pruning from rapid plant growth


• Excessive “green waste,” which has become a costly waste disposal problem for cities and counties

How can a hotel use water efficiently with an irrigation system?

Recent innovative technologies can now help green hotel operators reduce wasted water and decrease utility expenses. A weather based watering technology, SmartLine, has proven to be an economical choice for green hotels of any size.

How Does it Work?

Stated simply, it’s like a thermostat for the landscape. The Weathermatic SmartLine System replaces the existing sprinkler timers that operate like the old egg timer. The SmartLine System uses weather readings from a small, on-property weather station to automatically calculate precise run times for the plants in each zone. It uses the sprinkler precipitation rates, soil type, and slope to apply water in run and soak cycles at a rate the soil can accept. This technology also eliminates the need to have lawn maintenance crews manually adjusting controllers to match the ever-changing weather conditions.

Real Dollar and Water Savings

With over 200,000 installations in 80 countries, SmartLine water savings range from 20 to over 60% and wasteful irrigation runoff is virtually eliminated. This high efficiency system results in a return on investment of typically 12 months or less.



You Only Know What You Measure

Another helpful feature is the SmartLine Water Management Service that includes access to monthly reporting detailing site-specific water savings and performance compared to water usage goals considering the actual weather conditions. This could come in very handy not only as a monitoring device, but to verify the entire irrigation system is working properly.

For more information, visit EcoGreenHotel Store or email us at info@EcoGreenHotel.com.

What is a Green Hotel?

Six Things No Green Hotel Should be Without--By Scott Parisi, President, EcoGreenHotel

It seems as if you can’t turn around anymore without running into something “green.” Nowhere is that more true than in lodging. Green hotels – or at least, those calling themselves green – are sprouting up everywhere, and travelers are becoming increasingly more aware of what to look for and how to judge whether or not a green hotel actually is… well, green!

You want your guests to know without a doubt that there’s no green-washing happening at your green hotel. I’ve put together a green hotel checklist so you can see how your property stacks up. Does your property have:

• Staff Buy-In and Ongoing Education: In a truly green hotel, everyone – from the front desk staff to the owner and everyone in between – fully understands, supports, practices and can communicate the property’s environmental policies.
• A Working (and funded!) Energy Strategy: Today’s green hotelsgo beyond just changing a few light bulbs and implementing a linen reuse policy. They analyze their energy efficiency – including conducting Energy Star benchmarking -- and then seek out and apply for incentives, rebates and loans that allow them to make meaningful changes in their consumption.
• A Green Purchasing Plan:From locally-grown organic produce for its banquet salads to environmentally sensitive cleaning products and furnishings, green hotels know where and how to source the most cost-effective earth-friendly products.
• Green Hotel Certification:A green hotel designation from a certifying body that does on-site audits assures your guests that your property has met rigorous environmental standards.
• Specialized Marketing: Green hotels recognize that expertly targeted internet marketing is vital to their ongoing success in an increasingly competitive industry.

So how does your property stack up? I know it seems daunting to meet all those requirements, to track down trustworthy, LEED-Accredited Professional advisors, find rebates and incentives, train everybody, and still manage to run a lodging facility… who has time for that?

That’s why I created EcoGreenHotel to be a one-stop shop. We have trainers, engineers, financial advisors, purchasing and marketing specialists, thousands of quality green products and a certification program to meet the needs of every type and size of lodging facility at all stages in the green hotel process. We are LEED-Accredited Professionals specializing in energy efficiency. We can help your property achieve all of the above in the most cost-effective way possible, and we can start today.

ENERGY STAR FOR HOSPITALITY

By Jeff Kiec, Director of Sustainability - EcoGreenHotel

In today’s strenuous economic conditions, hotels are looking for every advantage to increase occupancy and lower operating expenses. Fortunately, there is a program that can help do both. The U.S. EPA’s EnergyStar Labeling program for hospitality buildings offers solutions to property owners to find hidden operational cost savings and unlock energy efficiency throughout the property. In addition, since EnergyStar is the most recognized eco-label by environmentally conscious consumers, it provides positive connection to the traveling public.

Energy Efficiency = Cost $avings

• U.S. hotels spend close to $4 billion on energy every year.
  
  
  • A 10 % reduction in energy costs is equivalent to increasing ADR by $0.83 for limited service hotels and by $2.45 for full-service hotels.
  
  
  • Hotels and motels spend an average of $2,196 per available room each year on energy, an amount that represents about 6 percent of all hotel operating costs

Hotels can dramatically improve energy performance and thus operating costs with simple steps that will leave additional capital to invest in further property improvements. In addition to delivering financial savings, cost reductions through energy efficiency translate into greater profitability for hotel owners.

Increased Recognition = Additional Revenue

• Leading online travel companies, Travelocity (Green Directory)and Orbitz (Eco-Toursim Travel Guide),enhanced their online hotel listing to allow travelers to easily identify properties that have earned the EnergyStar Label.

