EcoGreenHotel

One Easy Way to Get Started

If you stop to think about it, your hotel is sort of like a machine. It’s got a ton of moving parts – the building and all of its infrastructure, the staff and administrative personnel, the grounds – all of those components have to be in good working order or the whole operation will suffer.

But there’s another moving part to your machine that you might not have considered right off the bat, and that’s the energy that powers your entire hotel engine.  If your building, its infrastructure, your personnel and the grounds surrounding the building are not conserving energy like they could be, the machine that is your green hotel will eventually sputter and stop running.  It won’t be able to sustain itself, and it won’t be able to compete with all the other green hotel machines that are running at peak efficiency.

Even if you have implemented a green initiative or two at your property, there is still room for improvement, because green lodging is not a destination – it’s a journey.  And a journey of a thousand miles begins with… say it with me now… a single step!

Maybe your green team would like to improve your property’s energy efficiency but you’re confused about the next logical step.  Or perhaps your hotel has yet to launch a green initiative and you don’t even know where to begin.  One easy way to overcome either of those scenarios and kick start the process in a single step is to conduct an energy efficiency analysis.

An energy efficiency analysis is an in-depth study of your property’s energy usage.  It shows you – in black and white – how each of your hotel’s moving parts can become more efficient, and how you can save energy and money without disrupting the guest experience (and in many cases, how you can actually enhance the guest experience).

One of the most important things to come out of an energy efficiency analysis is benchmarking, which gives you a starting point from which to measure your green hotel’s progress toward greater efficiency and savings.  The most trusted benchmarking tool for hotels is the one developed by Energy Star, which is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Environmental Protection.

Almost 4,000 hotels have used the Energy Star benchmarking tool as part of their energy efficiency analysis.  To learn more, visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com and click on “Energy Star” under Our Services section.

Is that possible? Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, New Mexico, claims they’ve done just that. Reopening after a $30 million remodel, the Andaluz reduced their water use by 78% with their water savings program.

The Andaluz, which previously existed as the La Posada hotel, was extensively remodeled according to LEED standards. In order to cut water use, the Andaluz developers implemented numerous water and energy saving conservation measures, including:

1. “Oxygen-assisted” low-flow shower heads
2. Rainwater collection system for irrigation (in process)
3. Efficient low-flow toilets
4. Solar panels to heat about 60% of the hotel’s hot water (which will cut energy use by 20%)
5. Guestroom controls
6. Fluorescent and LED lighting

The result, in May 2004 the La Posada used 1.2 million gallons of water. In May 2005, the last year of operation before remodel, La Posada used 730,000 gallons in a month. After remodel, in May 2010, the Andaluz significantly reduced usage to 300,000 gallons of water. Although this is one month, it doesn’t dictate what the new hotel will average through the months to come, especially considering it’s a new hotel. Looking at eight different months of usage over the years, the new hotel averaged 770,000 gallons less than its predecessor La Posada.

Lets put that into perspective. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection estimates a hotel to average around 200 gallons per room per day. Assuming these numbers, Andaluz, in its best month, used 300,000 gallons in a month, which is 10,000 gallons each day – and with 107 rooms and suites, it averages around 93 gallons each day per room. That is better than the low average.

Andaluz took on aggressive green measures, including energy efficiency, in its remodel and operations that the hotel is applying for LEED gold status (it had previously aimed for silver). Once certified, it will be one of the first historically renovated gold LEED hotels in the U.S. -

Visit Green Hotel Directory for more green hotels.

By Susan Patel

I was watching clips of the Today Show a few days ago and found a segment titled “Green Your Routine,”which brought attention to green cleaning products. It got me thinking: why isn’t there a law or regulation requiring manufacturers to list ingredients? Not knowing what chemicals are in products can be dangerous. You don’t know what you’re using and how it could destroy our immune system, cause cancer, lung disease, and death – a health and safety nightmare!

Companies are shockingly allowed to use general terms for chemicals such as “fragrance”or “preservatives.” This wouldn’t make the cut with the Food & Drug Administration, but apparently products we touch and breatharen’t that important on the list. What we need is national regulation so that companies must disclose every ingredient in a product.

