ENERGY CONSERVATION

Necessity of energy conservation in hotels:

 It Reduces the Hotel’s Operating Cost: Energy consumption contributes

significantly to a hotel’s operating cost. In general, energy cost account for
4%-8% of total operating costs. This results in expensive hotel rates that
can lower a hotel’s competitive edge in the tourism market. Energy
efficiency offers hotels a quick and low-investment method of reducing
energy-use without compromising guest comfort.

 Energy efficiency can reduce a hotel’s energy cost by 10%-40% depending

on the measures taken. This in turn lowers the hotel’s operating cost,
resulting in a higher profit margin and increased competitive ability of the
business.

 It Reduces Climate Change Risks Energy generation is the largest source

of human-induced GHG emissions. GHG emissions cause global climate
change, which in turn affects human habitation and livelihood in many ways.

 It Promotes Green Tourism According to the World Tourism Organization,

ecotourism is the fastest growing market in the tourism industry – potentially
increasing between 25% and 30% a year. There is now increasing
awareness among tourists about climate change and concern for the
environment. Many internet-based travel booking agencies like Travelocity,
Expedia and, TripAdvisor are responding to tourists demand for eco-friendly
travel information and ratings. Energy efficiency in hotels is one of the
criteria for obtaining green certification.

 There are currently several certification schemes available for green hotels
around the world. These include regional certification schemes like Green
Seal, Certification for Sustainable Tourism (CST), etc., as well as globally
recognized certification schemes such as Green Globe, Green Key,
Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP), and others.
Exponential consumption owing to rising demands has brought fossil fuels- the
drivers of industrial revolution- on the brink of exhaustion.

Grim scenario of depleting these energy resources, human beings have turned to
several non-conventional sources such as sun, water, wind, tides and biomass to
produce electricity.

Still fossil fuels remain the main sources of power generation. This has also led to
an increase in the prices of power as a result of the huge demand supply gap.
Obviously the consumers are forced to change consumption patterns if power has
to be used at all. World over the call for decreasing consumption pattern of power,
and switching over to non-polluting natural resources is gaining ground.

Energy needs of a hotel property- the benchmark for optimum energy

consumption- how an energy audit is conducted prior to the formulation of a
detailed energy conservation programme – tips for power saving- cost of energy
conservation and the benefits of saving energy.

Major resources of energy

The main primary sources of energy used in the hotel industry are fossil fuels such
as coal, petroleum, wood etc.. Apart from these, water or steam energy is also
used for producing energy.

Fuel is defined as a substance, which can be combined chemically with oxygen to

produce heat and light, and is used for burning or production of heat energy for
general, domestic and industry needs.

Fuels such as wood, which were once thought of as renewable sources of energy,
as they could be replenished, are now considered as non-renewable as their rate
of consumption has far exceeded their rate of replenishment. Fossil fuels which
were formed million of years ago from fossils or the remains of vegetation and
living organisms in the belly of earth, are also considered non-renewable due to
their massive consumption rate that is far too much than the time taken for their
formation.

Fossil fuels are available in three forms:-

Solid: Coal, peat, lignite etc.

Liquid : Petroleum products
Gas : Methane, Natural gas etc. and higher gases.

These fuels are taken out of earth through mines and serve as major energy
generating materials in the world.

02
The hotel industry mainly uses natural gas, coal and biogas as fuel sources for
heat energy. However, over the years fossil fuels have been replaced by electrical
energy for the purpose of lighting as well as heating and operating sophisticated
equipment in kitchens. This power is either obtained from the grid (municipal
supply) or captive power plants comprising huge generators powered by diesel.

Know your fuels (amount of heat energy produced by-)

 01 litre of LPG produces 11,850 Kcal

 01 Kwh of electricity produces 850 Kcal
 01 litre of light diesel oil (LDO) produces 5,946 Kcal

Electrical energy is also referred to as ‘artificial’ or ‘manufactured’ fuel in hotel

industry. Electrical energy is produced from other energy sources such as thermal
energy (burning of fossil fuels), hydro power (kinetic energy) etc.

