9-11 September 2009 Manila, Philippines International Conference on Green Industry in Asia 10 September 20091 of 15 ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE ACCOMMODATION.

9-11 September 2009Manila, Philippines

International Conference on Green Industry in Asia

10 September 2009 1 of 15

ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN THE ACCOMMODATION SECTOR

Side event - Advancing a low carbon tourism industry: challenges & responses

Brahmanand Mohanty, Ph.D.Visiting Faculty, Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

Regional Adviser for Asia, French Environment & Energy Management Agency (ADEME)[email protected]

10 September 2009 2 of 15

Tourism sector at a glance

• Tourism sector represents– 11% of the world GDP; main source of revenue for many

low-income countries– 8% of jobs created around the globe– 842 million tourists in 2006; expected to grow to 1.5

billion by 2020 (21% of the world population), according to the WTO

• Consequences– Economic and social opportunities for the tourist

destinations– Considerable pressure on the environment

• 5% of the world CO2 emissions– Transport and accommodation

• 4.8 million tons of waste per year

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Impacts of hotels on the environment

Air

Liquid wastes

WastesSoil

Landscape

Noise Environmental risks

EnergyWater

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Use of energy by the hotel industry

• Hotels are important energy consumers– Hotels rank among the top 5 energy consumers in the

tertiary building sector– Estimated use of energy by hotels in 2001 was 97.5 TWh

(Gössling, 2002)– Typical challenges: competitiveness, cost reduction,

environmental factors• Hotels’ high contribution to climate change

& global warming– With about 80% of the world primary energy deriving

from fossil fuels, the sector’s contribution to global warming and climate change is high

– Global CO2 emissions by hotels estimated to be 55.7 MT in 2001 (Gössling, 2002)

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The accommodation sector

• Highly energy intensive to meet clients’ expectations– During construction phase

• Use of high embodied energy construction materials (steel, cement, glass…)

• Purchase of energy-intensive appliances and equipment for service provision

– For operation and maintenance• Meet the expected comfort needs of the guests (mainly

thermal and visual, but also many other needs (transport, water supply and sanitation, cooking…)

• High specific energy use of hotels in developing Asian countries– Electricity use per guest-night in a typical upper-end

hotel can be hundred times the average per capita local electricity use

– Greater burden on local electric utilities which are most often State-owned

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Energy efficiency strategy for hotels

• Best strategy:– Demand-side management followed by supply-

side options

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Sustainable design

• Major stakes: tourism infrastructure– Design and construct new tourist development facilities

that are highly resource-efficient and environmentally benign

– Renovate/rehabilitate tourist facilities (hotels, resorts) that are high consumers of energy, water and raw materials and are high CO2 emitters

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Sustainable design

• Designing to meet national, regional or international green building criteria– Several green building certification schemes around

the world– Energy efficiency and conservation are major

components of green building programs (Energy Star - USA, HQE - France, GRIHA - India, LEED - many parts of the world…)

• Green building certified buildings typically save 30 to 50% in operating energy and 35% in carbon emissions

• These energy savings will make the hotel more cost-competitive and provide enhanced services to their clients (better thermal and visual comfort)

• Indirect benefits in many developing countries: less investment on back-up energy supply options

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Sustainable design

• Typical eco-design features of tourist infrastructure– Reducing dependence on natural resources during the

construction phase• Adopting bioclimatic architecture to

– Improving building’s capacity to reduce need for heating/cooling by incorporating passive designs (orientation, solar protection or gain, depending on the location)

– Reducing heat gain/loss through building envelope (better insulation, special glazing, cool roofs)

– Reducing the need for artificial lighting (greater use of daylighting)

• Using as much as possible natural and local materials for construction

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Efficient equipment & appliances

• Adoption of high energy performance products– Lighting

• Varying needs in different areas of the facility: lobby, guest rooms, dining, meeting room, outdoor, etc.

• General lighting versus task lighting, high-efficacy lamps and fixtures, occupancy sensors, signage lighting

• Modern control systems to modulate lighting intensity according to the need– HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air conditioning)

• Choice of systems: central vs. decentralized, water-cooled vs. air-cooled, use of ground-source heat pump in certain climates

• Air delivery system: air handling unit, fan-coil unit, adoption for heat pipe for better humidity control and energy saving

• Improved management, thermostat control, duty-cycling during utility peak period, thermal storage

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Efficient equipment & appliances

• Adoption of energy-efficient products– Other appliances

• Kitchen and restaurant (cooking and refrigerating appliances)

• Laundry (washing, drying and ironing equipment)• Pools and Spas (pumps, water treatment)• Office equipment (computers, printers, fax machines)

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How can hotels be energy “prosumers”?

• Target to meet some of the energy needs through renewable energy options and green technologies– Solar

• Solar thermal collectors for low temperature thermal needs (e.g. guest rooms, kitchen and laundry)

• Solar photovoltaic panels integrated into the tourism infrastructure (BIPV) or to meet specific low-electricity demands (e.g. fence or path lighting)

– Ground-source heat pump• Improve the efficiency of space cooling or heating by

benefiting from the free energy from the earth

– Biogas• Install bio-digester to generate biogas from organic waste

and waste water• Biogas can supplement energy needs for cooking or hot

water generation

– Biomass gasifier and cogeneration• In remote areas, use of biomass gasifier for power

generation or cogeneration

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What strategy should the hotels adopt to reduce their energy consumption?

Strategy & implementation plan

Involve your staff

Make a first assessment

Involve your guests

Assess the energy status of your hotel

Draw up a simple energy policy

Adopt good housekeeping practices

Ensure regular servicing and maintenance of your equipment

Improve energy management by sharing information with your staff and guestsImprove

equipment efficiency

Better operate equipment in place (through monitoring and control)

Improve space heating/cooling efficiency

Improve hot water systeiciency

Improve ventilation efficiency

Improve lighting efficiency

Improve efficiency of other electrical appliances

Eco-renovate (reduce

heating & cooling needs)

Improve the thermal performance of the building

Prevent uncontrolled air infiltration

Improve microclimate and protect building from the summer sun

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Communication is the key to success• Hotels and resorts can achieve a lot by

motivating their staff and inviting their guests to join the efforts– Hotel loses credibility if staff is not sensitized

about energy use• Staff should take active part in the energy

conservation initiatives

– According to survey, 60% of travelers leave their environment-conscious behavior when they check into a hotel!

• Communicate to encourage guests to retain their energy-saving habits

• Well-aware guests appreciate the efforts and contribute immensely

• Example of Gaia Napa Valley Hotel

– Kiosk that shows the status of energy efficiency in the building

– 26% drop in energy costs and 45% drop in water cost

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Challenges for small and medium players

• ENVIROTEL: An e-tool to assist small and medium players of the accommodation sector

Thanks for your attention