Category: Development Ideas
Existing Building Environmental Improvements
The common attitude is new construction is the best way to get efficient buildings, but in a class offered by the U.S. Green Building Council for their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design ) program it became clear to me that existing buildings can be quite efficient too. Energy is one big area addressed here, but water management, green cleaning, and air quality are other important areas to address.
Energy and water efficiency, waste management, and green cleaning are elements of how existing buildings can make environmental improvements towards LEED certification. Being LEED certified gives you a goal to reach and maintain to help keep you operating your building as environmentally friendly and efficiently as possible.
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Don't Take it for Granite
Granite counters are beautiful. Its beauty accounts for part of its increasing popularity in hotels, restaurants and homes around the country. It's also durable, handling much of the abuse you can dish out. But this beauty and durability can have a high price, and I'm not talking purchase price.
Radiation sickness isn't something you are likely to get from using granite countertops, but radiation is elevated from granite, compared to other counter materials. Granite tiles and slabs have long been popular as countertops and table tops in homes, restaurants and hotels, but that popularity has ramifications with its radioactive nature. Granite colors are numerous to fit your decor. Think carefully before using granite in regards to radiation exposure.
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Green Hotel Reservations
Make your hotel reservations at a green hotel. EnvironmentallyFriendlyHotels.com, which just passed 3,000 listed green hotels, joined forces with RezHub in May 2008. You can now find more green hotels than ever in just one place and book your room with many of the green hotels you have found.
Make hotel reservations at green hotels using the new team: EnvironmentallyFriendylHotels.com and RezHub. Find your green hotel on "Environmentally Friendly Hotels" and book your room with RezHub, assuming the hotel is part of RezHub's program.
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Environmentally-Correct Demolition and Reconstruction
Though reusing an existing building is more environmentally correct than building from scratch, not all old buildings work for their new purpose so tearing them down becomes a must. But that demolition doesn't have to be an environmental nightmare. Lots can be done to recycling the elements of the old building.
Sustainable development is an up-and-coming concept in the hospitality industry. It's been around for awhile now, but is getting more traction all the time. A shopping mall in Boulder, Colorado, is an interesting case study in the environmental issues of renovations. How much can building materials be recycled, reused and donated?
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Irritating Your Guests
As western cultures adopt more chemicals into society in the way of air fresheners, fire retardants, finishes for construction and furnishings, herbicides and pesticides, and cleaning products (for both buildings and people), humans are suffering the consequences. The biggest consequence is increased allergies and sensitivities to the chemicals around them. Those are irritating consequences.
The best way to quit irritating your guests is to remove as many chemicals as possible from your hospitality operations. Get rid of sodium lauryl sulfate, fabric softeners and air fresheners, and finishes with VOCs (volatile organic compounds). There are great alternatives available to you, so use them and have happier guests.
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Green Energy Options In Caribbean Hospitality Venues
Alternative energy sources are abundant, especially in places like the Caribbean. Solar energy is probably the most cost effective, but wind energy is quite viable too. Even with tidal and geothermal energy as possibilities, alternate energy needs to be economically sound. Energy conservation is part of any energy plan as well.
The world is substantially increasing alternative energy sources, with little contribution to global warming, which is now recognized as a serious threat to the health of the planet. Earlier programs that aimed at "green" energy contributions of 10-20 percent are currently being studied for revision. As good as they are intended; they only offset the growth in carbon dioxide emission, which causes global warming.
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Technology and Green Hospitality
Technology has been used in hospitality venues for years. There is new technology that can make hospitality venues more efficient and provide a better guest experience, and contribute to the greening of the hospitality industry. From information technology to communications technology to RFID technology, it's there for improving business. And what a great way to reduce environmental issues and waste around the property!
I'd never thought of Microsoft as being interested in the hospitality industry, or the environment either (not to say they aren't; I just hadn't thought about them in that light before). However, it recently published a list of what it saw as the five hottest technology trends for the hospitality industry. My twist on their list is how they can be used to make your green hospitality venue greener.
