Two New Devices Reduce Hot Water Use in Showers
Most hotels already deploy low-flow shower-heads. Two new devices enable properties to cut their water use even further.
The ShowerStart Thermostatic Shut-off Valve, made by Evolve Technologies, saves the hot water that guests waste while waiting for their showers to warm.
Typically, guests turn on their shower, then do something else while the water heats up. A Lawrence Berkeley National Lab study showed that people typically enter the shower a minute after the water is already warm, thus wasting about 2 gallons of hot water.
ShowerStart addresses this problem by cutting the water-flow to a trickle when it reaches 95 degrees. Then, when guests step into the shower, they pull a cord and the full water-flow resumes. The system is intuitive to users.
Another new product, the ShowerSaver from Green Starts Here, is mounted on the shower wall. The device shows the user real-time data on their shower's duration and water consumption. Presumably, this data will persuade some users to conserve water.
Both technologies are promising. It will be interesting to see whether they take off in the hospitality industry.
Managing by Walking Around--At Night
I recently attended Lodging Green Sustainability Conference in Las Vegas, and heard many good ideas. One hotelier said that she started conducting periodic energy audits at night to identify equipment that could be shut down. She checked to see whether there was unnecessary use of lighting, HVAC, kitchen equipment and more.