Leading hotel corporations are taking advantage of the cost savings found within the program. Hilton Hotels earned the EPA’s EnergyStar Award for Excellence in Energy Management and ties their hotel general managers' annual bonuses to energy performance. By meeting Hilton's goal of reducing energy consumption by 5% for every owned hotel, a manager's annual bonus was increased. This resulted in almost every property meeting the goal. Marriott has over 275 hotels with its EnergyStar label, more than any other hotel company. The US EPA also presented Marriott with its EnergyStar Sustained Excellence Award and has named the company “Partner of the Year” since 2004.

Currently there are 415 labeled green hotels: which represents 4% of the total labeled buildings in the US. (see figure 1).

Less than 1% of all of the 47,000 US hotels are Energy Star Labeled, which means yours can stand-alone in its local market. EcoGreenHotel can assist your property achieve the EnergyStar Label through its onsite Energy Efficiency Analysis and EnergyStar benchmarking and labeling services. http://www.ecogreenhotel.com/energystarbenchmarking.php

EcoGreenHotel Announces Partnership with EPA’s ENERGY STAR® Program

June 7, 2010, Robbinsville, NJ - EcoGreenHotel today announced a fundamental commitment to protect the environment by becoming an ENERGY STAR partner. Through its voluntary partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program, will work to improve energy efficiency and fight global warming.  EcoGreenHotel believes that a strategic, corporate energy management program will help us enhance our financial health and aid in preserving the environment for future generations.

“The EcoGreenHotel team is excited to partner with the EPA and the DOE through their highly-regarded ENERGY STAR program, which is recognized worldwide for its excellence,” said Scott Parisi, President of EcoGreenHotel. “ENERGY STAR is among the most trusted and demanding certifying bodies there is, so earning partnership status with them means a great deal to us and the industry we serve.”

In partnership with ENERGY STAR, EcoGreenHotel will:

• Measure and track the energy performance of our client’s facilities where possible by using tools such as those offered through ENERGY STAR;


• Develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR Energy Management Guidelines to achieve energy savings;


• Help spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency to our staff and community;


• Support the ENERGY STAR Challenge, a national call-to-action to help improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more;


• Highlight our client’s achievements with recognition offered through ENERGY STAR.

"Environmental responsibility is everyone's responsibility - and today I'm pleased EcoGreenHotel is taking this motto to heart," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.  "By making smart energy choices, EcoGreenHotel is helping improve our nation's energy and environmental outlook."

ENERGY STAR was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Today, the ENERGY STAR label can be found on more than 50 different kinds of products, new homes and commercial and industrial buildings. Products and buildings that have earned the ENERGY STAR designation prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the government. In 2007, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved about $16 billion on their energy bills while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 27 million vehicles.

For more information about EcoGreenHotel, visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or call 1-888-229-0213 for program details. Visit www.energystar.gov for more information about ENERGY STAR.

EcoGreenHotel Expands Energy Solutions Team

Robinsville, NJ – June 3, 2010 - EcoGreenHotel LLC is pleased to announce that Mark R. Hahn has been appointed Vice President of Energy Solutions. Mr. Hahn will be responsible for providing comprehensive energy efficiency solutions to the hospitality industry, expanding EcoGreenHotel’s growing portfolio of clients who have reduced their energy use and operating costs.

Scott Parisi, President of EcoGreenHotel LLC stated, “the Green Hotel movement continues to gain momentum as a growing list of corporate and public entities encourage their employees to conduct business with certified ‘green’ properties. As the established online booking engines, such as Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz announce their Green Hotel criteria, there is no doubt that hotels and resorts that embrace sustainable practices will gain market share. Forward thinking management companies and hotel owners have found our energy solutions to be very valuable, cost effective and profitable. With a growing pipeline of new business, we are building our team to support this growth.”

Mr. Parisi continued, “The addition of Mr. Hahn to our team enhances the direction of the Energy Solutions Division and positions the organization to be fully versatile in assisting hotels in all services related to Green Hospitality. The Energy Solutions Division conducts Energy Star Benchmarking, Energy Efficiency Analysis and Energy Performance Project Management. EcoGreenHotel is proficient in identifying federal, state and local utility rebates, incentives, grants and loans. By leveraging available programs, we are able to assist properties to inject capital towards energy conservation measures that create positive cash flow. With new technologies rapidly being introduced into the market and new programs for funding and subsidizing projects, it was time to add an individual with Mark’s experience to our team.”

Mr. Hahn brings a deep commitment to the energy business to his role at EcoGreenHotel, along with extensive experience in financial management. Mr. Hahn studied renewable energy, with an emphasis on solar and thermal efficiency, earning degrees in environmental science and business. He designed and built one of the first solar heated structures in New Jersey. Prior to joining EcoGreenHotel, Mr. Hahn was Executive Vice President with at an energy performance company in New York State where he led a team bringing comprehensive energy solutions to the public sector.

Mr. Hahn commented on his new role; “Through a collaborative process with facility managers, engineers, technology specialists, financial experts and legal counsel, EcoGreenHotel will assist facility owners and property management to conduct energy analysis, develop project scope, arrange financing and incentives, and improve their properties. Our mission is to develop and implement actionable plans that save energy, lessenimpact on the environment and improve cash flow for our clients in the hospitality industry.”

