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September 19, 2005
Managing Costs, the Environmental Way
Would saving $100 per guestroom per year be interesting? It was to the Holiday Inn and Suites in Madison, Wisconsin. By installing an energy management system (EMS) to reduce the heating and cooling demand on unoccupied rooms, $17,000/year is being saved.
Energy is used to operate the lights, business center and offices, kitchen, swimming pool and fitness center, as well as guestrooms. But the biggest energy consumer (an average of 60% of the total use, according to Focus on Energy) is heating and cooling guestrooms, making them the most logical spaces to start managing.
Energy management systems, especially for guestrooms, are fairly new to the United States, but have been used in other parts of the world for years. I first became aware of them in 1996 as I traveled through China and Hong Kong. From what I can tell, EMS has come a long way since my introduction, and better fits the American lifestyle than the card-attached-to-your-room-key approach I experienced. But now that they have found there way here, it seems logical that their popularity
will increase because of savings like the Madison Holiday Inn and Suites is experiencing.
For further energy savings, use compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), upgrade the HVAC system, and install energy efficient laundry equipment. Installing flow restrictors in shower and sink faucets will reduce the amount of hot water being asked for, providing further energy savings.
Madison's Holiday Inn and Suites already knows it, but energy management is an ECOnomically Sound
Posted by Kit Cassingham
