November 29, 2012

Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,                                                               

 

Our next Boston Green Tourism meeting will be the Greater Boston Energy Efficient Hotels Conference. Thursday December 6 from 8:00 to 4:00 at Sheraton Boston in the Independence Rooms, floor 2. Other Massachusetts hoteliers will be there, too. Directions are here.   

 

You must register, so I can get an accurate count for the breakfast, lunch and reception. As mentioned below, if the $25 fee is a barrier, please contact me and I will register you off-line at no cost. 

 

I hope you can attend the whole event, but you may attend any part of it. See the next section for the speaker schedule and more information. 


Dan 

NEXT BOSTON GREEN TOURISM MEETING
GREATER BOSTON ENERGY EFFICIENT HOTEL CONFERENCE
                                                 
The Greater Boston Energy Efficient Hotels Conference will be December 6, 2012 at Sheraton Boston Hotel from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the Back Bay Rooms, floor 2.

This Massachusetts Lodging Association Speaker and Seminar Series event is organized by Boston Green Tourism, NSTAR, National Grid, Renew Boston, Sheraton Boston and the Barr Foundation. The conference is open to all MLA member--and BGT members. 

 

The conference will feature:      

  • Presentations about important new energy and water efficiency technologies.
  • Case studies from hotels and engineering firm leaders who have slashed hotel energy bills.
  • A panel discussion with City of Boston, NSTAR, National Grid and hotel leaders regarding energy policies, incentives, strategy and new technology.
  • Energy efficiency vendors.  
Continental Breakfast, Lunch and Afternoon Reception are included with registration.

 

The conference agenda is below.  

 

Cost: $25 per attendee.   

***Please note: I didn't intend to charge BGT members for this conference, but needed to do so for logistical reasons. If the fee is a barrier for you, please contact me. I will gladly waive your fee and register you off-line.   

 

Who Should Attend: Hotel GM's, Directors of Engineering, Chief Financial Officers, Green Team members.

Click here to register!
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CONFERENCE AGENDA

 

8:00 to 9:00    Deluxe Continental Breakfast

 

9:00 to 10:00   Facilitated Panel Discussion

Greeting: Colleen Keating, Senior Vice President, Operations at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

 

Moderator: Dan Ruben, Executive Director, Boston Green Tourism

 

Panelists:

  • Michael Jorgensen, General Manager, Westin Copley Place
  • Tedd Saunders, President, EcoLogical Solutions & CSO, Saunders Hotel Group  
  • Carl Spector, Executive Director, Air Pollution Control Commission , City of Boston
  • Richard Kazarian, Manager, Energy Efficiency Sales, NSTAR

  • Sneha Sachar, Program Strategy - Massachusetts, National Grid 

10:00 to 10:15   Transition / Coffee Break / Time with Vendors

 

10:15 to 11:45    Morning Session

This session, with the following five presentations, is for all conference participants.

 

Sheraton Boston's Path to 30/20/20: Their Plan for Cutting Energy by 30% and Water by 20% by 2020

Jeff Hanulec, Director of Engineering, Sheraton Boston

 

Hyatt Regency Boston's Strategy for Reducing Electricity Use by 45%

Brian Gorski, Director of Engineering, Hyatt Regency Boston

 

The Hidden Energy: Electric Motor Savings in Hotels

Michael Rosenkranz, Energy Solutions Specialist, GEXPRO;

Paul Lynn, Manager, Corporate Energy Marketing Programs, Regal-Beloit Corporation

Charles Seyfert, Field Sales Engineer, Regal-Beloit Corporation

 

Improved Chilled Water Plant Performance with a New Energy Valve

Dick Hubbell, District Sales Manager, Belimo

 

The Low-Voltage Transformer Opportunity: Reduce Losses by 70-80%

Chris Wheeler, Director of Sales and Business Development, Powersmiths  

 

11:45 to 12:00   Transition / Time with Vendors

 

12:00 to 12:45   Lunch Buffet

 

12:45 to 1:00    Transition / Time with Vendors

 

1:00 to 2:30      Afternoon Session

This session, with the following four presentations, is for all conference participants.