So, what are we to do? Warning labels are useful, first line of defense. But we need to start gradually creating a system that works for our well-being and us.We have to start somewhere, right? Why not with all of us – you!

At the frontline of the EcoGreenHotel Store, I’m on a mission to know exactly what we’re selling. One form of verification I’ve become familiar with is the Green Seal, a third-party certifier. Of course there is also EcoLogo, Environmental Choice and EPA’s Design for the Environment Program that test products for effectiveness, besides health and environmental considerations. I wouldn’t say one is better than the other since each is slightly different, however a certified product is better than none at all.

When hotels purchase products certified by Green Seal or any of the other eco-labels, they know that the products meet good standards and consumers aren’t completely on their own. Still, some green cleaning products are not certified. There are several reasons for this: the product might be new on the market, the company that produces it has chosen not to pay the fee the certifying agencies charge to evaluate it, or that they didn’t meet the criteria of that certifying organization.

When it comes to what we sell on EcoGreenHotel Store, we’ve made sure our green cleaning products are Green Seal certified. For example, the Proxi hydrogen peroxide multi-purpose cleaner, a versatile, environmentally friendly cleaning product formulated with an active ingredient that is safer than aggressive acids and bleaches. Added bonus, due to its high concentration (dilute 1oz per quart water to make 128 quarts), it’s actually saving you money too!

Aside for looking for a third-party certification, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) is another tool that helps hoteliers to make a well-informed decision. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) also has information about many toxic substances at www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/index.asp.

Next time you’re purchasing your green cleaning products, make sure you know what chemicals are in the products you’ll be using at your green hotel.

Hotels can make a significant impact on waste reduction and recycling. A waste audit conducted in six properties by the Florida Energy Extension Service indicated that waste generation in guest rooms varied from 1/2 to 28 1/2 pounds of waste per day. One hotel in their pilot proje ct saved about 1.25 billion BTU of energy in six months by recycling. This reduction in energy use (which is 125,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity) is the same as energy consumed by 1,250 100-watt light bulbs burning continuously for 42-days. Imagine the savings!!

Let’s get started! Follow these eight steps to create your hotel’s recycling program – you won’t regret it, trust us!

1. Select a Recycling Coordinator

Accountability is key to the success of your green hotel’s recycling program. Who is going to be at the forefront of this effort? This is especially true at the beginning. Finding the right person to head this up is crucial. The ideal recycling coordinator will be:

• Enthusiastic about recycling and/or the environment
• Well organized
• A good communicator
• Familiar with starting, overseeing and maintaining programs
• In contact with the company’s waste haulers, janitorial staff or contracts

How much time does this position take? Well, that really depends on your employee’s participation. One hour per month is usually enough to maintain a successful hotel recycling program. Ask for volunteers, and we bet you’ll find a great candidate quickly.

2. Decide What to Collect

Consider that paper makes up an average of 37.5 percent of the waste stream. What else does your hotel use? What supplies do you have on hand? What do your guests and employees use? Take a walk around and start making a list.

Here are a few possibilities:

• Computer paper
• Aluminum cans
• Bathroom amenities
• Batteries
• Light bulbs
• Computers and accessories
• Glass bottles
• Inkjet/toner cartridges
• Plastic bottles
• Scrap metal
• Paper or plastic cups

3. Choose a Collection Method
To mix or not to mix? That is the question to ask. Now that you know which materials you are going to recycle, how do you collect them? Does everything have to be separated or can it all be thrown in the same bin? Your hotel can do either. Here are the pros and cons of each option:

Source Separation Recyclables are separated by specific type. Examples:

• Paper recycling would have many bins including: white paper, colored paper, cardboard, office mail, magazines/catalogs, etc.
• Plastic recycling would have bins for each type of plastic: #1-7

Pros:

• Bin items are extremely specific, with fewer questions as to what goes where
• Separated materials can have a higher market value
• It creates more environmental awareness for both guests and employees

