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These days, it seems like everyone is looking to benefit from the excitement surrounding green. But what does going green really mean for the hospitality industry? One organization, Boston Green Tourism, has started answering that question and has helped its city deliver on a promise to the environment.
BGT's executive director, Dan Ruben, evaluated an array of green certification programs on the market and selected the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star rating system as a core element of BGT's program because of its focus on energy efficiency and carbon performance. Working with the EPA, BGT developed a series of trainings that focused on Energy Star resources and provided these trainings to its members. According to Ruben, the relationship with Energy Star helped BGT deliver "incredible tools" to its members that are "relevant to a broad set of hotels, not just the largest properties."
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Seven BGT properties recently earned the Energy Star, placing them in the top 25 percent of hotels nationwide for energy performance. These hotels represent almost 1.5 million square feet: Comfort Inn & Suites Boston/Airport, Hyatt Harborside Hotel, Hyatt Regency Boston, Irving House at Harvard, Jurys Boston Hotel, Lenox Hotel and Royal Sonesta Hotel Cambridge. They range in size from the 16,500-square-foot, 44-room Irving House to the nearly 500,000-square-foot, 500-room Hyatt Regency. Together, these hotels are 28 percent less energy-intensive and emit 5,780 fewer tons of carbon dioxide than the industry average. These avoided carbon emissions equate to the annual electricity use of 695 homes, or to removing almost 1,000 cars from the road for a year.
BGT members are quick to recognize the value of this initiative. Stephen Johnston, g.m. at Jurys Boston Hotel, said: "Our initial actions were driven by a desire to cut energy costs at the hotel. But ... there was much more to be achieved than mere cost reduction ...
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[Earning the] Energy Star has made a big difference in how people perceive our product." Rachael Solem, innkeeper at Irving House, said. "Researching new technologies, training staff, and implementing systems throughout the house ... takes a lot of time and attention. For a small, independent property ... [having] access to [BGT members'] expertise and experience is extremely important."
As the hospitality industry continues to wrestle with the definition of green, BGT leads the way, impressing upon its members the importance of energy efficiency as the first step to environmental excellence. Recognizing BGT's success, hotels and green hospitality initiatives nationwide should look to Energy Star tools and resources, including Energy Star Guidelines for Superior Energy Management and the Energy Star Challenge. To learn more about Energy Star, visit www.energystar.gov|~ .
Stuart Brodsky and Anna Stark are national program managers for commercial property markets, Energy Star, United States Environmental Protection Agency.