Conventional generation of electrical energy utilizes coal, gas, oil, or nuclear

reactors to heat water, producing high temperature pressure steam. The steam
flows through an electrical turbine generator, which converts steam power into
electric power that is supplied through the grid for domestic and industrial
consumption. As the steam leaves the turbine generator, it contains energy
adequate to heat or cool buildings. This steam is also called City Steam or Street
Steam. The development of city steam systems could be very important to the
hospitality industry.

What is energy conservation?

Let us go through the following situation. You are the manager of a 100-room
three-star hotel property located in Agra, which is operating at cent percent
occupancy. Every room is carrying a total connected load of 5.0 Kwh including all
types of fixtures, fittings, building system etc. The power tariff paid to the municipal
authorities is @ Rs. 5.00 per Kwh. How would you compute the annual energy cost
(bill) incurred by you for the rooms?

Solution:- Total annual cost or amount of bill= No. of rooms x Connected load x
Operating hours a day x Tariff rate x 365 days of a year
= 100 x 5 x 24 x 5 x 365
= Rs. 2,19,00,000 = 219 lakhs or 2.19 crore

This is a massive cost. Now you initiate an energy conservation programme and
ask your staff to switch off all the lights of the guest rooms, when the guests are
not in the room. Assuming that a guest generally spends 2/3 of the time (16 hrs) in
the room and 1/3 of the time outside the room, and the staff follows your
instructions then
The total amount of bill = 100 x 5 x 16 x 5 x 365
= Rs. 1,46, 00, 000
= Rs. 146 lakhs or 1.46 crore.

The savings made by small efforts is equal to

= Rs. 2,19,00,000 - Rs. 1, 46,00,000
= Rs. 73,00,000 = Rs. 73 lakhs

Thus, we see that savings or conservation made is an effort to conserve or extend

the availability of our energy resources for a longer period of time for future
generations. At the same time no compromises have been made in maintaining
the standard of services provided by the hotel, plus you are getting monetary
benefits by cutting down the energy expenses and prudently using your energy
resources. The saving made also help soar your profit percent directly without
putting stress on the marketing and sales team, or the food and beverage service
brigade.

Overview of energy cost

There are various forms of energy that are consumed in various sections of a hotel
property; for example, electricity, water, kitchen gas, district heating, boiler gas,
and other fuels. Energy costs of a hotel vary according to its type, size, location
etc. However, the total energy cost generally ranges from 9 to 13 percent of the
total operating cost of a hotel, or 2 to 3 percent of the total turnover of the hotel
business.

Indian hotels consume approximately 70% of electricity, 12% water, 4%

kitchen gas (LPG), 4% district heating, 4% boiler gas and 6% other fuels.

Major energy usage department of hotels

Some of the major energy consuming areas/ departments of a hotel are the
following:-

 Guest rooms
 Food production
 Laundry
 Food and beverage service
 Elevators/ escalators
 Swimming pool
 Hotel Engineering especially in HVAC system which is the biggest user of
energy.

HOW TO CONSERVE ENERGY IN KEY DISCIPLINE AREAS OF A HOTEL

Energy conservation is a team job, and the contribution of every single staff makes
a difference. Therefore, it is important that all employees be appropriately
counseled and appraised of small habits that go a long way in conserving energy.
Some useful tips on power saving for some energy consuming majors in the
industry are enlisted as under:

F & B department

 Switch on only that equipment which is required.