Cons:

• It requires more recycling bins (and a higher setup cost)
• Your recycling coordinator may have to spend time sorting materials
• You may have to find multiple destinations for recyclables if they are source-separated
• Too many recycling containers in your guest rooms

Commingled Collection Recyclables are mixed together. The separation process happens at a material recovery facility. Examples:

• Paper recycling has one bin to collect all paper
• Plastic recycling has one bin to collect plastics #1-7 together

Pros:

• It is less time-consuming for employees
• It usually involves larger participating groups
• The recycling coordinator will have less time invested

Cons:

• Market values may be lower (e.g. mixed office paper may lower the value of computer paper if both are combined)
• Materials may be contaminated more easily if commingled
• Less opportunity for guest and employee education about recycling

4. Choose a Hauling Option
You know what materials you are recycling. You’ve determined your method of collection. You’ve got full recycling bins. Now how do you get rid of it?

Determining how to haul your green-conscious hotel’s recyclables away can be one of the greatest challenges. You should be realistic in planning how much your business is capable of recycling. The following are the most common hauling options available to most businesses:

Drop-Off Recycling Locations
Once you’ve collected all the recyclables from guest rooms, common area, back of house and the office, your recycling coordinator, or another volunteer, can drop off materials at a local center.

Earth911.com’s recycling locator will help your business find nearby drop-off locations. You can also see what your local Materials Recovery Facility will accept from businesses.

Things to consider when choosing a municipal or commercial drop-off center include:

• Recyclables accepted
• Contamination guidelines
• Minimum quantity requirements
• Prices per recyclable
• Hours of operation
• Payment options

Money earned from selling recyclables can be used to reimburse your recycling coordinator. Or, to create a fund for hotel events and parties for your dedicated hotel staff. Pick-Up Providers
Pick-up services will often require a higher quantity of recyclables that your hotel alone generates. If your green hotel can produce the amount of recyclables required for a service such as this, here is some information on how to find the right pick-up provider for your hotel:

Commercial Recyclers
Commercial recyclers are often more suited for businesses generating larger volumes of recyclables. Pick-up or hauling fees may apply. They may offer other services including waste hauling, collection bins, educational materials and/or employee training.

Commercial Waste Haulers Commercial waste haulers wanting to provide a “complete package” to their customers have started to offer recycling services, because they are able to make up their lost waste hauling fees with recycling revenue.

Commercial waste haulers may have volume and contamination requirements, pick-up fees and other requirements.

You may be able to reduce your overall waste hauling expense, and only have to deal with one company, for solid waste and recycling.

Small Haulers
Don’t meet the required volume of a commercial recycler or waste hauler? Small haulers may work for you. These companies are usually considered “mom and pop” shops. They run smaller routes with fewer trucks, employees and equipment.

Larger commercial recycling companies and waste haulers will usually recommend smaller haulers because they buy the recyclables directly from the smaller haulers.

Small haulers may also have volume and contamination requirements and pick-up fees.

Cooperative Recycling Your hotel only generates a small volume of recyclables. What can you do?

1. Partner with neighboring businesses
2. “Piggyback” onto a larger business’ recycling program

By pooling your recyclables, you can qualify for pick-up by a commercial recycler or waste hauler. Cooperative recycling is popular in multi-tenant buildings or complexes, strip malls and industrial parks. Cooperative recycling also makes it easy for recyclers to coordinate pick-ups more effectively.

If you get involved with a larger company, you win because you are able to recycle at no additional expense. The larger business wins by receiving additional volume and extra revenue.

The drawbacks?

• You may have limitations on the types of products your can recycle.
• The larger business may be penalized for any contaminated products that you send.

Back Hauling
Is your hotel in a rural location? You may have difficulty finding a recycling source. Consider back hauling (or secondhand hauling).

For instance, a grocery store could request that its delivery truck backhaul recyclables to a larger metropolitan market if the truck was empty on the return trip anyway.

Back hauling may be more challenging to find, and it’s only ideal for businesses that receive deliveries in the first place. But it’s better than not recycling your materials at all.