An Idea to Help Gulf Coast Green Hotels Cope With the Oil Spill

In a recent survey of fifty lodging facilities along the Gulf coast from Texas to the Florida Keys – some of them were likely certified green hotels – the Knowland Group found that 42% of hoteliers reported that the Deepwater Horizon oil spill off Louisiana has already resulted in cancelled bookings. Even in areas far removed from the spill’s current location, wary travelers are re-thinking their plans to stay in coastal properties.

While there is great uncertainty surrounding where the slick might ultimately end up, there is little doubt it will have a devastating environmental impact along the northern Gulf Coast. And some experts predict the oil could enter a loop current which would carry it like a conveyor belt to the pristine beaches and coral reefs off the Florida Keys, along the sugar white sands of South Beach and up the east coast of Florida and beyond.

According to the Knowland Group, many properties they surveyed are being proactive and implementing plans to deal with the spill’s potential fallout. One idea being batted around the Florida Keys is to request additional funds from BP (in excess of the $25 million the company has already given to Florida and other states to promote tourism in the wake of the spill) to provide free travel insurance to groups and individuals booking within the next several months.

We think this idea has a lot of merit. With summer beach travel about to hit full stride in a matter of weeks, the uncertainty surrounding where the slick might end up warrants a bold approach. Providing free travel insurance would allow consumers to book a beach vacation or conference with confidence, and would allow coastal hoteliers to stay afloat in the event the spill adversely affects their area.

We sincerely hope BP will pony up additional money to fund travel insurance for coastal lodging – green hotels and otherwise. It’s the least they can do under the circumstances.

What are your ideas for how green hotels can respond to the oil spill threat? Send them to us at info@EcoGreenHotel.com and we may publish them in our newsletter!

Book: The Responsibility Revolution – How the Next Generation of Businesses Will Win-- Review by Susan Patel

We’ve looked backwards and forwards with our last two book recommendations. Now that we have the foundation set lets take a look at “now.” How to create a company that not only sustains, but surpasses the norm and is an all-around “good” steward - truly.

Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen have co-authored a fun read. It serves as a blue print for creating a socially responsible business in this new age. This is Hollender’s push for more responsibility—of the ‘bigger’ kind. Whether you are an owner, leader, executive, general manager, junior employee or staff – this book will show you can green your practices and still make a profit.

Programs both by the government and more so by businesses have been created to bring about the social and environmental change needed in the world and the workplace. Is it really enough?

Using stories and principles from companies who are doing interesting and radical things (Linden Labs, Timberland, Etsy – to name a few), Hollender gives us ideas and methods for sustainable social responsibility. He makes a clear case for Community and Collaboration.

Two points to note are:
1. It’s a competitive advantage for your hotel to be seriously responsible (both as resources dwindle and traveler/guests demand more); and
2. “Sustainability” includes social initiatives. It starts with being green, supply chains and energy efficiency – but there is definitely more to it.

Whether you call it ‘People, Planet, Profit’ or ‘Tripple Bottom Line,’ Profits will follow when we make responsible decisions. We at EcoGreenHotel definitely believe and know the impact of that. This book will get your started, or take you further – either way, you win!

GREEN TEAMS Part 2: Making the Business Case

Last month we introduced this new GREEN TEAMS series and briefly focused on green teams and the business value. This month, before we go further into the “how” we will be taking a look at “why” first.

One of the key challenges consistenty raised as more and more hotels “go green” is making the business case for investing resources to support green teams. Does it make sense? Businesses in all areas including hotels are just beginning to quantify the benefits from green teams, therefore at this point, the business case is more intuitive and anecdotal in nature.

Based on a review of case studies and interviews with green team leaders, the business value of green teams includes the following:

Cost Savings
Carrie Freeman, a Corporate Sustainability Stretegist at Intel, commented, “When it comes to looking at ways to reduce our footprint, we very much see a direct coorelation between reducing our costs and engaging our employees.” Be it changing light bulbs, turning off the lights or getting your employees to innovate greener solutions in their jobs, engaging your employees to identify easy, low cost efficiency initiatives can result in significant cost savings. For example, Intercontinental Hotels invested $400,000 to change light bulbs on their properties and saved $1.2 million over four months.

Attract & Retain Best Talent
A green team, when part of a broader sustainability strategy, can give employees an outlet for their personal interests, help raise moral, improve loyalty and help attract and retain the best and brightest talent, who are attracted to companies with an authentic green commitment. Losing and replacing a good employee costs companies between 70% to 20% of an employee’s annual salary, according to Engaged!, a new book on employee engagement. And when the economy begins to heat up, the best talent may be looking for greener pastures. Libby Reder, Head of Environmental Initiatives at eBay, believes their Green Team is an important reason why some employees stay at eBay, and according to their recruiters, it also helps them attract the best talent.

Strengthen Brand & Increase Market Share
Hotels can bolster their brand and potentially increase market share by walking the talk and supporting green teams as a strategy for getting their employees and guests behind sustainability. They can also use employees to identify new opportunities to improve their practices and achieve their sustainability goals. “The engaged workforce will find more opportunities to get lean and identify more opportunities to innovate and create products and services that lower customers’ environmental impacts. All of this work will improve the top and bottom lines,” comments sustainable business expert Andrew Winston, in his recent book Green Recovery.

