Architects, designers, hotel developers and others are increasingly specifying green materials for the buildings they are designing and developing. Sifting through all of the green product labels/certifications for those products can be a challenge. Air Quality Sciences has released a white paper that explores the differences between eight certification programs. The programs include: (1) Energy Star; (2) WaterSense; (3) Cradle to Cradle; (4) GreenGuard; (5) Green Seal; (6) the GreenSpec Directory; (7) Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and (8) Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI).
The white paper provides a brief history of each of the programs and defines each program's goals. What the paper lacks is an indepth analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of each program. Still, the white paper is worth a quick read and worth filing for future reference. Click here to check it out.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
On Guestroom Energy Management Systems
When I began covering the lodging industry in 1989, one of the first companies I became familiar with sold a guestroom energy management system. At the time I was in awe of the technology. These systems are common in lodging properties today but most hotels and resorts still do not use them. That baffles me. Energy management systems that incorporate sensors, controllers and switches can power down HVAC systems and even lighting when guests leave the room. With most guestroom energy management systems, heating and cooling systems will run from 20 percent to 40 percent less time. That can equate to significant energy savings.
What is preventing more hotels from implementing these systems? I suspect the following: cost, unfamiliarity with available rebate and assistance programs, and lack of education and awareness. Hotel owners typically want a fast ROI but some of these systems can take two years or longer to recover the initial investment. In areas of the country where utility costs are higher, ROI time can be much faster, however. What many owners don't realize is that investment recovery time can also be a lot faster once utility incentives are factored in. Utility companies in a number of states offer substantial incentives. Some vendors even offer programs that eliminate upfront costs. They earn their money from the dollars saved through energy cost reductions. When shopping for a guestroom energy management system, be sure to ask vendors about financing options.
Lack of education and awareness is certainly an obstacle to wide adoption of these systems. If an owner does not attend trade shows, does not closely read trade publications, is not contacted by system vendors, or is not inquisitive about saving energy, there is little chance any action will be taken. How can our industry overcome the education obstacle? Chains certainly can do a better job promoting these systems, especially for new construction projects. Vendors need to do a better job of making their presence known at industry events and in trade publications. I will continue to do what I can to get the message out about the value of these systems. Look for an article soon on Green Lodging News. Really, guestroom energy management systems should be standard in every hotel and resort. (See the Green Lodging News Product & Service Directory for a list of suppliers that sell these systems.)
What is preventing more hotels from implementing these systems? I suspect the following: cost, unfamiliarity with available rebate and assistance programs, and lack of education and awareness. Hotel owners typically want a fast ROI but some of these systems can take two years or longer to recover the initial investment. In areas of the country where utility costs are higher, ROI time can be much faster, however. What many owners don't realize is that investment recovery time can also be a lot faster once utility incentives are factored in. Utility companies in a number of states offer substantial incentives. Some vendors even offer programs that eliminate upfront costs. They earn their money from the dollars saved through energy cost reductions. When shopping for a guestroom energy management system, be sure to ask vendors about financing options.
Lack of education and awareness is certainly an obstacle to wide adoption of these systems. If an owner does not attend trade shows, does not closely read trade publications, is not contacted by system vendors, or is not inquisitive about saving energy, there is little chance any action will be taken. How can our industry overcome the education obstacle? Chains certainly can do a better job promoting these systems, especially for new construction projects. Vendors need to do a better job of making their presence known at industry events and in trade publications. I will continue to do what I can to get the message out about the value of these systems. Look for an article soon on Green Lodging News. Really, guestroom energy management systems should be standard in every hotel and resort. (See the Green Lodging News Product & Service Directory for a list of suppliers that sell these systems.)
Monday, March 30, 2009
LEED Not So Important Now for CityCenter
When Green Lodging News first reported on MGM Mirage's $7 billion CityCenter project more than two years ago (the cost is now up to $8.6 billion), the project was the talk of the lodging industry—not only because of the cost but also because of MGM Mirage's commitment to build the complex to LEED standards. It was almost two years ago that I also had an opportunity to visit the CityCenter sales center. I was impressed with what the builders were doing to recycle construction waste and what MGM Mirage was planning to reclaim water and generate power once the project was completed.