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Scandic Hotel's Natural Step to Creating Green Hotels
Nature balances itself neatly. Humans have to work for that balance. Natural resources need to be conserved and managed carefully so we can emulate nature's practices of cradle-to-cradle usage. The Natural Step gives guidelines to help with that management and approach. Scandic Hotels adopted that program in 1994 and is still one of the leading green hotels in the world. And a profitable hotel too. It's time to learn from their actions and move toward being an environmentally friendly hotel with an improved bottom line.
The Green Hospitality conference will be in Dallas, TX, this year. The Greening of Hospitality Industry conference (GMIC) was in Portland, OR, in February. February's conference was educational and fun. I expect at least as much from March's conference. If you want to improve your green hospitality venue, put these meetings on your calendar for next year -- they are a don't miss.
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Designers in Charge of Environmental Action
On a trip recently I was talking with hotel managers about their green actions and made an interesting discovery about several of the hotels. It seems that designers are in charge of some of the environmental actions the hotel "should" be taking.
Managers and owners of environmentally friendly hotels must step up to their responsibilities of having green operations, if they are going to call themselves "green" or environmentally friendly. Letting contractors of any type dictate what environmental issues to cater to or ignore is bound to create bad press.
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Durable Construction and Energy Efficient
Sustainability as it applies o construction, maintenance, and energy conservation or efficiency, is important to the hospitality industry. So much money is budgeted to energy costs and maintenance that if durable construction practices were implemented lots of money would be saved.
The EcoNomically (environmental and economic) Sound benefits of durable construction are clear, if you look for just a moment. A Green Buildings article on durable construction as it applies to green building, goes into detail on building durability. A durable building is one that endures for centuries. Durable construction provides a longer time to amortize the environmental and economic costs incurred while building a structure than "disposable" buildings (that we see so much today). Is your hotel, restaurant, or other hospitality building durable or disposable? Will it be comfortable or uncomfortable for your guests?
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Why Building Green is Good for Hospitality Business
Gone are the days when constructing a green building could cost 10-25 percent more than a conventional building. Today, constructing an environmentally sensitive building costs 0-2 percent more than a conventional building. Reduced operating costs still give a 10-20 percent ROI (return on investment), which always offset the original cost increase, but now those reduced costs mean greater profits to the building's operator sooner than before. One estimate is that there is a $50-75 per square foot savings over the average 20-year life of a building -- more than 10 times the 2 percent extra cost for green buildings.
Studies have shown that hospitality guests generally prefer supporting businesses that address environmental issues. By building and/or operating a green hospitality property, more guests will be attracted, boosting the bottom line.
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A More Efficient Solar Cell
Quantum dots may be in your future as a hospitality business owner or manager. According to DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), quantum dots, or "nanocrystals", may boost photovoltaic efficiency to 65 percent from the present high of 33 percent. If this manufacturing approach is cheaper than the present anufacturing costs (lead and sulfur are cheap, but the price of selenium is rising) then this technology will be cost-competitive with raditional energy sources. When that happens, we'll see a proliferation of photovoltaic installations, one great step in energy self-reliance.
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Benefitting from Adversity
Environmental action is spurred by a variety of internal and external situations. Internal situations include wanting to save money and feeling a need to protect the environment. External situations can start as problems and become benefits; overcoming adversity is like making lemonade from the lemons life hands you.
Habitat Suites, in Austin, Texas, had an open field adjacent to their property, until recently. The development of the land into a soccer field created drainage problem for Habitat Suites. As an open field the natural vegetation absorbed rainfall nicely, but the soccer field is less absorbent and the runoff floods right into the Habitat Suites parking lot.
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Sustainable Development Leads to a Stronger Performance
Sustainability is defined as a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Many seem to think sustainability is a cost factor. In truth, it can be a source of profit. Firms engaging in sustainable development show a better performance, especially in the long run, in all market segments than the respective benchmark indices, according to a study done by Kommunalkredit Dexia, an Austrian Asset Management company.