The National Environmental Education Foundation’s (NEEF) recent report The Engaged Organization Corporate Employee Environmental Education Survey and Case Study Findings stresses, “By engaging employees, companies spark innovative changes in everyday business processes that save money and reduce environmental and social impacts while also inspiring employees to make sustainable choices at home and in their communities.”



According to a case study by BSR on Intel’s green teams, “It may seem like a distraction in these times of financial instability to focus on employees’ passion for sustainability, but efforts toward employee engagement will strengthen a company’s employee base – which will be a crucial element in recovering from the recession. And maintaining employee loyalty and high productivity will help companies position themselves for success as the economy revives.”

According to eBay’s volunteer Green Team leader in Omaha, “Having a Green Team gives people something to believe in; something that is tangible, visible representation that we are a company that cares.”

Look out for EcoGreenHotel’s June Eco Newsletter as we bring you: Getting Started and Four Emerging Trends.

Food Waste Management Cost Calculator

Excel Food Waste Management Calculator | The Food Waste Management Calculator (PDF) (13 pp, 97K, about PDF) estimates the cost competitiveness of alternatives to food waste disposal, including source reduction, donation, composting, and recycling of yellow grease. Specifically, the calculator:

• Develops an alternative food waste management scenario based on:


• Your waste profile;


• Availability of diversion methods; and


• Preferences, and


• Compares cost estimates for a disposal versus an alternative scenario.

The Calculator demonstrates that environmentally and socially responsible food waste management is cost-effective for many facilities, including hotels, and waste streams. The more you know about your current waste management costs, the more accurate the calculator’s estimate will be, but default values are provided for many variables.

Note: You will need to open an Excel file to use the calculator. You will need to enable macros for the calculator to work properly. To ensure that macros are enabled, please go to Tools>Macro>Security and set the security level to Medium. Then close the file. When you open the file again, the software should prompt you to enable macros. Click enable.

CFL Bulbs or Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs: Energy Savings, Mercury, Recycling and More

CFL bulbs or compact fluorescent light bulbs: Energy Savings

Commonly referred to as CFLs, compact fluorescent lamps or compact fluorescent light bulbs have become the basic necessity for a green hotel taking action in the modern green movement. These bulbs, which can replace incandescent, halogen and other electric lights, use 60 to 80 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts. This makes CFLs an increasingly popular way to cut energy costs without making any radical changes like replacing lighting fixtures or rewiring which can get pretty expense in many cases.

Dimmable compact fluorescent light bulbs

Aside from saving your “green” by using a fraction of the energy, compact fluorescent light bulbs have a much longer usable life than incandescent. Compared to incandescent bulbs that last about 1,000 hours, compact fluorescent light bulbs typically last between 6,000 to15,000 hours. Advancement in technology now has improved CFL bulb’s light quality and versatility by now emitting a more pleasant “soft white” light and functioning in dimmable and three-way fixtures. So what does this mean for the bottom line? Well, you can save upwards of $30 per bulb over its life and save 2000 times its own weight in greenhouse gas emissions (times this by how many bulbs you have at your green hotel – and imagine the savings!!).

How do compact fluorescent light bulbs work?

Instead of a filament lit up with electrical energy, there are two main parts in a compact fluorescent light bulb: a gas-filled tub (also called bulb or burner) and the magnetic or electronic ballast; those with magnetic ballasts tend to flicker more, so electronic ballasts are being used more often. When you flip the switch, electrical energy, in the form of an electrical current from the ballast, flows through the gas, causing it to emit ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light then excites a phosphor coating on the inside of the tub, which then emits visible light. Amazing, isn’t it?

Compact fluorescent light bulbs and mercury

The mercury present in CFLs has been one of the most talked about issues related to compact fluorescent light bulbs. They contain only a small amount of mercury, however, because CFLs use so much less energy than their incandescent counterparts, compact fluorescent light bulbs are responsible for less mercury contamination than the incandescent bulbs they replaced, even though incandescents don’t contain any mercury.

More mercury comes from incandescents than from compact fluorescent light bulbs…how?

The highest source of mercy in America’s air and water results from the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, at utilities that supply electricity; incandescents burn way more energy, so, on a macro level, require much more energy to be produced. When that energy comes from fossil fuels, like coal (which most of America’s energy does), it causes more mercury to be emitted. Additionally, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) have made a voluntary commitment to cap the amount of mercury used in CFLs: “Under the voluntary commitment, effective April 15, 2007, NEMA members will cap the total mercury content in CFLs of less than 25 watts at 5 milligrams (mg) per unit. The total mercury content of CFLs that use 25 to 40 watts of electricity will be capped at 6 mg per unit.”