 

Advances in Energy Efficient Lighting for Hotels

Carlos Alonso Niemeyer, Program Manager - Energy Efficiency Services, NSTAR

Edward Bartholomew, Commercial Lighting Program Manager, National Grid

 

High Impact Hotel Energy Projects

Jesse Stallions, Senior Energy Engineer, Sebesta Blomberg

 

Natural Gas Energy Efficiency Opportunities for Hotels

Michael Pace, Senior Energy Engineer, Horizon Energy Services

Fred McKiernan, Senior Energy Engineer, Horizon Energy Services

 

Water Issues and Innovative Water Efficiency Opportunities in Hotels and Restaurants

Dan Cook, President, Conservation Solutions Corporation

 

2:30 to 4:00      Networking Reception with Hors D'oeuvres, Wine and Beer  

 

Click here to register!  

IDEAS
Two SF Hotels Cut Electricity Bills by Using Batteries during Peak Hours 

The InterContinental San Francisco and the Mark Hopkins San Francisco Hotel recently installed a new system for cutting energy bills by shifting to battery power at times of peak usage (Energy Efficiency's Next Great Leap: Predicting the Weather, Hannah Miller, Triple Pundit, November 19.   

And, GreenBuild: Battery-Backed Hotels, Smart Lighting, PACE Finance and More, Jeff St. John: greentechenterprise, November 19).  

 

The hotels will use a new computer system from startup Stem Energy that analyzes the weather every second, to determine when it's best to take energy from the grid, and when it's best to use batteries. The system, "uses that battery to store grid power when it's cheap and discharge it when prices peak." The systems require no maintenance by the hotels.

 

The hotels' Director of Engineering expects that it will cut their electricity bill by 15 percent. It seems that the hotels have minimized their risk of installing this new technology--the installation was free. The hotels and Stem Energy will split the amount of money saved by using the battery and computer system.

 

I think this technology is worth following to see if it lives up to its promise. 

NEWS

MassDEP Changes Rules to Spur Increased Use of Organics for Recycling, Composting and Renewable Energy Production  

Previously, I reported that the MA Department of Environmental Protection was writing regulations

that will disallow businesses, including hotels, to discard food waste in the trash, starting in 2014. Earlier this month, those regulations were published.  

 

It's important to note that when the rules take effect in 2014, they will apply only to institutions that generate at least one ton of food waste per week. I think that in future years, the regulations will apply to hotels that generate less than a ton per week. 

 

If you want to get an early start on understanding the new rules, join a webinar focused on "guidance and frequently asked questions for haulers and businesses/institutions." It will be December 10 from 10:00 to noon.  

    

The Colonnade Hotel Honored for its Food Donation and Composting Programs

Credit to epa.gov.  

On America Recycles Day (Nov. 15), the U.S. EPA and the MA Department of Environmental Protection honored The Colonnade Hotel, the Boston Red Sox and TD Garden and for their food waste recycling efforts.

 

The event highlighted EPA's Food Recovery Challenge. The EPA, "invites organizations nationwide to save money through reducing, purchasing and lowering disposal fees for unconsumed food; supporting their community by diverting wholesome surplus food to feed people, not landfills; and reducing their environmental footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable food management." If you would like your hotel to participate in the Food Recovery Challenge, or to learn more about food recovery, see their website.   

 

 

ARTICLES
Dishwashers: Wash Up and Save a Buck                                                 
This article from the foodservicewarehouse.com website has many cost-saving ideas that also improve the dish-washing process.


Promotional Products Distributors Ride Tide of Growing Interest in "Green"

Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, October 25.
Does your green hotel reinforce its message by offering green promotional items? This article discusses the advantages and practicalities of doing so.

AH&LA Green Guidelines 
This year, AH&LA added 58 new guidelines to its existing 11 minimum guidelines. Together, they form a good checklist. I encourage you to read them.
2012 MEETINGS
December 6: THE GREATER BOSTON ENERGY EFFICIENT HOTEL CONFERENCE, Sheraton Boston, 8:00 to 4:00.  Attend any or all of it. If you didn't register above, you can register here.

See you December 6 at Sheraton Boston!