All of that initial talk about LEED just does not seem to matter now, does it? Dubai World, which is a 50 percent partner in the project, recently announced it is suing MGM Mirage amid concerns about the CityCenter project's viability. MGM Mirage, like any other business with a stake in Las Vegas gaming, has been hurting big time lately and is more than $13 billion in debt according to a recent article in The New York Times. MGM Mirage's stock has recently lost 95 percent of its value.
If completed and if it does earn LEED certification, CityCenter could become the largest oxymoron in the history of green building—a "green development" with a mammoth impact on the local environment.
Maybe CityCenter will teach other developers not to take such enormous risks. Good times do not last forever and you have got to prepare for the worst; that is part of what sustainability is all about.
All of that initial talk about LEED just does not seem to matter now, does it? Dubai World, which is a 50 percent partner in the project, recently announced it is suing MGM Mirage amid concerns about the CityCenter project's viability. MGM Mirage, like any other business with a stake in Las Vegas gaming, has been hurting big time lately and is more than $13 billion in debt according to a recent article in The New York Times. MGM Mirage's stock has recently lost 95 percent of its value.
If completed and if it does earn LEED certification, CityCenter could become the largest oxymoron in the history of green building—a "green development" with a mammoth impact on the local environment.
Maybe CityCenter will teach other developers not to take such enormous risks. Good times do not last forever and you have got to prepare for the worst; that is part of what sustainability is all about.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Marriott Hotels to Participate in Earth Hour
Earlier this week, I posted an article on Green Lodging News summarizing how hotel companies around the globe intend to celebrate Earth Hour this Saturday (March 28). I also wrote about Earth Hour in an earlier blog entry. In a press release yesterday, Marriott International announced that it will officially participate in Earth Hour. Kudos to Marriott for joining this celebration. According to Marriott, hundreds of hotels and timeshare units across Marriott's multi-brand portfolio will turn out or dim non-essential lighting for one hour at 8:30 p.m. local time, joining tens of millions of people in more than 2,700 cities worldwide.
"Marriott International's support of Earth Hour is a symbol of the company's commitment to the environment," says Arne Sorenson, chief financial officer of Marriott International and co-chair of the company's Executive Green Council. "Energy efficiency makes good business sense—it saves money for our hotels and their owners, while conserving resources so that we can continue to welcome guests at our hotels worldwide in the long term."
Marriott hotels and their guests will be participating in Earth Hour in a variety of ways. The JW Marriott Hotel Washington, D.C., will dim its lights and host a World Wildlife Fund celebration featuring the organization's CEO Carter Roberts and other dignitaries. In Australia, guests at the Surfers Paradise Marriott will dine on a variety of eco-friendly foods and "carbon-neutral" beverages, while newlyweds and their guests at the JW Marriott Hong Kong will switch off the lights and celebrate their wedding banquet in candlelight.
If you intend to participate in Earth Hour, contact me afterwards to give me your thoughts on the experience. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
"Marriott International's support of Earth Hour is a symbol of the company's commitment to the environment," says Arne Sorenson, chief financial officer of Marriott International and co-chair of the company's Executive Green Council. "Energy efficiency makes good business sense—it saves money for our hotels and their owners, while conserving resources so that we can continue to welcome guests at our hotels worldwide in the long term."
Marriott hotels and their guests will be participating in Earth Hour in a variety of ways. The JW Marriott Hotel Washington, D.C., will dim its lights and host a World Wildlife Fund celebration featuring the organization's CEO Carter Roberts and other dignitaries. In Australia, guests at the Surfers Paradise Marriott will dine on a variety of eco-friendly foods and "carbon-neutral" beverages, while newlyweds and their guests at the JW Marriott Hong Kong will switch off the lights and celebrate their wedding banquet in candlelight.
If you intend to participate in Earth Hour, contact me afterwards to give me your thoughts on the experience. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
LEED 2009 to Launch April 27, 2009
Those involved in the development or operation of hotels built or renovated to the U.S. Green Building Council's (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards need to be aware of a change coming on April 27. According to the website BuildingGreen.com, it is then when USGBC will launch LEED 2009 (including the new LEED Online). The same date will see the transition of LEED project registration and certification to the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), the third party that administers the retooled LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credential.
Projects may be registered under either the new or the old LEED rating system until June 27, 2009, from which point all projects must be registered for LEED 2009. Beginning with the April launch and going through September 27, 2009, GBCI will be encouraging projects registered under the older LEED Online to migrate to the new system. With the administration of the LEED AP credential having transitioned to GBCI in 2008, several versions of previous LEED AP exams will be retired and new versions introduced.
