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As your environmental leader in the hospitality industry we would like to suggest other ways for you to save energy, water, waste and most importantly, Money!
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Products |
Recommended Providers |
| Is the hotel staff trained to turn off lights when not in use? |
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Energy Conservation poster ($10) and stickers (10 for $10) |
Project Planet |
| Has the hotel posted signage to remind the hotel staff about the importance of turning off lights? |
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Energy Conservation poster ($10) and stickers (10 for $10) |
Project Planet |
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Notes |
Products |
Recommended Providers |
| Has the hotel installed occupancy sensors and/or timers to control the lighting in any parts of the hotel that are frequently occupied? |
Hotel staff tend to leave lights on in storage closets, offices, walk-in refrigerators and freezers. resulting in wasted energy. |
Leviton Passive Infrared Occupancy Sensor ($60+) or Leivton Motion Activated Light Control ($20) |
Maintenance Warehouse |
| Are exterior lights controlled with a photocell or timer to ensure that they are only operating when needed? |
Relying on hotel staff to turn high-wattage lights on and off can result in considerable wasted energy. |
Intermatic 24 Hours DPST Time Clock ($40) or Photocell |
Maintenance Warehouse |
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Recommended Providers |
| Has the lighting in the public areas and back-of-house areas been converted to low-wattage fluorescent bulbs? |
It is very important to convert lighting fixtures in public and back-of-house areas to efficient bulbs and/or fixtures, since they often operate nearly 24 hours per day no matter what the hotel's occupancy rate is. Converting a hallway bulb from a 75 watt incandescent to a 20 watt compact fluorescent would save $34 per bulb per year; assuming an average electric rate. The payback on this conversion would be approximately 6 months. In addition, all magnetic 7-12 fixtures (usually four foot tubes) should be upgraded to electronic 7-8 fixtures, which are 40% more efficient. As an intermediate step, the bulbs in the 7-12 fixtures should be changed to 34-watt instead of 40-watt. |
Compact Fluorescent lighting |
Green Suites International |
| Has the lighting in the guest rooms been converted to low-wattage fluorescent bulbs? |
The conversion from a 75 watt incandescent bulb to a 20 watt compact fluorescent bulb will result in a 5 times increase in lamp life and a savings of $7 per bulb per year (assuming five hours of use per day and an electric cost of $.07 per kWh). When replacement costs are figured in, the payback on a guest room compact fluorescent converion is generally less than one year. Hotels converting to compact fluorescent bulbs should determine if the current light level in the room is adequate and then identify compact fluorescent bulbs with the same or higher lumen output as the current bulbs. For example, a 75 watt incandescent bulb typically produces 1150 lumens, while a compact fluorescent bulb with only 20 or 22 watts will produce the same amount of light. Light levels should not be lowered for the sake of saving electricity, since guests are very sensitive to the amount of light in hotel rooms. Hotels should keep in mind that some hotel chains have standards governing the light levels for various lamps in the guest rooms. It is also important that hotels converting guest room lighting to screw-in compact fluorescent bulbs to purchase locking devices for these bulbs so that they will not be stolen. |
Compact Fluorescent lighting |
Green Suites International |
| Have exterior lights been converted to compact fluorescent or high-pressure sodium bulbs? |
These bulbs are more efficient and longer lasting than the typical incandescent or mercury vapor bulbs. High pressure sodium has a poor color rendering (gives off a yellowish glow), however; and should be used only in situations where color rendering is not important. In situations where color rendering is important, metal halide bulbs are 1.5 times more efficient than mercury vapor lamps and produce a high color rendering (65 to 70 CRI, on a scale where daylight is 100 CRI). |
Compact Fluorescent lighting |
Green Suites International |
| Have exit signs been converted to compact fluorescent or LED? |
Existing exit signs can be made much more efficient by converting them to compact fluorescent bulbs or, better yet, LED bulbs. LED bulbs use only 2 or 4 watts per fixture instead of the 40 watts typical of an incandescent fixture. Compact fluorescent bulbs reduce bulb wattages to around 8 watts per fixture. These bulbs also have longer lives, resulting in fewer bulb changes (compact fluorescents are generally rated for 8,000 to 12,000 hours or 1 to 1.5 years, while LED bulbs can last 40 or more years). Although these fixtures are commonly overlooked as an energy consumer, they operate 24 hours per day and there are many of them throughout a property. Hotels should check with local fire officials before upgrading exit lighting since some municipalities require that specific types or colors of exit lights be used. |
LED exit signs |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Has the hotel installed an energy management system or another type of system to control the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in the meeting rooms? Guest rooms? Administrative offices? |
