Energy Conservation

Green Ideas for Environmentally Friendly Hotels

Energy conservation is often a matter of good maintenance and housekeeping. Sometimes it's a matter of good sound construction techniques or wise landscaping (for shading). The Department of Energy has a great site, geared towards home owners but useful for hotel owners too, called Energy Savers that will give you lots of ideas about where and how you can save energy. Here is a short list of energy conservation tips you can use at your hotel.

• turn off unused lights
• moderate the heat and air conditioning in unoccupied guest rooms
• tune your furnace, water heater, and air conditioner
• use energy efficient light bulbs
• close window coverings during extreme temperatures -- heat of the day in the summer, or cold of the night in the winter
• insulate ceilings, walls, floors, HVAC conduits, and water pipes
• buy and use energy efficient appliances, equipment, and machinery

In addition to traditional conservation of energy techniques, there are other steps you can take. Capture the heat by-product and use it, like to heat water or air. Visit the Department of Energy's site on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy for more ideas. Another informative site is Waste Reduction in Energy Conservation.

Energy conservation is good business because it saves money, helping your bottom line.