5. Set Up Recycling Bins and Guidelines
Organization is crucial to recycling. No matter what type of recycling program you implement, you’ll want to set up clearly-labeled plastic bins in places everyone will use them. Some good locations:

• A paper recycling bin and/or ink cartridge recycling bin in the copy room
• Aluminum/glass/plastic recycling bins in the kitchen and breakfast area
• A mixed recycling bin in all guest rooms
• An electronics recycling bin in the storage room

Another issue to consider for your recycling program is contamination. Materials that are contaminated won’t be recycled and could ruin larger batches of recycling. Luckily, contamination can easily be avoided by following these steps:

1. Rinse out containers, so bins won’t get dirty
2. Make sure there’s no food waste mixed in with recyclables (e.g. cardboard pizza box with oil remains) and that materials aren’t mixed (e.g. aluminum cans mixed with paper) if your recycler requires separation
3. When in doubt, throw it out

Now it is time to implement your hotel’s earth friendly recycling program, and there are several factors to consider, including:

Internal Collection Container Locations
Your program will only be as effective as how easy it is for guest and employees to participate. Bin quantity and location plays a huge role in this. Here are a few options:

Desk Side or Desktop Containers
Everyone goes through paper. By placing a paper recycling bin next to the trash at each employee’s and guest room’s desk, it will become second nature for them to recycle paper. You can find a range of different styles on EcoGreenHotelStore.com

Central Collection Containers
These containers are for hotel common areas, and should be placed strategically in areas where products will be collected. An office copy room is an ideal area for a paper collection container, just like the kitchen would cater (no pun intended) to aluminum and glass recycling. Common sizes for central containers are 20- to 50-gallon plastic bins.

Final Collection Containers
These are often provided by the recycling service provider and serve as a final destination for all your recyclables before they are picked up or dropped off. Products from guest rooms, office and central collection bins will be unloaded into these large bins, which are usually hampers on rollers or plastic barrels with lids and wheels.

6. Monitor Your Program
Once your hotel’s recycling program is in place, monitor its progress to evaluate cost-effectiveness, employee participation and environmental impact.

Provide Feedback to Employees
Share the success, progress and problems with your hotel’s program periodically with guests and employees. Here’s how:

• Use company-wide e-mails to distribute updates or milestones about the program
• Inform staff of certain contaminants or individuals/departments with strong participation
• Publicize to guests the quantity your company recycles and revenues over a certain period (month, quarter, year); your hauling company will be able to provide this information
• Calculate/distribute disposal cost savings based on the decrease of waste
• Survey employees/guests/departments to identify program problems and improvements
• Post informative articles on recycling, source reduction, reuse and/or the environment to further educate hotel staff
• Include information on recycling program participation in the new employee orientation and/or handbook
• Show how successful and creative your program is by promoting your hotel’s efforts outside the business through green internet marketing
• Consider applying for various local, state or federal awards, such as the American Forest & Paper Association’s Paper Recycling Awards
• Become an EPA WasteWise business to further improve your program
• Get involved in local, state and/or national recycling and environmental or industry-related organizations.
• Distribute press releases on your green hotel’s program and accomplishments. Submit your press release to EcoGreenHotel and contact us to see how you can be featured in our distributions as well as social media-marketing program.

7. Promote Your Program Through Education
Proper staff education is crucial to the success of your hotel’s recycling program. Here are some tips:

1. Education should start before your recycling program, so employees know what to recycle
2. Introduce your staff and housekeeping staff to the program in writing, such as an introductory memo, and at a staff meeting
3. If you are using a recycling pickup service provider, ask about employee education and training
4. Explain how recyclables are collected, what is recyclable, how the program will benefit the environment and the company, as well as other waste reduction and reuse measures that will be implemented
5. Show samples of recyclables and non-recyclable materials (contamination) on a board or sign near recycling containers

Recycling Signage
Create your own container and recycling signs:

• Recycle Cardboard
• Recycle Glass
• Recycle Inkjet Cartridges
• Recycle Paper
• Recycle Plastic
• Recycle Toner Cartridges
• Do NOT Recycle! Contaminants

8. The Role of the Housekeeping Staff
Housekeeping staff needs to be aware of the program since they will be collecting recyclables from each guest room. They need to be aware of the program to prevent unintentional contamination. Here are a few questions to consider:

• How will the recyclables be store in the cart separate from trash?
• How much time does this collection process add to cleaning each guest room?
• How does this impact the overall housekeeping schedule?
• What is the disposal process once collected by your housekeeping staff?

