For more than a decade , the hotel industry has focused on green practices at the operational level , measures that are somewhat easy to implement , increase savings , and look good on corporate ESG reports . But with climate warnings sounding louder and more urgent , combined with a growing consumer awareness of “ greenwashing ,” hotels are being pushed to go deeper if they want to make good on their sustainability promises .
“ That ’ s ultimately where the industry needs to go ,” says Jon Buerge , chief development officer at Urban Villages and the developer of forthcoming Populus Hotel in Denver , Colorado . “ It ’ s not just about the little things we can do to slightly reduce our carbon footprint . It ’ s about saying , ‘ Carbon is going to get emitted . Now let ’ s figure out how to take it back out .’”
With the arrival of innovative technology and financial incentives , a new breed of hotels is experimenting with sustainability initiatives from the concept stage all the way through after opening , with high hopes that what they achieve can serve as green models for future hotels . Here are three case studies .
HOTEL MARCEL At the Hotel Marcel in New Haven , Connecticut , which opened in April , the entire hotel is powered by electricity from the guest rooms to the kitchens , the laundry machines , and even the hotel car , which is an old airport shuttle van converted into an electrical vehicle .
Bruce Redman Becker of Becker + Becker , the hotel ’ s architect and developer , says a decision was made early on not to use any fossil fuels , instead relying on solar panels and a renewable energy microgrid consisting of solar-charged batteries .
“ We ’ re not looking to offset our use of fossil fuels , we ’ re just not using fossil fuels ,” he explains .
The hotel , a part of Hilton ’ s Tapestry Collection , aims to be netzero in its first year of operation , producing all of its own energy onsite . Its Energy Use Intensity ( EUI ) rating is projected to be 44.3 kBtu per square foot , about 76 % less than median EUI for hotels in the United States .
Not only do the building ’ s sustainability improvements increase efficiency , Becker says they also add value to the property . “ If you don ’ t have a quarter of a million
WE ’ RE NOT LOOKING TO OFFSET OUR USE OF FOSSIL FUELS , WE ’ RE JUST NOT USING FOSSIL FUELS .
– BRUCE REDMAN BECKER
Hotel Marcel specialty oven
Hotel Marcel rooftop solar panels
dollars every year going out to pay a utility bill and you have a value of property at a 5 % cap rate that makes the hotel worth US $ 5 million more than it should be ,” he says .
The Hotel Marcel even qualifies for a 30 % tax credit on its battery storage thanks to the recent inflation reduction act and has the option to push energy back into the area ’ s power grid for additional revenue .
“ This movement to electrification is not a burden ,” Becker says . “ It saves money , enhances performance and reduces maintenance .”
And Becker believes what Hotel Marcel has done is easily replicable at more hotels . “ Unlike a lot of other real estate sectors , there ’ s usually ongoing investment in hotels to make them current and meet standards ,” he says . “ So , to layer
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