Santa Fe Green Lodging Initiative

Watershed Project: Get Hotels Greener

By Kiera Hay / Journal North Reporter on Fri, Nov 23, 2012

The Santa Fe Watershed Association plans to roll out a pilot project next month aimed at helping local hotels take their eco-friendliness to the next level. 

Dubbed the Green Lodging Initiative, the effort will include helping hotels better conserve water and reduce the amount of chemicals and other pollutants they release into the environment. “We’re really interested in helping lodging facilities streamline their resources,” Watershed Association executive director Felicity Broennan said.

The initiative is being funded by a $49,700 grant awarded to the Watershed Association by the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The Watershed Association is contracting with HospitalityGreen, a New York company, to analyze the operations of participating hotels and provide them with recommendations on becoming greener. 

That could involve looking at what kind of soap or light bulbs the hotels use, or how they distribute toiletries. 

It’s “all of these things we don’t think about when we’re in a hotel room, yet if all that stuff is getting washed down the drain, it has an impact on the river,” watershed and other natural resources, Broennan said. 

A Watershed Association news release noted that “more than one million tourists visit Santa Fe each year. 

“While they are welcomed and are an important part of our economy, they also put considerable pressure on our environmental resources.” 

The idea is to help hotels set achievable goals commensurate with their capabilities, Broennan said. “This is a certification program. It really includes a lot of training, a lot of measurement tracking tools, these customized programs. 

“That is what makes all the difference,” she said. “It definitely is a commitment on the part of the hotels, but they don’t have to pay anything for it.” 

As of last week, just a few hotels had signed up, including La Posada and Inn of the Governors. But several others have expressed interest, according to Broennan. The goal is to sign up 10-15 hotels, motels, resorts, B&Bs and other facilities. 

Sam Gerberding, the general manager of Inn of the Governors on West Alameda Street, said the program is “a wonderful chance for the Santa Fe hotel community.” 

Gerberding said he hopes it will help his inn save some money. He also said he wants to increase the hotel’s appeal to eco-conscious travelers. 

“Over the years, we’ve been very conscientious about wanting to do more and being greener as a hotel, and we’ve integrated certain aspects of that throughout the years,” Gerberding said. “This is an exceptional opportunity for us. It will be helpful to have that little extra perspective and assistance in getting it off the ground.” 

The EPA funding will cover a year of services, and the Watershed Association is looking at the program as a pilot project. The organization hopes to expand in the future. 

“I’m hoping we’ll see some real measurable outcomes in pollution reduction and water conservation,” Broennan said. “And then we can grow the program to include a lot more hotels and restaurants, as well.” 

As part of the initiative, the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Santa Fe Lodging Associations, Santa Fe Green Chamber of Commerce and a handful of local hotels and lodges have joined forces to create a related working group.

LEED MEETS OPERATIONS

After the designers and engineers have created these glorious constructions, someone will need to be there to operate and maintain them.

We welcome LEED Professionals and Building Operators to a Breakfast Forum to discuss their accomplishments and challenges in creating, preserving and maintaining the built environment.

Agenda

·         New Horizons for LEED Certifications: For Facility Operators and LEED Professionals

·         Case Studies: The impact of operations on building design and maintenance

·         Open Forum: Barriers and Challenges in the new “Green Space”

Forum Presenters

·         Evadne Giannini, Principal, HospitalityGreen, LLC

·         Jeff Domanski, LEED AP; Former Director of Sustainability Strategies for Cushman& Wakefield; Assistant Manager, Princeton University Office of Sustainability

·         William Sprengnether, Principal Landscape Architect at Cardinal Direction

Sept.11  SUNY Orange; Newburgh, NY  ●  Sept. 18  SUNY Rockland; Suffern, NY

Sept. 25  SUNY Sullivan; Loch Sheldrake, NY ● Oct. 2 SUNY Dutchess; Poughkeepsie, NY

Time: 9-10:15 AM  ● $10 Continental Breakfast

To Register: Contact SUNY Sullivan at 845-434-5750 ext. 4398

Or email: scccworkforce@sunysullivan.edu 

HospitalityGreen Chosen by Berkshire Regional Planning Commission to Assist the Hospitality Sector with Sustainability Practices

Through funds from the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission will provide technical assistance to the hospitality sector.