In locations with extreme temperatures (either very hot or very cold climates), an occupancy sensor on guest room HVAC units will pay back its initial purchase cost in less than one year. Through-the-wall and PTAC units are the most inefficient systems for heating and cooling, but they are widely used in the hotel industry because of their low initial cost. Guests often leave these inefficient units running when they are not in the room, but systems are available to allow the units to set back to a pre-determined temperature until the guest returns. This change will be undetected by the guest but save considerable amounts of energy and money for the hotel. Offices, meeting rooms, and other often-unoccupied areas should be controlled with programmable thermostats (to set the heating or air conditioning system to a more efficient temperature when the room is typically unoccupied) or with an occupancy sensor linked to a full energy management system. |
Energy Eye (Occupancy Sensor) |
Energy Eye |
| Are HVAC controls in meeting rooms and offices secured so that only the maintenance or engineering staff can adjust the temperature? |
Guests and employees will often change the temperatures needlessly if the controls are available for their use. It is better to lock the thermostats and ask meeting planners or employees to notify maintenance or engineering if they are uncomfortable with the room temperature. |
Programmable Digital Thermostat |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Does the hotel have ceiling fans in guest rooms or public areas? |
Ceiling fans maintain constant air flow in the summer and pull heat down from the ceiling in the winter. Some estimates indicate that ceiling fans can reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 40%. |
Ceiling Fans |
Maintenance Warehouse |
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Recommended Providers |
| Are hot water tanks and pipes insulated to prevent heat loss? |
Insulation is inexpensive and easy to install, but more importantly can result in increased heat retention and therefore save energy. |
Pipe Insulation |
Maintenance Warehouse |
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Recommended Providers |
| Has the hotel converted all of its showerheads to low-flow heads? |
A low-flow showerhead uses less than half the water of a traditional showerhead, resulting in typical paybacks of three to six months. Showerheads with flow rates of 2.5 gallons per minute (at 80 pounds per square inch of pressure) work very well in most hotel situtations. Hotels with low water pressure should use a showerhead designed to create its own pressure and should not consider a typical low-flow showerhead. Hotels should test showerheads before installing them in all guest bathrooms to ensure that they work well with the hotel's specific water pressure and plumbing type. |
ETL Showerheads |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Are guest bathroom toilets low-flush (less than two gallons per flush), or have devices been installed in the toilets to ensure less water usage? |
Today's toilets use much less water per flush (as little as 1.6 gallons per flush) versus toilets of several years ago which averaged 5 to 7 gallons per flush. Before converting to low-flush toilets, however, hotels should consider retrofitting their existing toilets with one of the many products sold to reduce the water used per flush (toilet water diverters or toilet tank dams). Hotels that find it necessary to buy new toilets should test in a few guest bathrooms before installing throughout the property to ensure tht the toilets work well under the hotel's water pressure conditions. Low-flush toilets come in two main varieties: gravity and pressurized. Gravity toilets work like a traditional toilet and often have difficulty flushing with the smaller amount of water. Pressurized toilets flush better, but are noisy and more expensive. Manufacturers are beginning to realize the drawbacks in these basic varieties and are starting to develop more effective low-flush toilets. |
Frugal Flush and Aquasaver |
Green Suites International |
| Has the hotel installed "quick flaps" and Sloan valves in the public rest rooms to reduce the amount of water consumed by each toilet? |
New technologies such as "quick flaps" and Sloan valves allow hotels to upgrade their existing public restroom toilets to use less water. |
Frugal Flush and Aquasaver |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Are faucet aerators used on the faucets to reduce the amount of water used? |
Faucet aerators reduce the water flow to 1.5 or 2.0 gallons per minute at 80 pounds per square inch of pressure (versus unrestricted flows as high as 7 gallons per minute) with virtually no detectable difference in water flow. This is an inexpensive way to reduce water usage, since the aerators cost less than $1 each and will generally pay for themselves in less than three months. |
Sink Aerators |
Green Suites International |
| Have the faucets in the kitchen been retrofitted with faucet aerators? |
As in the guest bathrooms, these aerators will reduce the water flow. It is generally recommended that an aerator with a flow rate of 2.5 gallons per minute be installed in the kitchen. |
Sink Aerators |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Has the hotel implemented a linens and towels re-use program to offer guests the option of using sheets and towels more than once? |
