Upland, Calif.�(Sept. 23, 2002) The heat is on hotel owners and operators. The overall economy is soft, and business travel has slumped since 9/11. Meanwhile, the supply of hotel rooms is at a record high and energy costs continue to soar � in some cases more than 50 percent from 2000 levels.
To help hotels survive and thrive in today�s competitive climate, the Environmental Protection Agency has developed an ENERGY STARTM Performance Rating Tool specifically for lodging properties of all types and sizes. For the first time, hotels can benchmark their energy performance against others nationwide on a scale of one-to-100.

Available free online at http://www.epa.gov/buildings/hospitality, the new rating system will help hotels in energy efficiency benchmarking � resulting in much more effective cost-saving campaigns built on proven best practices and achievable consumption standards and goals.

Suite Savings

EPA Administrator Christie Whitman officially launched the ENERGY STAR� performance rating tool for hotels during a recent speech at the Energy Efficiency Forum at the National Press Club, where she highlighted the success of EPA's ENERGY STAR� program in saving Americans money and energy while protecting the environment.

"Hotel companies can now compare the energy performance of their hotels to others nationwide and are eligible to earn and display the prestigious ENERGY STAR� label for their top performers," Whitman said. "Last year alone, Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR�, saved $5 billion on their energy bills and reduced pollution equivalent to that of 10 million cars.
�Over 800 office buildings and schools across the country have already earned the ENERGY STAR� label, and thousands have used EPA's tool to compare their buildings,� she said. �I look forward to working in partnership with the hospitality industry to improve upon our success and have an enormous impact on our environment."

In launching the availability of the hotel energy efficiency benchmarking tool, Whitman recognized the first two hotels in the country to receive the ENERGY STAR� label for superior energy performance: The Courtyard Indianapolis Capital, owned by White Lodging Services Corp.; and the Sheraton Boston Hotel, owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide. 

Among those within the hospitality sector that helped the EPA test the new energy performance rating tool were: White Lodging, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Theraldson Lodging, Meristar Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt Corp. and Servidyne Systems.

The hotel industry spends almost $5 billion a year on energy bills. If properties improved their energy efficiency by an average of 30 percent, the annual electricity bill savings would approach $1.5 billion and almost 6 million fewer metric tons of carbon dioxide would be emitted. As part of his National Energy Plan, President George W. Bush called for increased public awareness of the ENERGY STAR� program and its benefits to consumers and businesses. President Bush also called for a program expansion to provide the label for additional building types, including grocery stores, hospitals and hotels. 

Using EPA's ENERGY STAR� website, http://www.energystar.gov, hotels will be able to analyze the energy performance of their buildings, set goals for improvement, and track their progress online using EPA's portfolio manager. Top performers will be able to display the ENERGY STAR� label. ENERGY STAR�, the national symbol for energy efficiency, was established in 1992 by EPA. With help from the U.S. Department of Energy, ENERGY STAR� is empowering consumers and businesses to protect the environment through energy efficiency. 

Measuring Up

�For nearly a decade we have been helping hotels realize dramatic cost savings from implementing simple energy solutions,� said Dan Bornholdt, President and Founder of Green Suites International. �As a longtime ENERGY STARTM partner and lodging�s leading provider of ecological solutions providing economic benefit, we are elated with the EPA�s new online energy efficiency rating tool.

�Finally, hotels can compare themselves to thousands of other hotels nationwide and find the motivation to act today to improve their energy efficiency rankings and bottom lines, as well as public image,� he said.

�Up until a year ago, hoteliers had little financial worries � and therefore, understandably, sometimes had little time to listen to arguments for investing in products that improve energy efficiency and cut operating costs,� said Ray Burger, VP Sales & Marketing for Green Suites International. �Now, with occupancies down and operating costs up, there�s a real demand both for all of our solutions and this new key tie-in to online energy efficiency benchmarking tools and ENERGY STARTM best practices.�

ENERGY STARTM is a voluntary, no cost EPA program that promotes energy performance as a way for businesses to improve their financial performance while taking steps to protect the environment. More than 8,000 hotels across the nation are already using the support and resources offered by ENERGY STARTM to improve their energy performance and establish themselves as industry and community leaders.

ENERGY STARTM recognizes the top performers in the hotel industry, the 25 percent that exceed the established energy efficiency requirements � and these hotels have achieved about a 30 percent energy efficiency improvement over the average. ENERGY STARTM rewards energy efficient hotels by recognizing their superior accomplishments and authorizing them to display the ENERGY STARTM label � an important differentiator and publicity generator with today�s 43 million environmental travelers. 

�It�s amazing the motivation you get to cut your energy consumption once you find out that your neighbor�s energy bills are much lower.� Bornholdt said. �Whether you�re a homeowner or a hotel owner, it�s never made more sense to install energy and water efficient products, particularly with today�s record rebates from local utilities.

�Even if you can�t sell more rooms right now, the bottom line is you can still significantly improve your bottom line by investing little time and monies in these major money saving areas,� he said. �Literally, making the ENERGY STARTM grade, and budget goals, can be as easy as screwing in a few hundred light bulbs.�

Improving energy efficiency yields both immediate and ongoing cost savings. Payback periods often are measured in just months � with returns being reaped for years and years, sometimes the life of the property.

Green Suites International�s bevy of affordable ecological solutions provide hotels with significant sustained energy savings. Following are just a few of a few Green Suites� popular energy solutions: 

• Guestat Digital Thermostat. Designed to replace traditional thermostats in virtually all HVAC types. Improves guest satisfaction while reducing HVAC energy costs by as much as 15 percent. Digital display prevents guest "cranking" controls to extremes. Programmable to temperature setback points. Projected life span of 25 years and estimated payback of six to 12 months.
• Compact Fluorescent Table Lamp. Available in 3 wattages: 22 watt (replacing a 75 watt incandescent), 30 watt (replacing 90 watt incandescent) and 36 watt (replacing 120 watt incandescent). Features instant "on." Matches hue and rendition of incandescent. Bulb is separate from ballast, for easy installation and inexpensive replacement. Projected life span of 10 years and estimated payback of 12 to 18 months.
• Compact Fluorescent Flood Lamp. For common areas, entry areas, lobbies, etc. R30 reflector lamp and ballast is available in 23 watt bulb rating with electronic (instant on) ballast. Weather resistant models available. Bulbs available in tinted hues for designer color preference. Bulb is separate from ballast, for easy and inexpensive replacement. Projected life span of 15,000 hours and estimated payback of four to eight months (in 24 hour operation).
• LED and Electroluminescent Night Lights. Consumes less than 15 cents of energy annually. Prevents night time falls, the number one cause of guest injury, while saving energy as over 40 percent of travelers leave bathroom lights on as a night light, with standard lights consuming over $50 in energy annually per room. Hardwired as light switch or as a socket outlet. Projected life span of 20 years and estimated payback of six to 12 months.
• O-Tech Laundry Injection System. Laundry energy consumption is reduced 80 percent, water usage 40 percent, and chemicals cost by 70 percent. Laundry cycles are decreased through the use of ozone, eliminating hot water, reducing chemical degradation of linen, and preventing most environmental contamination of effluent with the reduction of chemical agents. Projected life span of 10 years with estimated payback of one to two years.

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