|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,
|
| | credit: kiwicollection.com |
Our next meeting will be Thursday July 16, from 2:30 to 4:00 at Mandarin Oriental, Boston, in the Bangkok Room, Arcade Level.
I thank our hosts, Alain Negueloua and Ed Dustin.
I hope you can come!
Dan
|
|
SPEAKERS
|
|
Shaun Selha, Director of Energy Systems, SourceOne
Dick Fay, Business Development Manger, SourceOne
Hoteliers learn much from energy audits and they can learn even more from professionals who have audited many properties. Shaun Selha and Dick Fay and their colleagues at SourceOne have provided energy assessments and audits at hundreds of facilities, including hotels.
They will tell us, from their perspective, how hoteliers should approach energy audits, common and unusual findings at hotels and newer, effective Energy Conservation Measures.
| 
 | |
Properties must keep their generators warm 24/7/365, so they can fire up when needed. Mr. Parente will describe a product that does so very efficiently, and has a short payback period.
He will also discuss boiler optimization, which can reduce energy bills for boilers that are over several years old, and have at least several more years of life.
| 
|
Chad Laurent, Senior Consultant and General Counsel, Meister Consultants Group
Renewable energy costs have decreased dramatically in recent years. The installed cost of solar P V, for example, fell by nearly 52% between 2009-2014. Previously, renewable energy was typically purchased at a premium. Today, however, businesses can save money by buying renewable energy. Mr. Laurent will discuss the renewable energy procurement options in Massachusetts.
| 
|
Hotels can now participate in Community Shared Solar projects in MA--which is one appealing way to purchase renewable energy. These projects can reduce a hotel's entire electricity bill: distribution, demand and generation charges. They can also demonstrate a hotel's support for locally-produced renewable energy. Clean Energy Collective is the nation's largest developer of community solar projects.
|  |
|
| IDEAS |
|
| | credit: easycleanenergy.com |
Community Solar Offers New Opportunity for Hotels
Two common types of solar installations have dominated the market until now: utility-scale and rooftop. Recently, a third type of installation has emerged---community solar, also known as solar gardens or shared solar. It's designed for businesses and residents that want to secure solar's advantages, but don't have a good space to put the panels.
Hotels that want to explore community solar should do so soon, because the 30% federal solar Investment Tax Credit will become a 10% tax credit at the end of 2016.
MA is one of the four leaders in community solar projects.
At our July 16 meeting, one speaker will provide an overview of how a hotel can purchase renewable energy, and another will speak specifically about community solar. If community solar piques your interest, I recommend these articles, too: The Explosive Growth Of Community Solar Gardens In 2015 and The Evolution of Customer Renewable Energy Choice, From RECs to Offsite PPAs: Corporate customers now have a lot of options when procuring renewables .
Variable Speed Drives: Has your Hotel Finished Installing Them?
VSD's reduce energy used by the motors that operate pumps, air handling units, chillers and other equipment. They also lengthen equipment life by creating a softer start-up and shut down.
Most local hotels have installed vsd's. However, some haven't installed them everywhere where they can be advantageous. I encourage you to survey your property to determine whether you still have opportunities to install vsd's and reduce your energy bills.
The Mass Save incentives for vsd's are rich and prescriptive. The payback period is short.
Reduce Water Loss in Your Pools and Spas
The EPA WaterSense program sent me the following article. It's not on the internet, so I pasted it below.
Take a Dip Into Water Savings
The average 1,000-square-foot hotel pool holds about 34,000 gallons of water but requires another 40,000 gallons of water per year to make up for water lost due to evaporation. Additional water is also required to clean the filter, control mineral buildup, and make up for losses from splashes and leaks.
Tips to reduce water loss in your hotel's pools and spas:
- Install covers on both indoor and outdoor pools and spas and make sure to use them during off hours to reduce evaporation losses by 30 to 50 percent.
- Clean filter media only as needed, as opposed to on a set schedule.
- Set the water level several inches below the pool's edge to prevent water loss from splashing.
- Control mineral buildup by maintaining proper pH, alkalinity, and hardness levels in pool water.
- Check periodically for leaks around pump seals, pipe joints, filtration system lines, and pool liners.
You can dive further into pool and spa water-saving practices with WaterSense at Work: Best Management Practices for Commercial and Institutional Facilities.
--
A webinar that includes a presentation on reducing water loss in pools can be found here.
|
| NEWS | |
Chemical Footprint Project Assessment Tool Introduced
Last month, the Chemical Footprint Project (CFP) Assessment Tool was introduced. It's the first common metric for publicly benchmarking chemical use and management. A two-page summary of the CFP can be found here.
CFP signatories include Marriott, Staples, Boston Common Asset Management, many health care organizations and other businesses.
The CFP standard enables companies across all sectors to understand, benchmark, track and report their management of chemicals at their facilities. With this knowledge, they can phase out harmful chemicals that use safer substitutes.
The CFP and it's assessment tool has been created over several years by Clean Production Action, the Lowell Center for Sustainable Production and Pure Strategies.
The tool asks 19 questions in the areas of:
* Management Strategy
* Chemical Inventory
* Footprint Measurement
* Public Disclosure and Verification
Brad Colton, Senior Director-Strategic Projects and Global Procurement, Marriott International, said in Green Lodging News that the, "Chemical Footprint Project's focus on assessing and improving chemical management practices provides a way to engage our suppliers and drive improvement throughout our supply chain."
I encourage your property to use the CFP assessment tool to better manage the chemicals used on your property.
|
|
ARTICLES
|
Andrew Shakman, Leanpath Blog, June 16.
When restaurant food goes uneaten, the restaurant pays for the associated food, energy, water and labor costs.
|
|
| |
The following BGT meetings will be 2:30 to 4:00.
July 16:
September 17:
October 22:
December 10:
| Mandarin Oriental, Boston
Hyatt Regency Boston
Taj Boston
Le Méridien Cambridge-MIT
|
See you May 21 at Mandarin Oriental!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