Safe mercury disposal from compact fluorescent light bulbs

Still, concerns exist about the mercury escaping from broken CFL bulbs, as safe disposal requires storing the bulbs unbroken until they can be processed. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published guidelines on how to clean up after CFL tub (remember, that’s the bulb) breakage and recommends that, in the absence of more specific local guidelines, CFLs be double-bagged in plastic bags before disposal. To property dispose of the spent bulbs, CFLs need to be recycled by somebody that knows what they’re doing; often, that’s with the retailer or manufacturer from whom the bulb was purchased. If those options aren’t available to you, click on over to EcoGreenHotelStore.com for pre-paid Waste Recycling Package kits that make it very easy for your green hotel to dispose CFLs.

Though the mercury is unlikely to harm you or your hotel guests, let’s be clear about this: do no, we repeat, DO NOT toss your CFLs in the trash. Putting them there greatly increases the chance of the mercury vapor escaping upon breakage, first exposing you and then the air and water around the landfill to the gas, which is bad news. So be careful with the bulbs, please.

Despite their issues with mercury, compact fluorescent light bulbs are still a great way to go greener with your hotel’s lighting needs; keep reading to learn why they’re the future (for now).

Compact fluorescent light bulbs: the future (for now)

Despite their issues with mercury, compact fluorescent light bulbs are still the way to go until LEDs become more common (that’s another article) and less expensive. Manufacturers are improving the quality of light and many more options for dimmable CFLs are becoming available; Environmental Defense and One Billion Bulbs both have lists of the dimmable bulbs.

More CFL bulbs at EcoGreenHotel

We’ve worn ourselves out keeping up with CFLs; evangelizing their use, watching them in the news, working to dispel the mercury myths and providing green hotel user tips is barely the tip of the iceberg. Check out Planet Green’s How to Green Your Lighting guide for more. Whatever you do, don’t be a dim bulb: go with CFLs now and the planet and bottom line will thank you later.

CFLs are just the start for a green hotel to become energy efficient. Click here to find out how you can assess your hotel’s energy efficiency. Maybe you’ve already done the CFL retrofit throughout your hotel and are now taking the initiative to truly go green. You can start with an Energy Efficiency Analysis by one of our EcoGreenHotel Experts. Click here to find out how you can “green” your bottom line.

GREEN TEAMS Part 1

The focus on greening operations is evolving and some green teams are beginning to focus the efforts on integrating sustainability into employees’ personal lives, while others are aligning their efforts to support broader corporate sustainability objectives.

The business value of these three levels includs: cost savings by integrating energy efficiency into the workplace and products and services; attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent who want to for companies and hotels with an authentic green commitment; and increased market share and revenues resulting from a stronger brand and new, innovative green products and services.

This GREEN TEAM series will provide a summary of the emerging trends and outlines the best practices for green teams:

• Start with the visible and tangible: focus on internal operations
• Get senior management involved, butdon’t lose the grassroots energy
• Engage employees to capture ideas
• Communicate and share best practices
• Engage employees with their bellies: The low carbon diet campaign
• Engage employees in their personal lives
• Engage guests to be part of the solution
• Use art to raise awareness
• Create a toolkit to support and guide green teams
• Align green teams with corporate and hotel sustainability goals

This is a resource for companies, organizations and individual hotels just getting started and for those who want to take their existing green program to its next level. It is based on interviews with green team leaders, as well as a review of the latest literature and reports on employee engagement and green hotel teams.

GREEN TEAMS: Introduction
Keeping employees engaged, happy and productive has always been a priority for leading companies, organizations and individual hotels.
Today, as green becomes more mainstream, a growing number of employees want to work for a company committed to sustainability and seek a work setting where the green practices they value at home are being implemented at their workplace.

In a survey commissioned by National Geographic magazine, more than 80 percent of U.S. workers polled said they believe it is important to work for a company or organization that makes the environment a top priority. In 2009, many graduating Harvard MBAs signed an “MBA oath” showing their interest for companies that “strive to create sustainable economic, social and environmental prosperity worldwide.”

Green teams – self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate and build awareness about sustainability issues and to implement programs that encourage employees and hotel guests to take action – are increasing in popularity as a tool for both keeping employees engaged and showing your commitment to sustainability.

This GREEN TEAMS series provides an overview of some of the best green practices companies and hotels are using to support and guide green teams, without squashing their grassroots passion and energy. It is divided into four key sections:

• Making the business case for green teams;
• Getting started;
• Four emerging trends; and
• Green hotel team best practices.

Look out for EcoGreenHotel’s May Eco Newsletter as we bring you: Making the business case for green teams.

Earth Day 2010: Engaging Your Guests & Community

A new report by, the non-profit research organization, Center for Responsible Travel (formerly Travel Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development) found that responsible tourism has withstood the global recession better than the tourism industry as a whole. Perhaps that’s one reason many hotels are eagerly embracing Earth Day (though we’d like to think that a growing commitment to sustainable practices plays a role).

Celebrate April 22nd - and help raise awareness about environmental concerns with your green hotel guests and community – by hosting one of the following top ten ideas.


Start a Community Garden

With just a little bit of space, raw material, and effort, a community garden within your green hotel’s landscape serves many purposes. It can get guests and the community actively involved in an eco-related activity; produce fresh fruits and vegetables for your restaurant/kitchen or beautiful flowers for scenery. It also helps bring the community closer together at your hotel! It will definitely leave an impression.

