The Green Hospitality Programme (GHP) launched a new booklet for the hospitality sector – Resource Efficiency in the Hospitality Sector. This booklet contains numerous case studies, on how to reduce utility costs through resource efficiency. Being resource efficient reduces the impact of business emissions on the environment. Highlighting how protecting the environment, can go hand in hand with reducing costs; this booklet features 19 of Ireland’s greenest businesses.
The Green Hospitality Programme (GHP) launched a new booklet for the hospitality sector – Resource Efficiency in the Hospitality Sector. This booklet contains numerous case studies, on how to reduce utility costs through resource efficiency. Being resource efficient reduces the impact of business emissions on the environment. Highlighting how protecting the environment, can go hand in hand with reducing costs; this booklet features 19 of Ireland’s greenest businesses. The booklet which is aimed at improving resource efficiency through, simple, no cost and low cost solutions will be circulated by the Irish Hotels Federation and is also available to download from www.greenhospitality.ie .
In recent years, Green Hospitality Programme members have reduced their waste going to landfill waste by 80%, reduced water consumption by 30% and reduced their energy consumption by 20%, through the implementation of the GHP standards and criteria. Since 2008, the GHP has saved businesses €15million; €6.2millon in 2011.
Waste management is one of the simplest tasks any hospitality business can undertake with no or low cost solutions that are easy to implement. Water costs are another significant expenditure for the hospitality sector. Up to 50% of high quality drinking water consumed by hotels is used to flush toilets; simple measures such as controlling water flow to guest showers and taps can result in considerable savings.
Energy costs are by far the largest utility costs for the hospitality sectors and managing and controlling these costs is essential for survival. The booklet offers many practical examples of how hospitality business have managed costs and moved towards renewable energy.
Examples of resource efficiency saving technologies and ideas contained within the Resource Efficiency handbook include:
- Switching to LEDs – The Castlemartyr Hotel in County Cork installed energy efficient lighting as a cost efficient solution to reducing electricity costs. The savings in the first year were €38,800 with a predicted saving of €175,000 in energy costs over the life span of the LEDs (5 years). The CO2 emissions were reduced by 135.7 tonnes per annum.
- Good energy management – The Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Cork implemented a focus on energy management programme which resulted in electricity consumption reducing by 19% and gas consumption reducing by 6% over two years, and an overall cost reduction of €70,000.
- Replacement of disposable paper cups – Catering company Sodexo replaced paper cups with thermal mugs, saving €124,000 annually, reducing landfill, paper cup consumption and CO2.
Speaking at the launch, Minister for the Environment, Community & Local Government Mr Phil Hogan TD, said, “Ireland is recognised worldwide as a country where nature and the environment are relatively unspoiled, yet offers 1st class facilities. This booklet shows how the hospitality sector is managing their environmental footprint and taking action to minimise energy consumption, water consumption and reduce waste sent to landfill. Any supports that can help businesses to cut costs rather than jobs is hugely important in this current economic climate. The Green Hospitality Programme provides the opportunity for tourism businesses to become leaner and cleaner in their day to day operations, allowing the industry to not only survive in these difficult times but to grow in the future”.
James Hogan, Green Hospitality Programme, said, “Businesses listen to other businesses, which is why we produced this resource efficiency booklet highlighting the significant savings that can be made from implementing an Environmental Management Programme. Many of the savings that can be achieved are at no cost or low cost to the business, with simple steps delivering excellent results. We are also aware of how customers, including corporate and government departments are now choosing sustainable hospitality services. Resource efficiency clearly benefits the reputation of a business as well as the bottom line.”
Dara Lynott, Deputy Director General, EPA, said, “Being resource efficient makes economic as well as environmental sense. Working with the stakeholders, including sectoral groups, hotels, contract caterers and other tourism businesses, GHP has turned into an exemplar programme showing what can be achieved with a focused and enthusiastic approach. I congratulate the Green Hospitality Programme on their achievements in making the hospitality sector a more sustainable one and sharing their experience with the hospitality sector.”
The GHP is an Irish certification programme specifically designed for the tourism and hospitality industry. The focus of the GHP is to allow the Irish Hospitality Sector to position itself as one of the leading “Green” destinations in the world. It offers up to four levels of certification which members can strive to achieve – Eco-Label, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The environmental criteria prescribed by the programme are designed to assist businesses reduce costs through implementing an effective environmental management system.