We’ve looked backwards and forwards with our last two book recommendations. Now that we have the foundation set lets take a look at “now.” How to create a company that not only sustains, but surpasses the norm and is an all-around “good” steward – truly.

Seventh Generation’s Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen have co-authored a fun read. It serves as a blue print for creating a socially responsible business in this new age. This is Hollender’s push for more responsibility—of the ‘bigger’ kind. Whether you are an owner, leader, executive, general manager, junior employee or staff – this book will show you can green your practices and still make a profit.

Programs both by the government and more so by businesses have been created to bring about the social and environmental change needed in the world and the workplace. Is it really enough?

Using stories and principles from companies who are doing interesting and radical things (Linden Labs, Timberland, Etsy – to name a few), Hollender gives us ideas and methods for sustainable social responsibility. He makes a clear case for Community and Collaboration.

Two points to note are:

1. It’s a competitive advantage for your hotel to be seriously responsible (both as resources dwindle and traveler/guests demand more); and
2. “Sustainability” includes social initiatives. It starts with being green, supply chains and energy efficiency – but there is definitely more to it.

Whether you call it ‘People, Planet, Profit’ or ‘Tripple Bottom Line,’ Profits will follow when we make responsible decisions. We at EcoGreenHotel definitely believe and know the impact of that. This book will get your started, or take you further – either way, you win!

A good start to your hotel’s green waste management initiatives is by first quantifying where you are right now. Without knowing your starting point, you won’t be able to know the impact of your green initiatives.

The Excel Food Waste Management Calculator | The Food Waste Management Calculator (PDF) (13 pp, 97K, about PDF) estimates the cost competitiveness of alternatives to food waste disposal, including source reduction, donation, composting, and recycling of yellow grease. Specifically, the calculator:

• Develops an alternative food waste management scenario based on:
• Your waste profile;
• Availability of diversion methods; and
• Preferences, and
• Compares cost estimates for a disposal versus an alternative scenario.

The Calculator demonstrates that environmentally and socially responsible food waste management is cost-effective for many facilities, including hotels, and waste streams. The more you know about your current waste management costs, the more accurate the calculator’s estimate will be, but default values are provided for many variables.

The focus on greening operations is evolving and some green teams are beginning to focus their efforts on integrating sustainability into employees’ personal lives, while others are aligning their efforts to support broader corporate sustainability objectives.

The business value of these three levels includes: cost savings by integrating energy efficiency into the workplace and products and services; attracting and retaining the best and brightest talent who want to for companies and hotels with an authentic green commitment; and increased market share and revenues resulting from a stronger brand and new, innovative green products and services.

This GREEN TEAM series will provide a summary of the emerging trends and outlines the best practices for green teams:

• Start with the visible and tangible: focus on internal operations
• Get senior management involved, but don’t lose the grassroots energy
• Engage employees to capture ideas
• Communicate and share best practices
• Engage employees with their bellies: The low carbon diet campaign
• Engage employees in their personal lives
• Engage guests to be part of the solution
• Use art to raise awareness
• Create a toolkit to support and guide green teams
• Align green teams with corporate and hotel sustainability goals

This is a resource for companies, organizations and individual hotels just getting started and for those who want to take their existing green program to its next level. It is based on interviews with green team leaders, as well as a review of the latest literature and reports on employee engagement and green hotel teams.

GREEN TEAMS: Introduction

Keeping employees engaged, happy and productive has always been a priority for leading companies, organizations and individual hotels.

