Hotels, motels and resorts can use a lot of energy to provide fresh linens, serve meals and make guests feel at home. But as a hotel operator, you can find innovative ways to save energy, through equipment upgrades, guest communications, staff engagement or changes in day-to-day processes. You’ll not only cut costs, but also create major
selling points for your hotel.
Windows and Doors
Look for leaks |
Check your building’s exterior to make sure you’re not losing energy through the front door. Regularly maintain and replace worn caulking and weatherstripping around windows and doors. Encourage staff to report any cracks or drafts that they find. |
Install energy efficient windows |
Reduce noise and heat loss and improve comfort with energy efficient double-glazed windows. Another affordable solution: apply clear window film or solar glazing to the interior side. |
Paint it light |
Light-coloured exteriors and roofs reflect the sun’s heat, easing cooling loads for the building. |
Shut out drafts |
Install double-entry doors or revolving doors at building entrances. They keep heat in and drafts out drafts, while saving energy and increasing guest comfort. |
Space heating
Reduce use
Turn down the heat |
Set back HVAC settings to the minimum in storage rooms, offices and staff areas during hours of low use. |
Change housekeeping procedures |
Encourage housekeeping staff to turn off lights and set temperatures to minimum levels after cleaning each room.
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Close the blinds |
Close the drapes of unoccupied rooms to reduce heat gain in summer and heat loss in winter. |
Book rooms strategically |
Front desk staff can help save energy by booking rooms in clusters. This way, only occupied building areas need to be heated or cooled for guests. Rooms on top floors, at building corners, and facing west (in summer) or north (in winter) can be the most energy-intensive; try to fill them last. |
Boilers
Replace older boilers |
High-efficiency condensing boilers use less gas and take up less space. Natural gas appliance incentives from FortisBC can help make switching easier. |
Maintain and measure annually |
Regularly maintain boilers and associated systems, and measure boiler efficiency at least once a year.
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Retrofit with economizers |
If boiler replacement isn’t feasible, consider adding an economizer to increase efficiency. This heat exchanger captures waste heat from the boiler’s flue gas to preheat water going into the boiler.
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Insulate properly |
Insulate valves and flanges, as well as pipes, in mechanical rooms and unheated areas. Insulate expansion tanks and heat exchangers. |
HVAC
Maintain units annually |
Have a qualified technician service your HVAC system annually and inspect all access panels and gaskets in HVAC units. |
Keep filters and vents clean |
Regularly clean or replace air filters and dampers to ensure proper air flow. |
Inspect and insulate ducts and pipes |
Ensure heating ducts are sealed properly with approved foil tape. |
Install variable-frequency drives (VFDs) |
VFDs save energy by adjusting motor speeds to the building’s changing heating and ventilation needs. |
Reduce fan speeds for unoccupied areas |
Turn down fan systems for large areas such as conference and meeting rooms when they’re unoccupied.
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Thermostats and controls
Install occupancy sensors |
Motion-sensitive or infrared occupancy sensors can automatically turn down lighting and HVAC in unoccupied areas (e.g. guest rooms, public washrooms, conference rooms, hallways). Some systems even have handheld sensory devices that allow housekeeping staff to detect whether rooms are occupied without disturbing the guests. |
Install CO2 sensors |
CO2 sensors can tell when a room is occupied and will automatically adjust the amount of fresh air to draw in for heating or cooling a large area. When no one is in the room, the fans run slower to ease the heating system’s load.
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Invest in Digital Direct Control (DDC) |
DDC systems use sensors installed in the HVAC system to continuously monitor and adjust conditions, such as vent fan speeds. Combined with software, DDC can be controlled remotely by facilities staff. |
Invest in energy management systems |
These systems allow guests to control the heating and cooling of their rooms. Settings revert to “unoccupied” when guests check out. Alternatively, a centralized system can be switched on or off by the front desk so that, for example, air conditioners don’t run in empty rooms after guests check out. |
Water heating
Invest in high-efficiency water heaters |
Replace older water heaters and supply boilers with high-efficiency natural gas models. New water heaters are up to 95 per cent efficient and can reduce gas consumption, plus incentives from FortisBC on natural gas models can offset costs. |
Insulate tanks and pipes |
Insulation reduces heat loss. |
Fix leaks promptly |
One leaky faucet or dripping tap can waste a significant amount of water each month. Ask housekeeping staff to tighten faucets and report any leaks. |
Go low-flow |
Post signs reminding staff and students to turn off Install low-flow showerhead and faucet aerators in guest room washrooms to save on hot water. |
Wave goodbye to wasted water |
Install motion-sensor activated taps in public washrooms to prevent them from being left on. |
Clean with less water |
Ask housekeeping staff to run water only as necessary when cleaning tubs and sinks in guest rooms. |
Swimming pool and hot tub
Check pool temperatures regularly |
Ensure that heater thermostats are working properly and that water is at the right temperature. |
Cover up |
If practical, use manual or automatic safety covers to shield pools and hot tubs during the off-season or when they’re not in use in order to reduce heat loss and evaporation. |
Swimming pool and hot tub - outdoor
Cover to heat |
Cover the outdoor pool when heating it up at the start of the season to reduce heat-up time. |
Use solar power |
If the climate makes it practical, investigate the use of solar heaters for pools and spas. |
Swimming pool and hot tub - indoor
Warm up the air |
Adjust temperature settings in the pool room so that the air temperature around the pool is higher than the water temperature. This reduces heat loss and evaporation from the water’s surface. |
Turn down fans |
Turn down ventilation fans for the pool room during off hours. |
Laundry
Sub-meter the gas |
This step helps you to calculate the usage per wash. Reviewing these figures helps to ensure efficient operation. |
Investigate ozone laundry systems |
These systems significantly reduce hot water usage and heating costs, as well as the cooling load for laundry facilities.
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Investigate heat recovery equipment |
These systems cut water heating costs by using heat exchangers to “preheat” hot water going into the water heater or steam boiler. It works most efficiently where hot water is in constant demand for a period of time. However, systems with storage capacity can still cut waste water and energy use. |
Get “free” water |
Investigate the use of double-bundled heat exchangers in the chillers or a plate heat exchanger in the condenser-cooling loop to recover energy from your hotel’s cooling and refrigeration equipment. |
Load machines to capacity
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Machines use the same amount of energy to wash a small or large load. But don’t overload dryers – they need room for air to circulate in order to dry items efficiently. |
Restaurant and food service
Sub-meter the gas for the kitchen |
If possible, sub-meter the natural gas supply for the kitchen so that you can calculate the usage per meal. Reviewing these figures helps to ensure efficient operation. |
Save energy in restaurants |
If your hotel features a restaurant, see the Restaurants section for tips and ideas on how you can save energy on cooking, refrigeration and dishwashing. |
Explore your energy options
Consider cogeneration |
Many hotels are installing cogeneration systems, also known as combined heat and power (CHP). They use natural gas or recovered waste heat to produce two forms of energy – usually electricity and steam heat. Cogeneration is expensive to set up, but energy efficiency can be improved and your fuel costs can also be lower. |
Invest in an energy efficient future |
Geoexchange and district energy systems are being implemented in many large complexes today, especially new facilities. They save energy, produce fewer emissions, and demonstrate your facility’s commitment to sustainability. Contact Energy Solutions to learn how we can work with you to invest in and operate the system. |
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