Be sure to visit the USGBC website and Green Lodging News for additional news on LEED 2009.
Projects may be registered under either the new or the old LEED rating system until June 27, 2009, from which point all projects must be registered for LEED 2009. Beginning with the April launch and going through September 27, 2009, GBCI will be encouraging projects registered under the older LEED Online to migrate to the new system. With the administration of the LEED AP credential having transitioned to GBCI in 2008, several versions of previous LEED AP exams will be retired and new versions introduced.
Be sure to visit the USGBC website and Green Lodging News for additional news on LEED 2009.
Monday, March 23, 2009
EcoRooms, EcoSuites Adds Nonsmoking Criteria
Of all of the green lodging certification programs I have run across since launching Green Lodging News in 2006, only one has made "100 percent nonsmoking" a criteria for certification—Green Globe Certification since 2001. Anyone who has read my weekly column on a regular basis knows that I believe that no hotel property can truly be green until it has eliminated tobacco smoke. There are three reasons: first-, second- and third-hand smoke. I believe there are ethical and financial reasons for discouraging first-hand smoke. Even with the help of air filtration systems, second-hand cigarette smoke does not just disappear. Housekeepers are most often exposed to this when they clean guestrooms. In hotel casinos, many other employee types are affected. And, as I wrote recently in one of my weekly columns, third-hand smoke—the chemical residue that remains on room surfaces—can be especially harmful to children.
I just learned from Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality, that he has made being 100 percent smoke free a criteria for qualifying for his EcoRooms & EcoSuites program. The criteria joins seven others listed on the EcoRooms & EcoSuites website. Congratulations to Ray for taking this important step. I strongly encourage all of those who run state-wide, national and international green lodging programs to follow Ray's lead.
I just learned from Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality, that he has made being 100 percent smoke free a criteria for qualifying for his EcoRooms & EcoSuites program. The criteria joins seven others listed on the EcoRooms & EcoSuites website. Congratulations to Ray for taking this important step. I strongly encourage all of those who run state-wide, national and international green lodging programs to follow Ray's lead.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Turn Earth Hour Into Something Bigger
The World Wildlife Fund's third annual Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. As you will soon read on Green Lodging News, hotels all over the world will be participating in the event. Properties representing brands such as Westin, Kimpton, Accor, Fairmont, the InterContinental Hotels Group and others will be turning off lights for an hour in recognition of the need to take action on climate change. Even some of the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip will be turning off their lights.
It is exciting to see how many hotel chains are taking Earth Hour seriously. These companies have historically paid a lot of attention to energy management, water conservation and minimizing their overall carbon impact. I am convinced that most of these companies do turn off lights when they can, do retrofit with low-wattage bulbs, do turn HVAC systems down when guests are not present, etc.
As great an idea Earth Hour is, what it should be is the start of much more. For those hotels not yet implementing energy and water-saving measures, Earth Hour should be used as a launching point for long-term change. There are an incredible number of simple things a lodging establishment can do to reduce its impact. They all translate into greater profitability.
As encouraging an event such as Earth Hour is, I remain a bit skeptical. How many of us really believe that the lights on the Las Vegas Strip will be turned off again before next year's Earth Hour? Or that development of new mega-hotels there will be stopped because of climate change? At least it is a beginning.
Will your property be participating in Earth Hour this year? If so, be sure to write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com to let me know how you intend to mark the occasion.
It is exciting to see how many hotel chains are taking Earth Hour seriously. These companies have historically paid a lot of attention to energy management, water conservation and minimizing their overall carbon impact. I am convinced that most of these companies do turn off lights when they can, do retrofit with low-wattage bulbs, do turn HVAC systems down when guests are not present, etc.
As great an idea Earth Hour is, what it should be is the start of much more. For those hotels not yet implementing energy and water-saving measures, Earth Hour should be used as a launching point for long-term change. There are an incredible number of simple things a lodging establishment can do to reduce its impact. They all translate into greater profitability.
As encouraging an event such as Earth Hour is, I remain a bit skeptical. How many of us really believe that the lights on the Las Vegas Strip will be turned off again before next year's Earth Hour? Or that development of new mega-hotels there will be stopped because of climate change? At least it is a beginning.
Will your property be participating in Earth Hour this year? If so, be sure to write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com to let me know how you intend to mark the occasion.
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