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Energy Audit Is The Key To Finding Savings

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Another great article from The Rooms Chronicle, the #1 journal for hotel rooms management!
***Important notice: This article is copyright by The Rooms Chronicle and may not be reproduced without permission of the publisher. *** NMRG Publishing, 1161 Wayzata Blvd E #209, Wayzata, MN 55391. Phone: 866-READ TRC. Email: info@roomschronicle.com. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PUBLISHED: Volume 3, Number 1, January/February 1995 DEPARTMENT: Energy

By Phil Sprague In these difficult economic times hotel owners and operators need to find ways to conserve precious revenue in order to stay competitively priced. Energy usage is a great place to look for savings. The cost of energy in a typical 300-room full service hotel represents about 5.5 percent of revenue. Experience has shown that hotels with a solid energy program can reduce that number to 4.5 percent of revenue. Technology has advanced so rapidly that it is now possible to reduce an average annual utility bill of $250,000 by 20 percent without adversely affecting guest comfort. To identify these potential savings, conduct an energy audit. A hotel may choose to hire a professional energy auditor or assign the duties to an in-house employee. A professional auditor would begin by completing a two-year energy data analysis of the propertys history of consumption and costs. This will identify which areas of the hotel are overconsuming. For instance, water heating should not account for more than 15-20% of total energy consumed. Many such rules of thumb are available to analyze the hotels results. A professional auditor would then conduct an on-site survey of mechanical and electrical equipment and generate a list of how to improve the equipment or its use. The resulting report might include energy saving training ideas such as closing black out drapes routinely, setting water temperatures correctly, changing shower heads, and so on. Changing to high efficiency lighting products often heads the list. In addition, computer-like microprocessors are now commonly recommended to control heating and cooling systems, lighting, and water heaters. This is just the beginning of a long list of potentially useful high-tech products that can lower a hotels annual utility bill. If an in-house auditor is used, information about energy programs is available from the Educational Institute of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.* If management decides to contract a professional to conduct an energy audit, the cost would be approximately $2500 for a 100-room hotel, or $5000 for a 300-room hotel. Because of the hotels unique aspect of providing guest comfort, a contractor with hotel experience should be chosen. As a supplement to this audit, the hotel should also receive the contractors evaluation of the facilitys operation and maintenance program. The cost of implementing an energy savings program should cost less than two percent of the total annual energy bill. If costs were kept within these boundaries, the implementation of the program would normally be paid back in less than six months. Capital projects usually involve more costs, but many have a payback of less than two years. The important thing is to get started. Precious energy dollars are being wasted every day.

(*Ask for the Energy and Water Resource Management book.) (Phil Sprague is president of PSA Consultants, an energy consulting firm in Minneapolis, MN.)