Berkshire Region, MA (PRWEB) August 16, 2012

As part of furthering the “Sustainable Berkshires” regional plan, the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission (BRPC) has received a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide technical assistance on sustainability practices for the hospitality industry in Berkshire County. BRPC has contracted with HospitalityGreen LLC (HG) to be the local technical assistance provider for this project.

An initial survey of the lodging properties in Berkshire County will be conducted to help BRPC establish Berkshire Benchmarks for the hospitality sector. Ten qualified lodging properties will then be eligible to receive a confidential, third party assessment of their facility operations at no cost to their business. The facility assessment will help each property identify opportunities to save money, time and resources by implementing green practices in their operations management.

Conducted in the early fall of 2012, the facility assessments will identify practical recommendations for introducing energy efficient measures, water conservation practices, source reduction and recycling opportunities, purchasing policies and green cleaning practices. The recommendations will be based on improving the work environment and enhancing guest experience while simultaneously optimizing the financial benefits of “greening” a property. In previous projects, lodging facilities that have implemented improvements proposed in HG’s assessments have typically seen 12-15 percent increases in occupancy rate while saving thousands of dollars in annual operating costs.

Properties interested in pursuing the opportunity to improve their environmental impact while also reducing operational costs should contact Elizabeth Olenbush, HG’s Massachusetts Affiliate and BRPC Project Leader. Ms. Olenbush can be reached at e(dot)olenbush(at)hospitalitygreen(dot)com or by phone at (413)-229-6090.

The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is the official area-wide planning agency in Berkshire County. Comprehensive planning responsibilities include land use, transportation, economic development and environmental management. The commission is required to study the problems, needs and resources of the region and to make recommendations for physical, social, governmental and economic improvements in the Berkshires.

HospitalityGreen LLC is a New York based firm specializing in the implementation of sustainable business practices. HG offers environmental and operations training and consulting to clients throughout the hospitality, manufacturing and institutional healthcare industries. In Berkshire County, HG offers Green Facilities Training courses through Berkshire Community College and has recently completed a training course conducted under the auspices of the Berkshire County Regional Employment Board.

For more information on HospitalityGreen visit http://www.hospitalitygreen.com or call (845) 436-6173.

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How to Lower your Facility Operation Costs: Green Summer Tips

As we continue on into the hot summer months, businesses guzzle up more and more energy, and therefore cash, to manage their facilities.

Fortunately, summer demands for cool air and green grasses do not need to weigh so heavily on the bank account. There are many ways to save energy and money in the summer at little to no cost to your organization:

1.      Check air conditioning filters. Dusty filters stifle air flow, making your air conditioner work harder to cool the room. Examining these filters each month, and cleaning or replacing them when necessary, can reduce energy costs by 5 to 15%.

2.   Move heat-producing appliances away from the thermostat. Heat-producing appliances, like televisions or lamps, near to the thermostat can trick it into thinking the room temperature is higher than it is. Consequentially, your thermostat will continue to cool when the facility is already at the desired temperature.

3.      Close the blinds. In addition to light, heat transfers easily through window glass. Keeping the heat out will reduce the temperature inside your facility, and therefore, your air conditioning needs.

4.      Wash the refrigerator seals. Stuck on food, dust and dirt may cause the seal to remain partially open, allowing cool air to sneak out. Washing the seals every few weeks will prevent unnecessary energy use.

5.      Cover food and cap drinks in the refrigerator. Uncovered food and drinks create moisture that causes the compressor to overwork. Making sure all fridge contents are covered and lidded will increase the refrigerators efficiency.

6.      Add a rain sensor to your sprinkler system. A rain sensor detects the amount of water the lawn receives from natural rainfall. Then, it adjusts the sprinkler system to spray only the amount of water your lawn still needs. You can keep your grasses green while minimizing water consumption and cost.

  

                 Significant reductions in energy costs do not require big investments. The most expensive suggestion given here, purchasing a rain sensor, is available for less than twenty dollars. With a few simple steps, you can create greener, cheaper facility operations. 

HG Principal, Evadne Giannini, to Present in Zero Waste Webinar on June 27

Interested in eliminating excessive waste at your company? Please join HospitalityGreen's Principal, Evadne Giannini, as she copresents in a Zero Waste Through Green Business Programs Webinar on Thursday, June 27 at 1:30pm.