Serve Sustainable Food

If you have a restaurant at your green hotel, allow your Chefs to serve sustainable entrees. When the bill comes, diners can donate $1 to a non-profit charitable eco-friendly organization like the National Geographic Society.

“Go Green, Save Green” Package

Offer guests a custom green stay package, which can include room discount, favorable hybrid parking spot, and percent off on organic products and services at your gift shop, spa, restaurant, or bar.

Change the Lights

Being a “green” hotel starts with the basics. Make sure all the lights in the hotel are eco-friendly to help conserve energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, halogen light bulbs and LEDs are all good choices.

Earth Day Green Project

Enlist your guests and employees to take part in a community restoration, clean-up or any other environmentally friendly project (even if it’s simply planting trees). Afterwards, they can take advantage of discounts at your bar, restaurant, or on eco-minded spa services.

Replace Disposables

May of the items hotel guests and employees use every day can be improved to be reusable and reduce waste. Replace your drinking cups with these compostable World Art hot & cold cups or how about a refillable water bottle, for starters.

Join a Resource Pledge

Make a pact (or policy) with your employees, guests and others, locally or on a national scale, to help conserve resources. Involve your guests by inviting them to participate in a “Take a short shower” program (give out branded shower timers that guest can take home and use) or “Turn all lights off during daylight hours” or simply purchase recycled paper only from now on; etc.

Attend a Rally

Sheer force of numbers helps to raise awareness about environmental issues. Show your community and guests your commitment to being a green hotel. Be a face in the crowd at a local rally to help tip the scale in favor of eco-friendliness. You can enlist employees and guests to attend. Gather for pre-rally fun and shuttle everyone to the event! Your hotel’s good stewardship will definitely recognized.

Hybrid Parking & Bike Rentals

Offer complimentary, special spot, parking for hybrid vehicles and offer free or discounted bike rentals to guests to explore your city. Don’t forget the bike rack!

Hold a “Green” Wine & Food Event

Celebrate the day with local wineries, restaurants, farms and locally sourced products. You can offer a special Sustainable Wine & Food lunch or dinner to your guests and community or go all out and have a festival right at your green hotel. Either way, you’ll definitely make the local newspaper (make sure you let them know in advance).

Made from Corn, Sugarcane & Plant Starch

EcoGreenHotel recognizes the importance of using products made from renewable resources in the effort to lessen the impact disposable products have on our environment. By using products made from renewable resources such as corn, sugarcane, PLA, Plant Starch and post consumer fibers, carbon footprints can be significantly reduced.

Sugarcane

Eco-Products offers a 100 percent compostable alternative to conventional tree-based paper products. Known as Bagasse, these paper items are made from sugarcane fiber after the sugar ‘juice’ has been extracted. This renewable resource is grown and harvested every year and a half. Typically, sugarcane fiber is a discarded by-product from cane sugar manufacturing, but Eco-Products uses the material, creating an end-user product and completing the circle.

What is PLA?

PLA stands for polylactic acid, or Polylactide, a versatile polymer produced by NatureWorks LLC. PLA is made from lactic acid. Ingeo™ biopolymer is the world's first and only performance plastic made from 100% annually renewable resources. It offers the cost and performance necessary to compete with traditional petroleum-based materials in the packaging and serviceware markets. It’s clear and strong like petroleum-based plastic, but with the crucial benefit of being commercially compostable.

Plant Starch

Plant Starch is the material we use to make our high heat tolerance cutlery. This material is made from a variety of plant starches including corn, potatoes, and other vegetables. It has a heat tolerance of 220 degrees, which makes it optimal for hot foods.

What is PCF (Post Consumer Fiber)?

Post consumer recycled fiber (PCF) is one of the materials we use to make our new Evolution World hot cups. Post consumer waste is material discarded after someone uses it. Post consumer waste has served its intended purpose, passed through the hands of a final consumer, and has been discarded for disposal or recycling.

Our Evolution World hot cups are made with 24% post consumer recycled fiber. That means that 24% of the fiber used to make these cups has already served a purpose as something else (office paper most commonly), was sent through the recycling stream, and was repurposed into foodservice grade paperboard. The FDA for foodservice use certifies this paperboard.

Offering products with post consumer recycled fiber has the added benefit of helping stimulate demand for recycled paper, thus helping support the recycling markets here in the United States.

Carbon Offsets In A Nutshell -By Susan Patel

I received an email last week with the question, “Do you recommend any particular carbon offset company?” Great question and an even better topic to share since March 27 is all about climate change.

If you follow the news, chances are you’ve come across some sort of reference to carbon offsets. Its become all the rage as events like the winter Olympics and New York Fashion Week to people like Al Gore, Dixie Chicks and actors including George Clooney buy offsets in an effort to become “carbon neutral.” Not to mention, businesses around the world are taking a closer at their contributions to climate change, with an increasing number voluntarily reducing their “carbon footprint” too. What about you and your business?

Before you understand what’s involved, you need to know what it “is.”

