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Green Lighting For The Hospitality Industry

February 1, 2013

green lighting for hospitality hotels

Lighting is a powerful design tool that can craft a space and affect emotions. Hospitality is one of the original commercial areas that always understood the importance of proper lighting design. To this end, hospitality projects can be some of the most creative and inspiring to take part in, but there is more to consider than design and creativity.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting represents 40% of the average commercial building’s electric bill. Furthermore, according to the EPA Energy Star Program, U.S. hotels spend close to $4 billion on energy costs each year and are the fourth most intensive users of energy in the commercial sector. Lighting accounts for nearly 25% of electricity consumed by hotels and for more than 40% in guest rooms alone.

Wouldn’t it be a bright idea to reduce energy costs?

Green lighting and energy-efficient products are not exclusive to 2013. Most if not all of us are quite familiar with them, but let’s take a look at some of our options.

Incandescent & Halogen

While the legislation debates continue feverishly, the fact remains that we will lose some of the more inefficient filament lamp types soon. Where incandescent or halogen lamps may still be preferred due to aggressive dimming or color requirements, make sure to use the highest efficiency version available. Halogen lamps are more efficient and last longer than incandescent lamps. Infrared-conserving halogen lamps are even more efficient.

Fluorescent Systems

Linear fluorescent systems are the workhorse of back-of-house spaces, as well as many common areas and bathrooms. With very high efficiency and lamp life ratings now achieving 60,000 hours, these systems are outstanding, cost-effective solutions for any area.

Induction Fluorescent Systems

A newer technology, some early induction lighting installations have outperformed their 100,000-hour predicted life rating. Available in a wide range of colors and power packages, the high-color rendering induction lighting systems are ideal for extended-use applications, such as in lobbies, atriums, parking lots, and signs, particularly where luminaries are mounted at great heights.

American Hotel Register and You – Working Together to Go Green!

April 10, 2012

At American Hotel Register Company, we recognize the importance of instituting environmentally friendly practices into all aspects of our business. Our Living Green program is designed to support the environmental responsibility of the hospitality industry by developing and sourcing environmentally preferred products and packaging, by educating customers about environmental issues, and by making our corporate headquarters and regional distribution centers as environmentally efficient as possible.

Going green conserves the environment and saves money! Today there are hundreds of products available to support your sustainability program and a variety of tips that can be implemented to increase your hotel’s environmental awareness while saving money.

Here are just a few:

  • When thinking about saving electricity with lighting, not only should you convert to more sustainable lightbulbs in lamps, but convert overhead commercial lighting as well. Compact fluorescent bulbs last 10 times as long as incandescent bulbs and use 75 percent less energy— meaning that one bulb can save you $25 over the lifetime of the bulb.
  • Use refillable soap and shampoo dispensers. Eliminate those little plastic bottles and wasted product!  Please consider donating opened toiletries to organizations in need rather than discarding.
  • Provide 100% RainforestAllianceCertified Coffee for your in-room coffee program. Guests will love the superior flavor – and each cup brewed ensures local coffee farmers fair wages and working conditions.
  • Why not offer beverage glasses in guest rooms rather than disposable plastic cups? Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, you’ll save money on supplying hundreds of new cups every day.
  • Purchase pre-laundered towels and sheets and eliminate initial laundering expenses. You’ll enjoy reduced energy, water and labor costs, too!

We invite you to take a look at more of our great Living Green tips on our website. By implementing a few easy changes, together we can make a difference in conserving natural resources.

Save Green By Going Green

December 26, 2011

save money by going greenYou’ve probably seen more than one article on how to save money while making your property greener. In today’s tough economic climate, these ideas are more relevant than ever. Here are a few:

  1. Convert lighting to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs ). There are an average of five bulbs used in each guest room alone. Have you reviewed your lighting needs lately to ensure you are maximizing CFL usage and reducing energy costs? According to Energy Star, qualified bulbs like CFLs use about 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
  2. Install ceiling fans to circulate the air. This allows you to raise the temperature on your air conditioning.
  3. Reset thermostats. You may be surprised to find out that you can increase or decrease the settings a few degrees without anyone noticing. Also, do you have the thermostat set the same 24 hours a day? Is there a reason for that?
  4. Adjust temperature limiters on PTACS to save energy and money.
  5. Install low-flow faucet aerators and showerheads to limit water flow. Most guests won’t notice this, but making the switch will reduce overall water usage.
  6. Keep your money from going down the drain! Make sure toilets are working properly. Install new flappers or fill valves. Some systems can save up to 3,000 gallons a year!
  7. Display linen re-usage signage. Placing reminders in guest rooms asking guests if they need their linens washed every day is a simple, but effective way to reduce laundering costs.
  8. Don’t just use Energy Star-qualified lightbulbs, switch to Energy Star appliances as well for significant energy savings over the life of the product.
  9. Use microfiber products for cleaning. They clean effectively with fewer chemicals and can remove up to 98% of surface bacteria.
  10. Switch to concentrated forms of sustainable cleaning products versus ready-to-use. This saves money since you aren’t paying higher shipping costs for the increased volume of product, and it reduces your carbon footprint too.

 

If you’re already putting some of these “green” money-saving ideas into practice, I applaud you! If not, please consider incorporating as many of them as you can into your daily, weekly, or monthly maintenance schedules. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to include them, and the savings can really add up.

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