 Prepare a schedule clearly indicating additional equipment requirement
during peak season.
 Check the capacity of heavy equipment, like ovens, deep fat fryers, dough
kneaders etc. and plan for optimum capacity utilizations.
 Time required for preheating the oven should be known and notified to all
staff concerned.
 Oven doors not to be opened for longer than necessary for loading and
unloading. Opening doors frequently reduces efficiency and results in
energy loss.
 Switch off ovens, and gas ranges that are not necessary / not in use.
 Limit the general use of hot water to 1060 F.
 Cook on the largest volume possible.
 Turn down heat as soon as food begins to boil.
 Keep all cooking surfaces clean.
 Bring the frosted meat/vegetables/fruit items to room temperature before
you start cooking.
 Soaking of lentils and rice helps in energy conservation.
 Place foil under range and griddle burners.
 Do not turn on the gas burners until you are ready to cook.
 Timers should be installed on the kitchen equipment.
 Burners should always be at minimum before placing the pot or kettle on
them.
 Use flat-bottom pans and pots to maximize heat transfer.
 Regularly check all gas units for uneven or yellow flames.
 Replace the outdated equipment with more energy efficient ones.
 Follow scheduled maintenance of equipment.
 Check proper insulation and earthing of equipment on a routine basis.
 Proper cleaning and maintenance of equipment reduce fuel consumption.
 Install chandeliers and other decorative light fixtures in restaurants, coffee
shops, banquets, nightclubs, discotheques etc.
 Banquet is a major section of energy consumption. So, control the
functioning of a/c according to the time of function; e.g. if function starts at
15-00 hrs, then switch on the AC system at 14-30 hrs and if it schedules
closing at 21-00 hrs, then switch off the AC system at 20-30 hrs.
 Timely defrosting in case of refrigerated equipment helps in energy
conservation.
 Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL lamps.

Room Division
 Make use of natural light when designing the rooms. A saving of half an
hour per day results in energy conservation of almost 180 hrs per room per
year.
 Use light finishes for walls and ceilings for better reflection.
 Reduce wattage of lamps with the help of light savers.
 Switch off light in corridors bearing in mind safety and security.
 Switch off TV or music in an unused room.
 Keep draperies closed in guest rooms.
 Ensure that leakage in water taps is promptly attended.
 Laundry is a major section of energy consumption in the housekeeping
dept., so develop a regular preventive maintenance and cleaning
programme of the heavy-duty equipment.
 Control neon fixtures, other floodlights and spot fixtures used for illuminating
building exterior on present automatic time switches.
 Place alternate lights in passages, corridors, staircases, backyards and
compounds on separate circuits.
 Practice preventive maintenance.
 Turn off all the lights of all the public areas when not required.
 Turn off the corridor lights during the day when natural light is adequate.
 Install master switch controls in all lights of the guest rooms and which can
be synchronized with looking arrangements from outside the entrance door
to turn off and turn on supply of electricity.
 Follow manufacturer’s instructions for maximum output of an equipment.

Engineering

 Do not deploy reheating for comfort applications; under perfect conditions

reheating units are not desirable.
 Check the quality of water and provide necessary water treatment solution
to prevent scaling and fouling of heat exchangers.
 Switch off HVAC equipment in unoccupied areas paying attention to the
humidity condition.
 Ensure that the heat exchangers, cooling towers, cooling coils are
thoroughly cleaned and maintained periodically.
 Check air-handling unit for air quantities.
 Check ventilation and exhaust systems and limit the number of air changes
to the minimum that is acceptable.
 Implement regular cleaning programmes for HVAC system filters.
 All electrical distribution system should be checked and all the phases are
to be balanced.
 Implement an effective preventive maintenance programme for the boiler
house.
 Hot water supply and return pipes should be adequately insulated to
minimize heat loses.
Food production:

Food preparation in hotel restaurants is a factor in the energy budget, with cooking
using about 6% and refrigeration (not including guest icemakers) using about 2%
of the total energy consumed in the hotel. In seeking energy savings, consider
these opportunities:
Cooking:
• Turn individual pieces of cooking equipment off or down to an idling
temperature during slack production times or when not needed Operate at the
proper temperature, (e.g., fryers at 325˚F to 350˚F.) Excessive temperature
wastes energy and often results in improperly cooked food. Don’t increase
temperature during rush hours to increase production. Excessive temperature
could destroy the quality of the product and energy consumption will increase.
• On gas units, make sure each gas flame burns blue and adjust the
gas to-air ratio when necessary. Keep burner parts clean. Poorly adjusted flames
waste gas and may also deposit soot and carbon on the food.
• Do not load the units beyond the manufacturer’s recommended
capacity. Overloading results in poor food quality.
• Keep all units clean and properly maintained.
• Establish and implement a regular schedule of preventive
maintenance tasks.