Offsetting, in simple terms, is paying someone else to absorb or avoid the release of a ton of CO2 elsewhere so that the purchaser of a carbon offset (or credit) can aim to compensate for or, in concept, “offset” their own emissions.

Carbon offsets are a form of trade. When you buy an offset, you fund projects that reduce GHG emissions. Since GHG emissions circulate freely in the atmosphere and spread around the planet, the projects can be located anywhere in the world and still make an impact.

There are two types of carbon markets: compliance schemes and voluntary programs. Compliance markets are created and regulated by mandatory national, regional and international carbon reduction regimes like Kyoto Protocol (the largest). The voluntary carbon market functions outside of the compliance market. It enables businesses, NGOs and individuals to offset their emissions by purchasing offset independent of the Kyoto Protocol and local regulatory systems.

Why do businesses buy carbon offsets?

• Strengthen environmental image


• Position to meet upcoming government legislation on emission reductions


• Market differentiation by growing sales and brand awareness


• Communicate action on climate change to guests, employees, investors and other stakeholders


• Starting point of real emission reduction strategy

Hotel businesses buy carbon offsets to reduce their carbon footprint or build up their green image on a voluntary basis. Here’s what you need to know:

The voluntary market does not have a specific, well-defined regulatory apparatus, and is actually a mix of many different types of activities, providers and standards.

• There are numerous standards within the market from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Gold Standard, ISO 14064, VERplus to certification programs as the Green-e Climate Program.


• Each provider is different. The company’s operations and project vary tremendously from renewable energy, methane capture, energy efficiency to industrial gases and forest & agriculture.

Since there are endless options and the market certainly isn’t short of players, it can definitely get confusing. This is why you’ll need to keep a scorecard. There are many factors that need to be considered, as:

• Offsets should come from a real project that has actually been implemented or will be in the near future (guaranteed)


• It’s vital that the offset comes from a project that wouldn’t have happened otherwise (in “addition” to business-as-usual)


• Emission reduction from the offset project needs to be accurately quantified (establish baseline and monitoring plan)


• Offsets should be independently verified


• Provider should be registered with the government or be established as a contractor to avoid double counting (which has been a major issue)


• Offsets should be a permanent project making a permanent impact


• Offsets should not cause or contribute to adverse effects on human health or environment


• Offsets should provide development benefits (sustainability) to host country


These are areas I consider to be very important when evaluating a provider.

Going Carbon Neutral Game Plan
I recommend a three-step process to neutralize your hotel’s carbon emissions.

STEP 1: Conserve Resources


There are many strategies to conserve resources from reducing energy usage, water conservation to waste management. Your hotel can easily reduce energy use and save money by installing energy efficient lighting, water conserving fixtures and purchasing efficient electronics and appliances – to name a few. The team at EcoGreenHotel can help you implement an energy efficient strategy.


STEP 2: Buy Green


From clean, renewable energy to green, environmentally friendly products like cleaning supplies, you can find everything you need these days to operate your hotel sustainably. Many local utilities are beginning to generate their own sources of power through small-scale alternative energy projects. Products and services that have earned third-party certifications, contain recycled content, are recyclable and/or biodegradable and contain fewer or no toxins are now easy to find at www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com.


STEP 3: Offset Carbon Emissions


Take a look at the following helpful sites:


Carbon Offset Project List (www.carbonoffsetlist.org)
Carbon Catalog Project List (www.carboncatalog.org)
Clean Development Mechanism Approved Project List (http://cdm.unfccc.int)

EcoGreenHotel offers carbon market services to accurately quantify your hotel’s carbon footprint, help you offset your emissions by identify worldwide projects and monetize the credits to generate added income.

From a different angle, offsets do present a paradox. On one hand, they offer a cost-effective tool to reduce net emissions. However, as their popularity grows so does the criticism. Critics have likened corporate offsets to “bargaining with the devil” and putting “lipstick on a pig.” Despite the controversy, carbon offsets should not be ignored. Around the world, increasingly diverse companies of all sizes are finding offsetting to be an important component to their business model – from relationships with partners and customers to it being an option to address the pressures associated with climate change.

Lights Out for Climate Change – Earth Hour 2010

On Saturday, March 27th at 8:30 p.m. local time, the largest public demonstration for action on climate change will take place as lights are symbolically turned off for one hour. One billion citizens of the world joined in 2009 and this year won’t be any less than massive.

Since it’s inception three years ago, the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) Earth Hour encourages everyone from homes, office buildings, iconic landmarks to universities, cities and municipalities to turn off their lights for an hour – saving some electric energy in the short term while encouraging all to ponder and act on environmental issues in the long term.

Some of the world’s recognized symbols of hope, peace, human endeavor and natural wonder will plunge into darkness including CN Tower in Toronto, Table Mountain in Cape Town, Grand Palace in Bangkok to the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore and the world’s second tallest building Taipei 101.

The Earth Hour 2010 video, provides a powerful message by the world’s most recognized landmarks contributing to the greatest display of civil action the world has ever witnessed.