Linens and towels re-use programs can considerably reduce the amount of water used in the laundry. A typical guest room can produce 10 to 12 pounds of laundry per day, requiring over 30 gallons of water per guest room to wash laundry daily! This type of program has become increasingly popular in hotels around the world due to extremely positive guest reactions. Hotels have estimated their savings from this program to be between 20% and 30% of total laundry costs. |
Project Planet Linens and Towels Re-use Program |
Project Planet |
| Question |
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Recommended Providers |
| Has the hotel placed signage in the back-of-house areas or in public restrooms to encourage people to conserve water? |
Attractive signage will remind hotel employees and guests of the importance of turning off faucets when not in use. This signage should contain a variety of language translations or should use pictures to convey the message so that everyone can understand the sign's meaning. |
Water Conservation Posters and Stickers |
Project Planet |
| Question |
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Recommended Providers |
| Does the hotel recycle glass? Plastic? White paper? Newspapers? Cans (aluminum and steel)? Cardboard? Cooking oil? Outdated phone books? Outdated hotel directories? |
Hotels should keep informed as to which items are recyclable in their locality to ensure that they are keeping as much waste as possible out of the dumpsters. Recycling helps the environment and saves money in waste hauling costs. Most hotels that are recycling can reduce the frequency of trash pickups or the weight of the garbage that is collected, resulting in immediate savings. Hotels should find out the required condition for each type of recylable (for instance, if a container of cooking oil is placed outside without a lid and fills with rainwater; it is often not recyclable; also cardboard often has to be baled before it can be recycled). |
Recycling Consulting |
HVS International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Does the hotel use liquid soap dispensers in the public and employee restrooms? |
Liquid soap dispensers are less expensive and less messy than bar soap for restroom facilities. |
Amenity Program |
Green Suites International |
| Does the hotel offer its in-room amenities (soaps, shampoos, etc.) in bulk dispensers? |
This is a cost-efficient method of offering these amenities and is accepted by most guests. Estimates are that the savings from using the dispensers are around $.06 per room per day. It is suggested by guests and hoteliers that these dispensers be placed in both the vanity area and the bathtub at levels that can easily be reached by everyone (including those taking baths). Some hotel chains do not allow the use of dispensers, so hotels should make sure that they are allowed before purchasing them. |
Amenity Program |
Green Suites International |
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Recommended Providers |
| Does the hotel use liquid dishwashing detergents? |
Powder detergents contain phophates, which can be hazardous to the environment. Phosphates promote the growth of algae, which can make water unsafe for recreational or drinking purposes. Liquid detergents instead contain surfactants to dissolve dirt, which are biodegradable and are readily decomposed in water and soil, and replace phosphates with environmentally-friendly substitutes. |
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| Does the hotel use dishwashing detergents that are free of chlorine bleach and NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid)? |
Chlorine bleach and NTA are harmful to the environment. |
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| Does the hotel use laundry detergents that are free of chlorine bleach and NTA (nitrilotriacetic acid)? |
Chlorine bleach and NTA are hermful to the environment. Some of these products even allow you to reduce your laundry time by washing and bleaching your linens at the same time. |
Wash'N Bleach |
Noramtech Corporation |
| If the hotel uses liquid hand dishwashing detergent, does this detergent have reduced volatile organic compounds (VOC's)? |
Hotels should look for products with less than 6% VOC levels. |
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| Does the hotel use nontoxic, biodegradable cleaning products? |
All cleaning products should be evaluated to determine if they contain phosphates, hydrochloric or phosphoric acids, ammonia, toxins, or caustics, and if they are biodegradable. All-natural cleaning products work just as well, if not better; and cost about the same as the off-the-shelf cleaning products. It typically holds true that the more environmentally-friendly a product is the safer it is for employees to use, resulting in fewer eye and skin irritations. As a general rule, the more safety warnings a product's label displays, the less environmentally-friendly it probably is. |
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Recommended Providers |
| Does the hotel use an automatic chemical dispensing system in its pool? |
Automatic chemical dispensing systems ensure that chemicals are added to the pool as needed, resulting in better water quality and fewer chemicals being used. |
Solutions for Pool and Spa Services |
Ecolab |
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