Today, as green becomes more mainstream, a growing number of employees want to work for a company committed to sustainability and seek a work setting where the green practices they value at home are being implemented at their workplace.

In a survey commissioned by National Geographic magazine, more than 80 percent of U.S. workers polled said they believe it is important to work for a company or organization that makes the environment a top priority. In 2009, many graduating Harvard MBAs signed an “MBA oath” showing their interest for companies that “strive to create sustainable economic, social and environmental prosperity worldwide.”

Green teams – self-organized, grassroots and cross-functional groups of employees who voluntarily come together to educate and build awareness about sustainability issues and to implement programs that encourage employees and hotel guests to take action – are increasing in popularity as a tool for both keeping employees engaged and showing your commitment to sustainability.

This GREEN TEAMS series provides an overview of some of the best green practices companies and hotels are using to support and guide green teams, without squashing their grassroots passion and energy. It is divided into four key sections:

• Making the business case for green teams;
• Getting started;
• Four emerging trends; and
• Green hotel team best practices.

Look out for EcoGreenHotel’s May Eco Newsletter as we bring you: Making the business case for green teams.

It’s that time again – the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) has put out the coming year’s round of Requests for Proposals, otherwise known as RFP’s. From coast to coast and around the world, hotel staff are sharpening their pencils and filling out select paperwork from a mountain of NBTA forms with the hope of winning business in 2010.

RFP season is a familiar ritual for veteran hoteliers. Each summer it’s the same old song and dance, answering the same old standard questions about room count, location, ratings, taxes, amenities, ADA compliance, etc.

But we at EcoGreenHotel are pleased to see the requests for proposals require some additional new information. Hotels must now outline their environmental initiatives and green certifications. That’s right… your “Green Hotel Checklist” has just become critical ammunition in your NBTA bidding war arsenal!

NBTA’s 2010 RFP’s require that your hotel describe:

• the top five environmental programs employed on your property (such as linen reuse, reusable key cards, energy efficiency efforts)
• environmental certifications you’ve earned, with a preference given to certifications that require on-site audits
• details about your recycling program
• your use of environmentally responsible cleaners
• your water conservation efforts, such as linen reuse and/or water saving fixtures

Obviously, hotels that can demonstrate strong environmental programs stand to rank higher in the competition than those that can’t. In fact, it’s very clear that not having a sustainability plan in effect might cost your hotel big business next year.

If you want to boost your property’s green profile – and your chances of winning large national accounts in 2010 – contact EcoGreenHotel right now. Our team of seasoned green hospitality specialists can quickly, efficiently and affordably set the wheels in motion to get your environmental program rolling today. We’ll identify the “low hanging fruit” and show you how to make the best use of your current assets, and we’ll also present you with a wide variety of options for implementing a meaningful – and profitable – sustainability plan at your hotel.

Don’t put your green initiative off another minute. The planet – and your hotel’s bottom line – depends upon it.

For more information visit: www.EcoGreenHotel.com

Been feeling a little blue about your eco hotel’s green initiative lately? Been wondering if all the hard work is worth it, or if you’re just spinning your wheels for nothing? Thinking about giving up because no one else seems to care about sustainable hospitality as much as you do?

Pull up a chair, my friend. Have I got some news for you!

A recently released report by those studious folks over at J.D. Power and Associates contained a big shot in the arm for eco hoteliers. The 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study showed, among other things, that green hotels made great strides in awareness, guest satisfaction and participation in sustainable programs since the previous reporting period in 2008.

For their report, J.D. Power surveyed over 66,000 guests who stayed in North American hotels between May of 2008 and June of 2009. Here are some notable findings about green lodging taken directly from the release:

• Guest awareness of their hotel’s green programs increased significantly in 2009. Sixty-six percent of guests said they were aware of their hotel’s conservation efforts, up from 57 percent last year. Good job getting the word out!

• A high percentage of guests took part in their hotel’s sustainability efforts. Among those guests who were aware of the green program, 72 percent said they participated in their hotel’s conservation programs during their stay, meaning they recycled or participated in the property’s linen reuse program, for example. Way to go… you and your staff are doing a terrific job of rallying the troops!

