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Country House Annual Energy Savings

This article is reprinted with permission from Hospitable Climates

An energy management site survey' that could result in thousands of pounds being saved, was recently undertaken at Beales Hotels' 59-bedroom West Lodge Park country house hotel at Hadley Wood, Hertfordshire [United Kingdom], by Briar Associates under the Carbon Trust's Action Energy programme.

Under the guidance of Beales Managing Director Andrew Beale MHCIMA and Grevile Bridge FHCIMA, former Beales Chairman and current non-executive Director, Hertfordshire-based Beales Hotels -- comprising the West Lodge Park; the 37-bedroom Hatfield Lodge Hotel, Hatfield; and the 70-bedroom Buckingham Beales, Buckingham -- has been implementing 'best practice' environmental management for the past seven years. Indeed, Grevile -- who is Chairman of the HCIMA's Environmental Working Group -- is one of the original Hospitable Climates champions.

Briar Associates' energy-efficiency survey aimed to build on many of the Beales Group's good environmental management practices, focusing particularly on the boiler plant and heating systems at West Lodge Park, where the existing plant and services are of considerable age and there is significant scope for energy-efficient improvements. This was a subject already under consideration by the Beales' directors. Overall, the report identified a potential cost saving of 16,380 pounds per annum, representing a 32 percent saving, for an investment cost of 63,700 pounds (US$119,673), providing a straight pay-back period of 3.9 years.

One of the main recommendations of the report was that an Action Energy loan should be pursued to advance the boiler, heating and controls upgrade. This would provide the major energy consumption savings, equivalent to 11,000 pounds (US$20,666) per annum for an investment of 55,000 pounds (US$103,328). A potential loan of 50,000 pounds (US$93,935) could be made available from the Action Energy Loan Scheme. The aggregated savings from the measures identified in the report represented a 35 percent reduction in energy consumption and a 32 percent reduction in cost.

The report's recommendations included:

that the hotel's electricity tariff structures be reviewed, converting the main site supply to a monthly maximum demand tariff and incorporating night, evening and weekend tariffs where appropriate. It is estimated that this would yield a saving of 1,200 pounds (US$2,254) per annum for a cost of approximately 350 pounds(US$658) for electrical analysis, tariff selection and negotiation of supply charges

that a full boiler replacement be made with a review undertaken of all heating controls throughout the building. It was estimated that an energy saving in the order of 11,000 pounds per annum would be achieved whilst the capital costs for the full boiler and heating control refurbishment would be in the order of 55,000 pounds, providing a five-year pay-back period

that the controls and operation of the boiler-plant serving the hotel's Cedar Lodge and Chestnut Lodge be upgraded to achieve improved time and temperature control throughout the buildings, and enable the isolation of the heating automatically during the summer months should the weather conditions be favorable, whilst maintaining hot water to Cedar Lodge. It was estimated that this would yield a saving of around 600 pounds (US$1127) per annum for a capital cost of 2,000 pounds (US$3,757) with a pay-back period of 3.3 years

that lighting efficiency should be improved by removing all tungsten lighting from the hotel and that careful trials should take place to select the most appropriate miniature fluourescent lights for each application. There was also the opportunity to install some passive infra-red controls to switch off corridor lights automatically, and to raise the profile of lighting management with staff throughout the hotel. It was estimated that a saving in the order of 1,500 pounds (US$2,818) per annum would be achieved for an investment cost estimated at 4,000 pounds (US$7,5145). In addition to the substantial energy savings, the increased life of miniature fluorescent light bulbs would provide greater savings through reduced maintenance, thus minimising disruption to guests on bulb failure

that the sauna operating hours be reviewed and a time-switch installed to enable isolation of normal use-times, and a switch be provided at reception to enable starting of the sauna at other times should guests so require this. It was estimated that this would yield a saving in order of 400 pounds per annum for a capital cost of 1,000 pounds (US$1,879) with a pay-back period of 2.5 years

that the control strategy over the air-handling systems, serving the hotel's Orangery Restaurant and Edward Beale Room, be reviewed with regard to minimising the operation of the air-handling plant and preventing unnecessary electrical heating and cooling. It was estimated that a saving in the order of 300 pounds per annum could be achieved for a capital cost in the order of 1,000 pounds with a pay-back period of 3.3 years. Thermostatic radiator valves are fitted to all radiators in theguest bedrooms at Beales Hotels. Dawn-dusk light sensors help to save energy at the West Lodge Park country house hotel. Indeed, either dusk to dawn or movement light sensors are used throughout Beales Hotels both outside and inside.

From: Hospitality Energy Assessment Tool Targeting Waste Series
Energy Measures, Case Study 2
Hospitable Times News, Potential 16,380 pounds (US$30,773) Yearly Energy Savings for Country House Hotel

Posted by Kit Cassingham