Hotel Energy Efficiency

In the hotel sector, reducing energy costs while continuing to meet the diverse requirements of customers is challenging. However, it is estimated that hotels could cut energy costs by 20 percent or more by adopting proven energy-efficiency measures¹.

Major energy expenditures in hotels include lighting for guest rooms and common areas, heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) and motors in equipment such as elevators. In the U.S., for example, the average distribution of hospitality energy use is shown in the pie chart below:



Energy-efficiency improvements to lighting, controls, and heating and ventilation (HVAC) systems can drastically reduce operating costs. More detailed discussions of various technologies can be located by visiting each section listed in the right-hand toolbar.

This web page offers resources to help hotel managers incorporate energy efficiency into their hotel operations. Resources include case studies of successful conservation initiatives worldwide, as well as a compilation of practical behavioral and managerial tips to ensure proper use of technologies. In addition, this site offers links to various online hotel energy management publications and software programs, which hotel energy managers can use to calculate and reduce hotel energy consumption. Visitors can also use a "clickable" world map to identify regional organizations promoting energy efficiency within the tourism sector.

The Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance) is currently active in helping hotels and resorts improve their overall energy management, identify and source energy-efficiency technology and service providers, and benchmark energy use data in several countries. For more details about Alliance initiatives in hotel energy efficiency, visit Alliance Hotel Initiatives.

References
¹ The Ontario Restaurant, Hotel & Motel Association