Does going “Green” make you more money? 

You’re chasing higher occupancy, achieving better room rates, keeping your overheads down – and you sometimes wonder what else can I do?  

Over the coming months I will produce a range of articles featuring tips, ideas and highly valuable information that many have not thought of that can add  $200K to the bottom line and more importantly may address hotel greenhouse emissions in a direct and indirect way.  

First up…Computers.  

Computers are rather notorious energy hogs. In the 14 years I worked in hotels I remember how many computers where left running after hours.  

Stop and think for a moment about the number of computers in sales and marketing, housekeeping, finance, and admin departments.  If your property has around 40 computers running day and night you might be shocked at the cost of this simple act of not shutting down after the shift has finished.  

According to the Dell energy calculator, a typical computer uses a minimum of $80 annually if run on an 8 hour day. Obviously that can increase when machines are left running all night long and all week long. They can cost even more when there is a printer hanging off the machine.  The old fat CRT monitors costs more to run than and LCD monitor. So you see little things make the costs add up.

Typically a bigger property with around 40 Computers may cost around $3,200 annually to run when left on all night. That figure will easily double and get even worse if other devices attached are left running also. 

Want to check for yourself? 

Go to…www.dell.com/html/us/products/optiplex/calculator/index.html 

Well you may be right thinking “that’s not much”. It’s the collection of a host of little things that can be done around the property that will deliver you energy efficiency, minimize your emissions and create significant cost savings as a result of the hotel actions. 

But there’s more you may not have thought about. 

Listen up. 

One computer for an 8 hour shift annually uses 600 kilo watt hours of energy to run – leaving it run all night all week long and that figure can double.  A power station somewhere has to generate that power and therefore creating more CO2 emissions. 

What does this all mean to you, as the person responsible for profit in your hotel? 

Stay with me as I bring the big picture together (read on…) 

These CO2 emissions are having devastating effects on the globe – with acidic levels increasing in our oceans, coral reefs disappearing and bleaching almost overnight, rising world temperatures and more.  Every little thing we each do to reduce these emissions can add up to a better more profitable future. 

On a more local and economic level, you can use these little savings to generate serious long term financial savings.  

You can use the “green” effort for some valuable PR within your hotel, and in the media. Guests want to know you are doing your part. Don’t underestimate the power of this. More celebrities and high profile people are getting behind these causes, and with the power of social media online these days – can you afford to be haphazard with your approach to being “green”? 

The money you save can be used to buy better equipment – saving you even more money. The effect compounds. Staff can get involved. Morale gets lifted. And the effect goes on. 

If you have any questions about where to start – give us a call. There are more than a hundred ways to reduce emissions, saving you thousands of dollars – some big hotels will be up to $200,000 better off if you implement what I will explain over the coming issues. 

We’d be more than happy to explain energy efficient equipment you can use to facilitate everything I’ve talked about above. Here’s to saving more money – attracting good PR – filling hotel rooms with happy guests – and helping the world in the process. 

Until next edition…  

Greg 

Managing Director Lamelec Aust.

Knowledgeable Reliable Solution Providers