Show your guests you care and play an active role in your community, the world, by inviting them to participate. Although you can’t turn off all the hotel lights since you operate 24/7, but you can ask your guests to turn the room lights off and join you in the lobby or restaurant to mingle over drinks – maybe even hand out tree or plant seeds at the end or educate them on what your hotel is doing to reduce it’s green house gases and become sustainable. I can just imagine all the creative ways you can get your guests to join in the fun!

With 25 days left, here at EcoGreenHotel, we’ll be planning our own electricity-free activities – and yes, we have signed up! You can find out if your state, city, town, business or organization has signed up to join Earth Hour by visiting www.earthhour.org and clicking on your state.

EcoGreenHotel Case Studies in North Texas and Northwest Arkansas

EcoGreenHotel’s Director of Sustainability, Jeff Kiec recently completed a series of green hotel case study presentations in Texas and Arkansas. Along with the local Convention and Visitor Bureaus of Bentonville, Arkansas and Plano, Texas and the SBDC for Enterprise Excellence, EcoGreenHotel spread the word about hospitality sustainability initiatives.One of the most attention-grabbing topics addressed was the use of Eco-Labels and the growing importance of third party certification programs to determine the true extent of a green hotel’s sustainability initiatives.

A consensus was reached that there is an immense need for the hospitality industry to determine a clearer definition of a truly “green” hotel. This would help to reward those hotels that implement and maintain robust sustainability programs and marginalize those that overstate or completely green-wash their efforts for short-term gain. During the question and answer sessions, discussions developed on how to differentiate the hard work required to achieve various green hotel certifications and which of those programs garner the most credibility amongst the traveling public and sustainability professionals.

In addition, a common thread was uncovered, the willingness of the municipalities to support hotels in their efforts to operate in a sustainable manor. Christopher Day, Commercial Recycling Supervisor for the City of Plano, provides guidance and training for businesses to develop robust recycling programs of all sizes. Helping create recycling programs is viewed as a win-win situation for both the municipalities and the hotels. By reducing the amount garage sent to land fills, the City wins by reducing long-term re-occurring costs. The hotels win by reducing the number of weekly hauls, reducing total cost of hauling, creating a revenue stream with its recyclable products and creating a culture of environmental responsibility among its employees.

Due to the interest and success of this series of presentations, EcoGreenHotel will be hosting another round of presentations in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio in the coming months. The future case study presentations with cover the role of social media in reputation management, expanded detail on Eco-labels, third party certifications, and additional real world cost savings case studies.

EcoGreenHotel would like to pay special thanks to Wendy Bader of the Bentonville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Mark Thompson of the Plano Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Tom Pryor of the Small Business Development Center of Enterprise Excellence. We appreciate your efforts and help!

You can learn more about their organizations at:
http://www.sbdcexcellence.org
http://www.bentonvilleusa.org
http://www.planocvb.com/main/index.php

Green Hotel Event comes to Bentonville Arkansas

The Bentonville Convention & Visitors Bureau and EcoGreenHotel have teamed up to bring the local hotel community an educational look inside the Green Hospitality movement. EcoGreenHotel’s Jeff Kiec LEED AP will be presenting real world case studies. Bentonville is the worldwide headquarters of Wal-Mart a global corporate leader in the sustainability movement. Jeff Kiec is the Corporate Director of Sustainability and will present examples of hotel energy efficiency, innovative technologies and green marketing. All case studies are based on real results from around the country. These proven solutions help general managers and building engineers increase their occupancy while lowering their overall costs.

Learn how hotels can quickly and economically stay competitive with leaders in the hospitality industry that are gaining the attention of the green traveler. The case studies will cover:

• “Eco labels” for hotels
• Swimming pool energy and chemical use reductions
• Occupancy Based Energy Management Systems
  
• Guest room and back of the house recycling programs
• Operational cost savings
• Web-based marketing strategies
• And much more…..

There will be no charge for the event and will include a great lunch sponsored by US Energy Solutions. In addition, EcoGreenHotel will provide a free EnergyStar benchmark evaluation to a local hotel as a door prize.

Who should attend? – Hotel Owners, Management Companies, General Managers, Building Engineers, Sales & Marketing Directors

Thursday February 11^th 11:30am -1:00pm

DoubleTree Guest Suites Hotel

301 Southeast Walton Boulevard
Bentonville, AR 72712

Event Limited to 40 participants

Please RSVP to Wendy@bentonville.org

If you cannot make the Bentonville Event you can join us in Arlington TX on Tuesday February 16^th 2010 or Plano TX Thursday February 18^th 2010. Email JKiec@EcoGreenHotel.com for more information. Also contact us if you would like to hold a similar event in your area.

About Jeff Kiec

Jeff Kiec, LEED-AP

Corporate Director of Sustainability-EcoGreenHotel

Mr. Kiec is a veteran in the environmental service industry. His experience includes engineering building assessments, building and operational sustainability audits, and environmental site assessments. As the volunteer Sustainability Director for Deep Ellum, a historic arts and entertainment neighborhood in Dallas, Mr. Kiec is responsible for educating and working with neighborhood businesses and property owners to incorporate sustainable building technologies.

EcoGreenHotel is a valuable resource for hotels dedicated to supporting hospitality sustainability. You can visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com for more information.