Specific measures for energy intensive equipment in Food production

include –

A. Fryers. Drain and strain the oil and check fat levels frequently. This saves oil
and preserves food quality. Low fat levels can cause premature oil breakdown.

B. Griddles. Pre-heat only until the griddle surface has achieved the correct
cooking temperature required to cook the food, and heat only the sections
necessary. Clean the griddle frequently and always re-season. Scrape
the cooking surface between production intervals. Cleaning some types of griddle
surfaces requires special tools - use them. Inspect each griddle section periodically
for hot or cold spots.

C. Broilers. Preheating a broiler for an extended period of time or at an

excessively high temperature wastes energy and could alter the food quality and
taste. Load the broiler to maximum capacity to gain maximum efficiency. Clean
grates frequently - carbonized grease hinders heat transfer, lowers cooking
efficiency, and mars food quality. Adjust broiler section power; for example, use
one section to full heat for rare meats, and lower another section for well-done
meats, to save energy while also improving cooking consistency. Consider infrared
broilers whenever possible as they may be turned off when not in use and then
quickly reheated when needed.

D. Ovens. Energy efficiency of ovens depends upon how well they are constructed
and used. Insulation levels and quality are two of the most significant factors in
oven design. Some inexpensive ovens have little-to no insulation in the oven door.
In addition, ovens consume considerable amounts of energy when they are left on,
even when no food is being cooked. If your kitchen production requirement does
not call for a full-sized oven, consider a half-size oven; it will operate at much
better economies.
E. Steamers. Steamer ovens are well insulated to reduce heat loss to the kitchen.
They are quick to preheat because of the high heat transfer characteristics of
steam. Therefore, they require less energy to stay up to temperature during slow
times. Keep the unit fully loaded when possible as a steamer operates at peak
efficiency and productivity at full capacity. Control the water quality to the steamer.
If the water in your area is hard or contains chemicals at any significant levels,
these can coat and corrode the steaming components. This scale and possible
chemical carryover can deteriorate steamer performance.

F. Energy Conservation in Kitchen Refrigeration: Refrigeration is a vital tool for

almost every food service operator but refrigeration systems have two strikes
against them – they are “On” all the time and they consume electricity. The hotel
has a number of deep freezers and cold storage rooms. This means that even
small amounts of energy wasted by poorly maintained refrigeration will add up to
substantial costs over time. Here are some practical recommendations to keep
refrigeration systems running efficiently:

Use strip curtains or plastic swing doors on cold stores. These

“infiltration barriers” block warm moist air from getting into the boxes while the door is
open. Strip curtains used in busy kitchens can reduce compressor runtime significantly
and that saves lot of energy. Remember, strip curtains have to cover the entire door
opening.
• Make sure that the doors of the cold stores are shut all the time.
Repair or replace broken auto-closers on the doors, lubricate door hinges, and realign
sagging doors. Also, don’t allow employees to prop open walk-in doors.
• Check all the door gaskets every fortnightly on all refrigerators
and replace any gaskets that are torn, cracked, worn out, or just plain missing. (Always
use the manufacturer’s specified replacement). A refrigerator door must seal completely to
be effective. Remember, that the proper sealing of doors is not for keeping the cold air in –
it is to keep hot and humid kitchen air out.
 • Airflow is an important part of refrigeration. When the coils
are clogged and dirty, the compressor works harder and will fail sooner. Thus it is
recommended to clean the evaporator coil (the cold one inside the refrigerator) and
condenser coil (the hot one outside the refrigerator or on the roof) at least quarterly. If the
aluminum fins are frozen or bent/damaged then call a qualified service person for the
cleaning. Remember – never use a caustic cleaner on these coils.
• Find the time clocks that control the freezer defrost and set them
properly. Time clocks might be located on top of or underneath the freezers, on the wall,
or on the roof. There is a clock for each freezer. With the help of these clocks, the number
of daily defrost cycles can be reduced from four to three and sometimes even two. Each
cycle should be about 15 minutes long. Also, make sure that the evaporator drain line is
heated and insulated so that the defrost condensate has some place to go. Improper
defrosting can waste a lot of electricity and compromise safe freezer temperatures.
• Use only Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) in cold storages. A regular
CFL will work fine in the cold storage but for freezer a low temperature rated CFL or LED
light is required. LED’s would be the ideal solutions for both applications.

G. Energy Conservation in Kitchen Ventilation An unbalanced or poorly

designed kitchen exhaust system can spell trouble both for restaurant’s air quality
and for utility bills.
• Catch all that is possible – Cut down on spillage by adding inexpensive side
panels to hoods that are failing to capture, and push each appliance as far back
against the wall as possible to maximize hood overhang and close the air gap
between the appliance and the wall.
• Rebalance the act – If an air balance has not been performed recently, it’s
time to do so. Time, maintenance, broken belts, and poor commissioning all lead
to kitchen exhaust systems that are out of balance, potentially moving too much or
too little air, spilling and costing money. This also applies to dining room heating,
ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system; outside doors that are hard to
open because of suction or that blow open by themselves are a sure sign that it’s
time to order an air balance.
• Use variable-speed exhaust – Typically, kitchen exhaust hoods have two
settings: “off” and “on”. Naturally, “off” is ideal for when the kitchen is empty, and
“on” may be great for the frenzied lunch and dinner
rush—but neither is quite right for the afternoon lull, the post-dinner wind down, or
any other situation when the kitchen isn’t operating at full capacity. Variable-speed,
demand-based exhaust controls get around this problem by using sensors to
monitor the cooking and varying the exhaust fan speed to match the ventilation
needs. Demand ventilation
controls typically reduce the cost to operate an exhaust system by anywhere from
30 to 50 % and can be installed on either new installations or retrofitted to existing
hoods.
• Maximize hood size – A 4-foot deep hood is somewhat typical for restaurant
exhaust, but more smoke and heat can be captured if a 5 or 6 foot deep hood is
used.

Hotel Laundry:
One of the large consumers of water and heat in the hotel, laundry is an outlet that
can significantly reduce energy consumption with no effect on guest comfort or
satisfaction. Some of the important points to achieve desired results are listed
below:
• Shift the lights - different switches operating for different
corners of the laundry. This will help in switching off the lights when not required.
• Clean lamps and lights fixtures every month to maintain the
lighting levels.
• Clean and wash walls, floors and ceiling to allow better reflection of
lights.
• Check and record the water consumption. Compare water
consumption daily to find wastages, if any.
• Consider using cold water detergents. It will greatly reduce energy
consumption.
• Reduce hot water temperature to 48 deg C.
• Repairor replace all hot water piping insulation.
• All steam line values shouldbe checked for leaks. That is, you should
be able to shut off steam to any machine not in use keeping steam supply main
open.
• If possible use final rinse water for 1st wash while washing
uniforms and hotel cloths.
• Reduce time between loads to prevent tumblers from cooling
down.
• Air line shouldbe checked for leaks.
• Periodically clean exhaust duct and blower of lint and dust.
• Keep steam pressure at lowest possible level.
• Shut off steam valve whenever machine is not being utilized.
• Keep radiator coils and fins free from dirt all the times.
• Ensure all steam traps in perfect working order.
• Keep an eye on the preventive maintenance schedule of all
laundry equipments by Engineering Department to ensure timely compliance.
Beneficiaries of Energy Conservation

