July 17, 2013

Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,

 

The minutes from the June 27 meeting are below, with links to the presentations. See the other sections, too.

Our next meeting will be August 1. I will announce the location and speakers soon. The topics: 
  • how hotels can prevent food waste, and cut their food purchasing bills by 2% to 5%.
  • how hotels can save money and increase comfort by using infra-red heating for outdoor areas and areas with high ceilings.
  • how new bathroom ventilation technology can reduce energy bills, noise, mold and improve indoor air quality.
Please mark this meeting on your calendars!

Dan
MEETING PRESENTATIONS

                                               Boston Green Tourism Meeting   

June 27, 2013 

 

Location: Mandarin Oriental Boston     

Host: Ed Dustin   

 

Present: Ed Dustin, Dominik Reiner, Tedd Saunders, Marcella MacKenzie, Scot Hopps, Ali Rotatori, Marc Cohn, Tran Truong, Edwin Madrano, Al Vaughn, Jeff Hanulec, Fabienne Eliacin, Gerri Weiner, Conor Healey, Cameron Ritzenthaler, Bill Scherer, Adam Mitchell, Karen Weber, Alex Alexandrovich, Charity Pennock, Marc Sandofsky, Jack Fellman, Dan Ruben.

 

PRESENTATIONS  

Cooling Related Energy Conservation 

Marc Sandofsky, Presdent, RetroCool Energy, Inc.

 

The Compelling Case for Food Dehydration Technology

Jack Fellman, General Maager, Greener Chemical Associates 

 

Staying a Step Ahead: How Hotels Can Discover the Latest Energy and Water Efficient Technologies

Charity Pennock, Segment Development Program Manager, New England Clean Energy Council   

NEWS

Comfort Inn in Revere Installs Combined Heat and Power System

The Comfort Inn and Suites Boston/Logan Airport recently completed the installation of a combined heat and power (CHP) or co-generation unit. Working with  Aegis Energy Services. the hotel will be able to self-produce approximately 1/3rd of their total electricity while also utilizing what would otherwise be 'waste' heat for showers, laundry, pool heating, and even pre-heating the makeup air (in the winter).

 

Comfort Inn and The Saunders Hotel Group (SHG) received an incentive through Mass Save and National Grid of $750/kW, which covered approximately 25% of the 75 kW CHP unit's installation cost. Aegis offers two options, either a regular purchase or a 'Shared Savings' leasing program which is similar to a power purchase agreement. Since the return on investment was so strong, SHG opted for an outright purchase of the machine with a long-term maintenance contract through Aegis.

 

According to SHG's Director of Sustainability, Scot Hopps, they are expecting $30-$50,000 annual utility savings, will reduce their annual greenhouse gas emissions by 15%, and will boost the building's Energy Star score significantly. When asked about the project, Scot stated, "We did a lot of due diligence to make sure this technology was a proper fit, and we are excited about the long term environmental and economic benefits it will provide for the hotel."

 

At least four other area hotels have CHP units operating: Residence Inn Cambridge, Royal Sonesta, Doubletree Boston, and Hotel Indigo. CHP is a good fit for buildings which have a consistently high demand for hot water throughout the year, especially summer months so that the unit's efficiency is optimized. It should be noted that there is a region of NSTAR territory in downtown Boston which cannot accept on-site generation of any type at this time, so step one is contacting your electrical utility company to ensure you are in an area which can accept a cogeneration unit onto the grid. 

 

 

Waste Bans in Massachusetts: State Hires 9 Auditors, Offers Support for Businesses  

Massachusetts bans many items from their waste stream, including cardboard; paper; containers made from glass, aluminum, other metals or plastic; plant waste; CRT's; and construction/demolition materials. Food waste will be added to the list next summer.

 

The MA Department of Environmental Protection (MA DEP) recently decided to inspect more loads for compliance.  They hired nine inspectors to perform unannounced waste ban inspections at disposal facilities. If a load is deemed to fail, the generator and hauler are expected to work together to resolve the issue. The DEP can assess fines of up to $25,000.

 

MA DEP funds RecyclingWorks Massachusetts to help businesses improve their recycling and food waste diversion programs. They offer: 

I can help your hotel, too. You may also contact me if you want a free presentation / discussion about how hotels achieve excellent waste management results.  

IDEAS

Boston Hotels Recover and Reuse Heat from Steam Systems' Condensate

If your hotel uses steam, does it recover the heat from its condensate? Taj Boston and W Boston Hotel recently started capturing that heat, with the help of Baker Engineering & Controls, See this article: Boston Hotels Save in Several Ways Thanks to Condensate Heat Recovery Systems, Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, June 27.

 

The hotels save money in three ways: they use the waste heat for their domestic hot water, they no longer have to add cold water to the hot condensate to cool it, and they save on their sewage bills. In addition, they will see a nice boost in their Energy Star score.

 

Taj Boston's Maureen Albright said that the project's ROI was under two years, not counting the fact that Veolia Energy paid for most of it. The hotel will save roughly $60,000 per year.

 

The article's author also quoted Luke Fanuele--formerly from W Boston, Sheraton Boston's Jeff Hanulec and Baker Engineering's Alex Alexandrovich.  

OPPORTUNITY

Presentation: How U.S. Hotels Save Money and Attract Business by Going Green

I make a presentation to Boston Green Tourism hotels (free), other hotels and engineering firms on how hotels benefit by greening their properties. It includes practical strategies gleaned from over 80 green hotel workshops that I have organized, as well as the green hotel literature and practical advice from hoteliers.  

 

The presentation helps hotels that are on any stage of their path--from beginners to the most sophisticated green hotels. If I made this presentation to your facility over two years ago, consider having me give it again, because there is a lot of new material--and you might have new managers.

 

This is the presentation outline:

  • How to increase revenue by going green.
  • How to reduce costs by going green.
  • How green hotels assess performance, establish objectives, establish accountability, develop expertise, identify financial resources and involve staff.
  • Energy efficiency and renewable energy
  • Water use efficiency
  • Waste management
  • Toxics use reduction 
  • Transportation
  • Food

If you want to discuss the possibility of having me speak to your hotel's green team, executive staff or other audiences, please contact me. More information is here

ARTICLES
Electric Shuttle Van: A Viable Option for Guest Transportation?    
Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, July 11. 
 
Two electric shuttle vans have hit the market. The 13-passenger van sold by Zenith Electric goes 80 miles on a charge. It costs $79,500, not including state tax credits. The company claims that it could save as much as $100,000 in gasoline costs over its 300,000 mile lifetime.
 

Holly Tuppen, Green Hotelier, June 5, 2013
 
The HCMI methodology enables hotels to calculate the carbon footprint of hotel stays and meetings. It was developed by the International Tourism Partnership, the World Travel & Tourism Council and 23 global hospitality companies, including Fairmont, Hyatt, InterContinental, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott and Starwood. It was updated last month.
 
You can obtain the new version here, or by sending a note to [email protected]
2013 MEETINGS

August 1

September 12

October 24

December 5: Renassance Boston Waterfront   

 

See you August 1!