All levels of the Green Hospitality Programme require businesses to achieve a set of mandatory requirements. These criteria are focused mainly on the business implementing an Environmental Management System (EMS) and then generally measuring and assessing where the business stands in relation to Waste, Water, Energy, Biodiversity, Social Responsibility and Green Purchasing.
ENERGY, WASTE & WATER CASE STUDIES
| 1.Tullamore Court Hotel, County Offaly | As part of an expansion programme, the Tullamore Court Hotel switched from LPG to Natural Gas and installed a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) unit to reduce energy costs, saving €70,000 per annum and reducing CO2 by 507 tonnes per year. |
| 2. Castlemartyr Hotel, County Cork |
Installed energy efficient lighting as a cost effective solution to reducing electricity costs. The savings in the first year were €38,800, with a predicted saving of €175,000 in energy costs over the life span of the LEDs – 5 years. CO2 reduced by 135.7 tonnes per annum. |
| 3. Maritime Hotel, Bantry, County Cork |
Installed more energy efficient lighting as a cost efficient solution to reducing electricity costs, reducing the energy consumption of corridor lighting by 90% resulting in an annual cost saving of €7,128and reducing CO2 by 32 tonnes per annum. |
| 4. Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Cork |
Implemented a focus on energy management with electricity consumption reduced by 19% and gas consumption reduced by 6% over two years, resulting in a cost reduction of €70,000 |
| 5. Bewley’s Hotel, Dublin Airport |
Installed 56 solar panels on roof as well as hot water storage tanks which when operating at optimal conditions, the solar thermal system could provide 40% of the hotel’s hot water requirements, with the remainder of the heating demand provided by natural gas boilers. The CO2 was reduced by 46 tonnes per annum. |
| 6. Inchydoney Lodge & Spa, Cork |
Installed a combination of woodchip boilers and solar panels to reduce the heating demand and save €50,000 per annum, reducing the carbon foot print of the hotel by 424 tonnes of CO2 per annum. |
| 7. Radisson Blu Hotel and Spa, Cork |
Installed timers on leisure centre water features saving €12,300 per annum, reducing CO2 by 55 tonnes per annum. |
| 8. The Westin Hotel, Dublin |
‘Make a Green Choice’ programme raised awareness of environmental issues but with 17% declining housekeeping (8,500 guests per year) resulted in a reduction of water consumption by 1580m3 |
| 9. Sodexo Ireland |
Replaced paper cups with thermal mugs, saving €124,000 annually, reducing landfill, paper cup consumption and CO2. |
| 10. Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, Dublin |
Implemented a waste prevention programme saving €59,000 per annum. |
| 11. Woodlands Hotel, Adare |
Implemented a programme to reduce food waste generated during weddings, saving €15,000 per annum |
| 12. The Castlecourt Hotel and Westport Plaza resort, Westport, County Mayo |
A programme of waste segregation and staff training €40,000 per annum. The same programme has reduced the hotels waste to landfill by 70%, 134 tonnes per annum. |
| 13. The Riverbank Hotel, Wexford |
Benchmarking water consumption saved €30,000 on the Annual Water Bill |
| 14. Fitzgeralds Hotel, Adare |
Replacing an old inefficient dishwasher with a more efficient one, reduced costs by €33,500 per year |
| 15. Revolution Bar & Gastropub, Waterford |
Urinal control reduced water consumption by 174,720 litres per annum; saving €1,540 for Revolution Bar and Restaurant. Urinal flushing should be linked to toilet occupancy; uncontrollable urinal flushing 24 hours a day is a needless waste of potable water. |
| 16. Carlton Atlantic Coast hotel, Mayo |
A water management programme saved €10.9514 per annum highlighting that there are numerous low cost options for reducing water cost. |
| 17. Strandhill Bar & Restaurant |
A waterless urinal system saved €1,470 per annum |
| 18. Ferrycarrig Hotel, Wexford |
Replacement low flow shower heads saved the hotel €5,000 per annum on reduced water costs and €5,000 on reduced heating costs. |
| 19. Castletroy Park Hotel, Limerick |
Water Efficiency Programme saved €17,800, highlighting how a water survey is the first step towards reducing water costs. |
