November 30, 2016


Dear Boston Green Tourism Members, 


Our next meeting will be Thursday from 2:30 to 4:00 at the Seaport Hotel, Magnum Room B, floor 1.   
 
I hope you can come!
 
Dan 


 
 
SPEAKERS


Boston Green Tourism Meeting
December 1, 2016
 
Location:   Seaport Hotel, Magnum Room B, floor 1
Hosts:          James Carmody, Tom Taylor and Robert Nichols
          


2:30 to 2:40     
Introductions


2:40 to 2:45
 

Update
Dan Ruben 


2:45 to 3:05
Seaport Hotel: Green Resume, Recent Achievements
James Carmody, VP & General Manager at Seaport Hotel & Seaport World Trade Center
Tom Taylor, Chief Engineer, Seaport Companies 
Bob Nichols, Director of Parking and Transportation, Seaport Companies


3:05 to 3:35    

 
Saving Electric Motor Energy With Smart Drive Technology
Roger Fritz, President, ICS Corp


3:35 to 3:55
Parksmart: Sustainable Practices in Parking Structure Management, Programming, Design and Technology
Paul Wessel, Market Development Director, Parksmart, U.S. Green Building Council




IDEAS


Is it Time to Replace your Hotel's Transformers? 
 
Step-down transformers reduce the high voltage level in utility lines to the lower voltage level used in commercial buildings. In the process, energy is lost and waste heat is created. Most hotels have multiple transformers placed throughout their facilities.
 
The average lifespan of transformers is around 32 years. However the longevity range for transformers is large. When they do fail, electricity is cut off to the part of the hotel that they serve, resulting in significant problems.
 
Hotels could avoid these problems by replacing old transformers before they fail with new energy efficient transformers.    
 
The U.S. Department of Energy established improved efficiency standards for transformers in 2007 and again in 2016. The new transformers cut electricity use and waste heat by roughly 80%, and are quieter than older units. 
 
According to Hugh Leahy of Energy Source, each new transformer that replaces a pre-2007 unit cuts electricity bills by about $6,000 per year. The simple payback is roughly four years when utility incentives apply. The savings vary by transformer size.  The new transformers might also cut HVAC use, because they generate less waste heat. 
 
See this case study regarding the transformer replacement project at the Harvard Science Center. 




 
ARTICLES


Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, October 6


Smart sensors in compactors can cut waste hauling bills by 30% to 50%. They're programmed to send an email to the hauler or facility manager when compactors are almost full. By taking only full loads, the number of pickups per property is reduced.


Sensors also monitor compactor performance. They identify problems early on and diagnose them--preventing breakdowns and costly repairs.


The author provides links to several companies that sell compactor monitoring systems.




Jim Brodrick, U.S. Department of Energy, November 2


The Department of Energy has tested the longevity of Philips 60-watt replacement LED A-type lamps. These 9-watt bulbs have been on since September 2010.  When re-tested in August 2016, the bulbs' lumen output had declined by only 7%. Bulbs are commonly replaced when their lumen output drops 30% below peak. None of the 31 lamps tested had failed.


The color (chromaticity) of the bulbs was remarkably stable, too.


"Essentially, there's almost no difference between the light the samples emit today and the light they emitted five years ago."




 
2016 MEETINGS


The following meeting will be 2:30 to 4:00. I will announce the 2017 meeting schedule soon.


December 1 
Seaport Hotel




See you tomorrow at the Seaport!
Boston Green Tourism

Phone |Email | Website



Boston Green Tourism | 175 Auburn Street | Newton | MA | 02466