The benefits of energy conservation are several. The manner in which various
stakeholders stand to benefit from saving energy is discussed as under:-

 Owners- The foremost benefits of energy conservation are the monetary

owners that accrue as a result of reduced cost of operations and
consequent increase in the net profits of the property. The benefits of
energy conservation generally go to the owners and senior management of
the hotels. For instance, if a hotel earned Rs. 5,00,000 by reducing the
energy cost per annum, then to save the same amount, they would have to
increase the sales of their property by Rs. 25,00,000 per year to achieve
same net profit, if the profit percentage is 20.

 Guests- They may not be getting direct benefits in terms of money, but
tremendous energy conservation is directly related to environment friendly
practices and judicious use of natural resources. This intangible benefit in
terms of enhanced well-being results in guest satisfaction that translates
into repeat business to the hotel.

 Staff- The employees stand to gain in terms of higher level of morale as

also a sense of pride and achievement that comes from an increase in the
level of effectiveness and efficiency. Maintenance of high level of service
standards, better output, and productivity are other benefits derived from
energy conservation.

 Environment- The biggest gainer of the energy conservation exercise

happens to be the environment. As ‘energy saved is energy generated’, this
means that the rate of depletion of energy resources is slowed down, and
they could be available for the consumption of future generations. An idea
of the scale of saving natural resources can be drawn from the following
statement:- One ton of lost steam each day is equivalent to 80 litres of high
fuel oil commonly termed as light diesel oil (LDO) or approximately 30,000
litres per year.
ENERGY AUDIT

An energy audit is an essential step of energy management. Its objective is to

analyze and evaluate collected data to determine the energy performance of an
entire property and its major consumers. Simply, energy audit means comparison
of the actual performance with the standard benchmark of a particular equipment
to find out the variance in terms of the actual and desirable performance.

Some useful tips while conducting the energy audit are as follows:-

 Carry out a departmental energy audit to get a fair idea of major energy
consumers.
 Compare the result to determine potential savings from a section or
department.
 Energy audit should be done on a regular basis.
 Convert energy units to Kwh.
 Establish a monitoring and targeting system.
 Install sub meters for each utility.
 Calculate on monthly basis energy consumption per kg for laundry.
 Compare the result with benchmarks and calculate the difference in
percentage and money to see how much could be saved.

Calculations based on consumption

Calculate water consumption in cubic metres per person per year if

 Annual consumption = 69,000 cubic metres
 Number of rooms = 300
 Average occupancy = 80% including 25% double occupancy

Total number of rooms occupied = 240

Total house count = 300 guests
(Note: If 100% rooms are single occupied, then house count from single rooms =240.
If 25% rooms are double occupied, then house count from double rooms = 60).
Water consumption = 69,000 / 300 = 230 cubic metres per person per year.

Calculations based on energy audit

The following information about the food and beverage department of a five star hotel is
given. Conduct an energy audit and find out the results.
Covers sold in the month of August 2009:
 Banquet 12,000 covers
 Coffee shop 10,000 covers
 a la carte restaurant 6,000 covers
 Employee meals 4,000 covers
 Total covers 32,000
Consumption of energy for cooking, dishwashing, and cold storage = 1,20,000 kWh
Consumption of energy for lighting, ventilation, and hot water = 30,000 kWh
Water (cold and hot) = 2,000 cubic metres
Electricity rate @ Rs. 5.00 kWh
Water rate @ Rs. 10.00 per cubic metre
Solution:
We have to use the multiplying factors from the table of benchmark (Table 5) and get-

Banquet 12,000 covers x 0.7 = 8,400

Coffee shop 10,000 covers x 0.8 = 8,000
a la carte restaurant 6,000 covers x 1.6 = 9,600
Employee meals 4,000 covers x 0.5 = 2,000
_________________________
Total covers 32,000 = 28,000
--------------------------------------

The total equivalent covers at factor 1.0 are 28,000 covers. Now we will use this figure to
calculate consumption per cover with benchmarks.