• Awareness of green programs had a strong impact on overall guest satisfaction. On average, satisfaction is more than 160 points higher among guests who report being aware of their hotel’s green programs, compared with guests who are unaware of them. Awesome! You and your team have proven that implementing a green initiative doesn’t mean that the guest experience has to suffer… in fact, it’s just the opposite!

In a nutshell, this study shows that green hospitality has finally taken a firm hold in the industry, and that overall it is being done well. Your eco hotel’s efforts are starting to reap dividends, not only for the environment but also for your property’s bottom line.
So stop feeling blue. Send this blog entry link to your green team members today, and share this good green news!
Has your hotel received good guest feedback about your eco hotel’s green initiative? Tell us about it at info@EcoGreenHotel.com and we may feature it on our website or in our newsletter!

For more details visit: www.EcoGreenHotel.com

After decades working in the hospitality industry, I’ve seen many trends come and go. But a few years ago when climate change really started to come into focus and people began talking about ways to create a sustainable hospitality industry, I knew that eco-hospitality was not going to be just another passing fad. It was here to stay, and rightfully so.

And these days, with all the attention being paid to the environmental and economic benefits of cutting energy consumption, it’s a rare hotelier who has not at least considered implementing a sustainability initiative at his or her property. But many never get beyond the wishful thinking stage, because the process can seem so daunting – and expensive.

That’s why I started my company, EcoGreenHotel. We help lodging facilities address sustainability issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives. EcoGreenHotel recently partnered with the great folks at Atlantic Energy Solutions Inc. – a leader in assessing the energy demands and usages of municipal, corporate and industrial complexes – to take the concept a step further.

Together we created an innovative new Environmental Support Program that helps hoteliers design, fund and successfully launch their green initiatives. As part of that program, since May we’ve been offering free on-site environmental audits to all U.S. hotels! So far, over 30 properties from across the country have taken advantage of the offer, and the results have been amazing.

I would like to cite the example of one New York City hotel that is affiliated with a major franchise brand, because it really demonstrates what an in-depth environmental audit can reveal.

This particular hotel had already made progress in its sustainability plan, but like most, it still had room for improvement. Atlantic Energy Solutions’ engineers conducted an in-depth analysis of the property and identified several ways to increase its energy efficiency. The engineers recommended a variety of upgrades, including lighting, in-room thermostats, third-party energy procurement, participation in a demand response program, and energy monitoring software.

And the best news? Our team identified rebates, tax breaks, incentives and savings that will not only pay for those upgrades, but will also produce a positive cash flow for the property from Day One!

The amount of rebates and incentives available to that project was incredible gaining a six figure year one positive cash flow effect. We’ve identified ways to give that hotel an exceptionally rapid return on investment and ongoing energy savings of over $44,000 annually. And as we conduct these audits across the country, we’re uncovering tremendous opportunities for properties of all sizes because we’ve got staff totally dedicated to finding rebates and incentives.

I want to reiterate that the no-obligation assessment is totally free of charge. Atlantic Energy Solutions covers the cost of travel and other expenses for its environmental professionals to conduct the on-site audits, which consist of a thorough evaluation of each property’s electric, gas and water consumption.

Then, based upon the engineer’s findings, the team prepares and submits a free, no-obligation report and proposal to each hotel. The comprehensive report and proposal includes concrete steps the hotel can take to increase its energy efficiency, and includes a cost/benefit breakdown and a list of funding streams for which the property might qualify.

Not only are energy efficiency projects like these great for the environment and a hotel’s bottom line, they also form the basis for an entirely new marketing focus. Sustainable travel is a growing segment that the savvy hotelier would be wise to tap into. Our unique program makes it easier than ever for lodging facilities to quickly and cost-effectively go green.

Environmental audits will only be available free for a limited time. I invite property owners and managers to call me personally at (888)229-0213 Ext.801to schedule their hotel’s free on-site audit.

For more information visit: www.EcoGreenHotel.com