Please see the invitation below:

Zero Waste through Green Business Programs

Join us for a Webinar on June 27 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT


Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/663891458

U. S. EPA will be hosting this webinar in partnership with experts who work with businesses and sponsors of green business programs.

• Learn what motivates businesses to join a green business program
• Discover what has made the Westchester County Green Business Challenge a success
• Hear how county governments in Ohio and Pennsylvania encourages green businesses 

Title: Zero Waste through Green Business Programs
Date: Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Time: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM EDT

ATTENTION FACILITY MANAGERS: IT’S MORE THAN CHANGING LIGHT BULBS, IT’S CHANGING PEOPLE’S BEHAVIORS AS WELL

School districts around the country are notorious wasters of energy. With budgets tighter than ever, many institutions are finding ways to cut back on their excess energy usage.

Holmdel, New Jersey has saved close to $1,000,000 each year though improvements in energy efficiency. With the help of the district’s Energy Manager, William Balicki, the school has made some simple, but effective improvements, to remind students and staff of ways to save energy.

“Anytime we can ask people to physically do it, we do,” he said. “This is pretty much a people-based program. It’s changing behavior.”

Mount Sinai and Yonkers, among other school district, have also found quick, easy, ways to decrease energy spending such as turning off computers overnight and turning off classroom lights when the room is not in use.

For the full article, please visit: http://nyti.ms/pCYy5T

LOOKING FOR WAYS TO SAVE YOUR COMPANY MONEY?

HospitalityGreen (HG) will be offering a “Green Facility Managers Training” for managers and operators to learn how to evaluate and implement sustainable practices in two Massachusetts locations, Pittsfield and Holyoke.

"Green Facility Training for Operations and Management" will be offered at Berkshire Community College’s Intermodal Education Center in Pittsfield on Wednesdays, Sept. 7 and 14, from 9am to 5pm. The course, “Green Facilities Training for Managers,” will also be offered at Holyoke Community College on Sept. 8 and 15, from 9am to 5pm.

The workshops will look at practical approaches to comprehensive facility assessments, developing an improvement plan and conducting a site audit. It will cover topics such as source reduction and usage, purchasing and marketing, contractual negotiations and green assessments. Green meeting standards and the LEED EB program will also be discussed.

The courses use the framework of a national certification program to teach participants how to implement water, energy and source reduction programs, lower their use of toxic chemicals, and source local "green" products and services.

HospitalityGreen (HG) offers an extensive tool box equipped with proprietary measurement and calculators tools as well as access to on line references, guide books and on site check lists through a customized class website. All participants are given a 12-month subscription to the HG Tool Box as part of the training fee.

For information and registration, please contact Mimi Fierle at HospitalityGreen,

(845)-436-6173 or Training@HospitalityGreen.com

Drive with a green foot, not a lead foot (Part II)

With your new, optimized travel route (thanks to the trip planning tips from HospitalityGreen's last week’s post), you are now ready to hit the road. Reducing the number of miles driven certainly reduces fuel consumption, but this week we will provide some helpful hints to save gas while driving.

Here is an interesting misconception. While it is better for mileage to keep the windows down for cool air while driving through town, once you get on the highway (or any road over 45mph) it is actually more fuel efficient to close the windows- to reduce drag- and have the A/C on low.

In addition, traveling between 50-60mph will provide optimal mileage for most vehicles; anything over that will burn fuel more quickly. Keeping a steady pace (hint: cruise control will help with this) instead of rapid acceleration or deceleration will also leave more gas in the tank.

Once you reach your destination, avoid idling the car for more time then you would spend at a traffic light. For any amount of time longer than that, it would use less gas to turn off and restart the car.

Hopefully, these tips will help put you in the driver’s seat of your fuel consumption (pun intended). Next week’s blog will cover green maintenance for your vehicle. In the mean time, check out these awesome Catskill staycation destinations:

Like the outdoors? Try Pepacton Cabins. Located along the East Branch of the Delaware in the Catskill Forest Preserve, this property offers a wide-variety of outdoor activities, including fishing, hiking, bird watching, hunting, snowmobiling, and options for every season.

The spa more your style? Visit Copperhood Inn and Spa in Shandaken, NY. With tons of specialized treatments and programs, it is easy for anyone to feel pampered and at ease. Don’t forget your hiking boots if you would also like to enjoy the natural splendor that surrounds the spa.