Energy for cooking, dishwashing, and cold storage = 1,20,000kWh / 28,000 = 4.285 kWh.
per cover. Rating : Fair, excess 40% above 3 kWh (benchmark), monthly wastes in this
case is Rs. 1,68,000 ( 1.2 kWh x Rs.5 x 28,000)

Energy for lighting, ventilation, and hot water = 30,000 kWh / 28,000 = 1.071 kWh. Rating:
Fair, excess 7% above 1 kWh (benchmark), monthly waste in this case is Rs. 9,800 (0.07
kWh x Rs.5 x 28,000)

Water (cold and hot): 2,000 cubic metres x 1000 / 28,000 = 71.4 liters per cover. Rating:
Very poor, excess 36 liters above 35 liters (benchmark), monthly waste in this case is Rs.
10,080 (36ltr/1000 x Rs.10 x 28,000).

Total monthly waste = Rs. 1, 68,000 + Rs. 9,800 + Rs. 10,080 = Rs. 1, 87,880.
STEPS OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Step 1 – Management and planning The first step is to identify a team to oversee energy
management in a hotel. The team should comprise management-level staff (owners,
managers), technical staff, financial staff, and housekeeping. Large hotels usually have an
engineering department and full-time technicians for regular maintenance of hotel
facilities. The chiefs of the engineering departments are often assigned as energy
managers; however, technical staff alone cannot effectively implement an energy
management plan. Commitment from the top-level management is vital for providing a
sufficiently high focus on improving energy efficiency. Members from the financial
department should provide analyzes of energy cost savings, and housekeeping is crucial
to ensure the implementation of established measures.

Step 2 – Energy Assessment Knowing the hotel’s energy consumption is critical to

developing an energy management plan. A detailed energy audit is the best way to
identify where energy is being consumed, and how to improve energy efficiency. A detail
audit needs to be carried out to measure power consumption for a certain period of time. It
requires an allocation of resources and time to conduct a useful and detailed energy audit.
A ‘walk-through’ energy audit is a quicker and simpler method, which requires only a
review of electricity bills, interviews with relevant personnel, and a walk-though of the
facility to identify areas of energy waste. A walk-through audit is generally used as a
preliminary measure for identifying areas that are candidates for more detailed energy
audits.

Step 3 – Benchmarking Benchmarking is an analysis based on the performance or

energy consumption of a given hotel, followed by subsequent comparison to the
performance of other hotels in similar environments. Levels of energy consumption tend to
vary by hotel classification and climate conditions. As a result, hotels are generally
classified by size, (number of rooms) and star rating (facilities and comfort levels). By
calculating energy consumption per hotel floor area or per guest-night, energy managers
can compare their results with those of hotels that share similar comfort levels, sizes, and
climate conditions. If the energy consumption of a hotel is higher than the average, it is a
good candidate to undergo measures to lower its energy consumption.

Step 4 – Measures Measures to improve energy efficiency can be implemented by

changing behavior and simple maintenance activities that require little or no investment.
These measures can effectively reduce energy consumption, often to a significant degree.
Hotel owners may also choose to replace old appliances with more efficient ones. This
requires capital investment, but can drastically reduce a hotel’s energy cost within a
potential payback period of 2-5 years.
Step 5 – Evaluate After implementing energy efficiency measures, it is important that
energy managers monitor the level of energy consumption by keeping records of energy
and water consumption, and subsequently evaluating the results of implemented
measures. This information is important for the hotel management for the purposes of
calculating operating cost and profit margins, and for maintaining the energy consumption
at a low level.

