| Energy is among the fastest-growing cost items for the lodging
industry at large, and for the hotel industry in India, we
could safely say that it is the single fastest-growing operating
expense. In India, Energy as a departmental cost is in the
range of 8% to 15% of a hotel’s Gross Revenue. |
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| Both in India and elsewhere in the world, energy-efficiency
technologies, features and equipment are becoming increasingly
sought-after – both in hotel design and construction
as well as in the process design of the various operating
systems. Double- and triple-glazed windows; solar panels to generate
energy for heating water and powering equipment; the use of
wind power to substitute/complement traditional energy sources;
thermostatic controls in kitchen and airconditioning equipment;
and the conversion of kitchen waste into useable fuel are
some of the many steps the industry is taking globally, to hold down
energy costs and equally to reduce its carbon footprint. The
Leela Kempinski in Goa has a process in place by which vented
evaporated steam from the boiler is used to heat water instead
of being let off into the atmosphere. Another example is that
of the ECOTEL-certified Rodas in Mumbai, which has a chilling
tank attached to its air conditioning unit, to store cold
energy during off-peak hours. This stored energy is then used
during the peak hours, thus reducing compressor overloading
and cutting power consumption. |
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| While design- and operating system-improvements provide
the framework for resource conservation in hotel operations,
large energy savings also result through the switch to low-cost,
easy-to-implement alternatives (such as CFLs and low-flow
showerheads) and through a regular schedule of preventive
maintenance tasks. The latter point – the need to keep
equipments in excellent working condition through regular
preventive maintenance – cannot be emphasized enough.
Properly insulating exposed hot and cold pipes to minimize
energy loss; plugging leaks in ducting and piping equipment;
and cleaning boilers, chillers and condenser coils regularly
are measures that are not costly or difficult to implement,
but go a long way in restricting energy wastage through daily
operations. |
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| Actions that restrict energy wastage, such as turning off
lights in unoccupied areas; switching off water heaters during
peak-load hours; and adjusting indoor air temperatures to
meet but not necessarily exceed guests’ comfort expectations,
also present significant energy savings opportunities. While
many hotels implement such practices with excellent results,
other hotels have not been as successful, not least because
of insufficient knowledge of energy consumption within individual
departments. Currently most hotels in India do not have energy
metres in individual departments; ECOTEL recommends that this
be implemented, so that energy is accounted on individual
operation basis. |
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| ECOTEL attempt to assist hotels in increasing their energy
efficiency through the following tasks: |
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Determining operational efficiency of major equipment
such as boilers, chillers and air handling units. |
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Establishing practical benchmarks of energy reduction
by studying the patterns of usage and areas where reduction
can take place. |
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Identifying practices and activities that result
in the unnecessary expenditure of energy in the course
of daily operations, and providing guidance in developing
alternative practices. |
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Ascertaining if there is a genuine unmet need that
current technology, products or commercial models cannot
deliver affordably. |
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Increasing awareness of the applications of renewable
energy sources. |
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The Orchid
Mumbai |
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Rodas
Mumbai |
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Lagoona
Lonavala |
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Hotel Gautam
Mahabaleshwar |
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The Uppal’s Orchid
Delhi |
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Cabbana Orchid
Phagwara |
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The Fern
Jaipur |
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The Beach Orchid
Kollam |
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