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LEEDing The Way
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a rating system administered by the U.S. Green Building Council, which certifies that buildings incorporate environmentally responsible systems and features in their design, construction, and renovation. This is an excellent way to get guidance in creating more environmentally and economically sound buildings -- guidance the hospitality industry can benefit from greatly. I recently learned about a building from the retail sector that was LEED certified and I think the lessons learned can be applied especially to the hospitality industry.
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Biomass, A Great Fuel Alternative
Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from organic matter. Included in the biomass list of resources are dead trees, branches, yard clippings, leftover crops, wood chips, bark, sawdust, livestock manure, and paper products. This list of common items encourages me that biofuels (biomass fuels) have a future for hospitality venues around the world.
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Consider the Human Factor
Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, is one of the nation's most environmentally conscious campuses, and is looking to become even more so. Those actively involved with the sustainability efforts on the part of the campus understand that sustainability is a process, not a destination.
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Compostable or Biodegradable To-Go Containers
I've long been a proponent of recyclable to-go containers. I'll do almost anything to avoid using foam containers, as you may have read in my Random Thought posting on To Foam or Not To Foam. I was pleased when I learned that in early 2005, Starbucks will be testing hot beverage cups with recycled content (FDA giving them approval this fall to have containers with 10% recycled content), with hopes of releasing the cups to their stores later in the year. That's great news, and a good start in moving toward more ecological options for to-go containers.
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The Gift of Green
Gift shops are a great source of extra income. Make them a platform for your environmental beliefs and stance. Gift shops typically carry items like snacks, toiletries, reading material, jewelry, clothing and accessories, coffee mugs, travel memorabilia, note and greeting cards, and art. Why not make those items make an environmental statement? You can sell organic snacks and toiletries, products of recycled content, locally made art and clothing, rainforest-friendly snacks, and recycled glass jewelry. Shopping for environmentally sensitive products is a whole new world of merchandising.
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Linoleum is Back
When I say linoleum I'm talking about the original product that is made of linseed oil, pine resin, ground cork and wood flour blended to form sheets on a jute backing. One of the bonuses of linoleum is that the color goes throughout the product, not just a thin film on top of the product, so if it gets scratched there's still color under the scratch. And it's fun because of the rainbow of colors and patterns it's available in. Don't confuse linoleum with the polyvinyl sheeting that's so common today. Linoleum is made of all natural ingredients, not of petrochemicals, so there is no harmful off-gassing or dependence on oil.
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Microbial Fuel Cells
A new fuel cell technology is being developed that will have a huge impact on large hotels and resorts. An article in GreenBuzz shared that research scientists at Pennsylvania State University, in State College, Pennsylvania, are developing a microbial fuel cell that will turn raw sewage into power. The power generated by the fuel cell could run a wastewater treatment plant, for example.
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Water Wise Landscaping
Curb appeal is important for any hospitality venue. Part of that curb appeal is the landscaping you create, complete with trees and shrubs, perennial flowers and herbs, grass, ground covers, pathways, and lighting -- location permitting, of course. The problem with most landscaping is that it requires lots of water to thrive and keep its lush look. There's a huge need to reduce the amount of water that goes to keeping the outside of buildings looking inviting. The answer is using plants native to your location, an approach often referred to as xeric or water wise gardening. Xeriscape doesn't mean rock or wood chips, it means using plants that are indigenous to your area (or a climate similar to yours) and don't require (much) extra water to stay healthy and attractive in an integrated plan.
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Educating the Children
A friend pointed me to an article on the La Cabana All Suite Beach Resort and Casino in Aruba. The article detailed the way the resort is minimizing its impact on the environment with sustainable technologies. The on-property Green-Team's plan of action for making and keeping that resort sustainable and green sounded complete and effective.
But that's not what caught my attention.
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Conference Centers Go Green
Conference centers and meeting rooms are a common additional revenue source for hospitality venues. Regardless of your property's size, having space for a meeting or conference is a smart move. Consider, while you are developing your conference center space, creating a green environment and practice for that space. If you already have a conference center, that could be a great place to begin your sustainable practices.
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