ENERGY MANAGEMENT TEAM

The key to successfully saving energy in a hotel is to form a responsible energy

management team, develop action plans, and communicate with all key hotel staff
regarding the energy saving goal. The goal should be realistic and time-bound; one
example of this might be “to reduce electricity consumption by 25% over 2 years”. The
goal also needs to be discussed and agreed on by team members.

The team may comprise an energy manager, someone from technician/maintenance staff,
someone with financial or accounting knowledge, and a representative from the
housekeeping department. In small hotels, one person may assume multiple roles; for
example, the hotel owner may be both energy manager and finance expert.
General Composition of Energy Conservation Committees in Different Operational
Areas in a Five Star Hotel

Food and Food Hotel Hotel Front Office

Beverage Production Accommodation Engineering

Manager food Executive Chef Executive Chief Engineer Front Office

And beverage Housekeeper Manager

Restaurant Chef de Partie Assistant Shift in charge Duty Manager

Manager Housekeeper

Banquet Commis I Control desk Shift Supervisor Resident

Manager In charge Manager

Guest Relation Commis II Laundry Electrician Front Office

Executive In charge Assistant

Captain Commis III Floor Supervisor Lift operators Bell desk

In charge

Stewards Kitchen Room attendant Boiler operators Bell Boys

Stewarding
Manager

Bartender Utility worker Chamber’s maids Assistants Front Office

assistant

Energy Conservation Programme

Once an energy audit is complete, the next logical step is to draw out and execute the
exercise to accomplish energy consumption in sectors of the hotel where there is scope.
This exercise constitutes the energy conservation programme. It must, however, be borne
in mind that energy conservation is not a one man or one department programme. It
requires involvement and commitment of every employee of the hotel from General
Manager to the entry-level staff of any section.

Generally, an energy committee is constituted with the head of the committee being
appointed from the department concerned. The committee is tasked to plan, implement,
and monitor the energy conservation programme. The details of the philosophy of the
programme are left to the committee. The committee must be made aware that the energy
conservation programme is a three-phase programme. The flow chart mentioned in the
next page (page 13) will clear the idea.
The first phase includes the things that can be done immediately with minimum
inconvenience to the guests as well as to the organization. The point to remember here is
that there is no budget for an energy conservation programme, so the payoff of this phase
is usually fairly large for the efforts put in.

The second phase involves readjustment of the operational practices. The savings made
in these two phases should be fed back into the operations so that the third phase can be
implemented.

The third phase involves changes in the physical property, which may require the owners’
investment plus the savings made in the first and second phases. For instance, installation
of equipment would be instrumental in conservation.
From table 8 (page 14) a general composition of energy conservation committee in a five
star can be seen.

Flow Chart for Developing an Energy Conservation Programme

Phase One

Step 1 Collect data on consumption of energy and convert it into the amount.
Step 2 Compare the data with the benchmark by performing an energy audit.
Step 3 Analyze the findings and identify a department where differences are highest.
Step 4 Call a meeting and invite the head of the department and his/her team for discussion on the
results.
Step 5 Seek their suggestions and ask about the problems faced by them regarding the poor
performance in the energy audit.
Step 6 Appoint an energy conservation committee headed by the departmental head and give them
a target to reduce energy consumption within a set time frame.

Phase Two

Step 7 Review the results of phase one. If the results are positive after the target time, commend
the efforts of the task force and seek their suggestions to invest the savings in the second phase.
Allow them to make certain changes in the existing standard operating practices / minimum
investment in replacing the light equipment / accessories. Give them a target to reduce energy
consumption within a set target time in the second phase.
If the results are not encouraging, then repeat the first phase till the desired results are obtained.

Phase Three

Step 8 Review the results of phase two after the target time. If the results are positive, then praise
the efforts of the task force and solicit their advice. Invite the senior management / owners for a
discussion on the success story of the task force. Ask for the owner’s investment in making
changes in the infrastructures, building systems, and inducting the latest technology, etc. to further
improve energy conservation.

If the results are not encouraging, then the second phase is repeated till the time the desired results
are obtained.