This past year's gains brings to US$ 649,000 the reductions in energy costs since the changes were initiated in mid-1995. 

The hotel's energy management function is handled by Hong Kong-based hotel energy efficiency specialists Energy Resources Management (members.xoom.com/EnergyRM/).  After fulfilling the owners' call for a complete energy audit almost four years ago, ERM worked with the hotel's management to develop a comprehensive energy management strategy.  Previously no formal energy management strategy had been in place.  The owners liked what they saw, and authorised ERM to implement the strategy in its entirety. 

The initial audit report had detailed the property's best possible energy consumption profile, if all cost-effective measures were implemented on all four fronts -- managerial, operational, financial, and technical.  The dollar savings were to be considerable, if this profile could be attained.  The report also quantified the reductions in CO2 emissions which such a lowered profile would bring about.  Thanks to the owners' continued commitment, and the hard work of everyone involved, the hotel is currently ahead of target on both counts. 

The new energy management strategy was a drastic departure from the way energy is usually managed in hotels in Asia. Previously, energy had been treated as an overhead; new tools made it possible to allocate energy costs to the departments that actually use it.  Previously, efforts to reduce energy costs were just hit or miss affairs; now, energy management is fully integrated into the hotel's overall plans, and every aspect is closely monitored to ensure that it is delivering all the returns expected of it.  Previously, the engineering department was judged only on whether the major energy consuming plant was operating or not; now they are judged, each week, on the actual performance of that equipment, compared to tightly monitored performance targets. 

The Westin has now built a solid foundation from which it can look forward to a continuing high level of net energy savings for many years to come.  Their Energy Management Programme incorporates a process of continuous improvement that ensures this happens right on schedule.  Proof of this is the fact that the level of savings has continued to increase over each of the seven half-year planning stages since the programme began.  It is common for hotel energy saving efforts to result in short term gains, which then peter out, or disappear altogether.  The Westin's formal energy management strategy, however, has gone from strength to strength.  Even after capturing all the more obvious energy conservation opportunities in the first few stages, the Westin has been able to continue to squeeze out more efficiency.  After adjusting for weather and business volume factors, this past year was the best performance so far. 

Setting new benchmarks in the practice of hotel energy management has also led to improvements in guest and staff comfort.   Improvements have been made in problems with hot and cold spots, condensation, and lack on control by department staff and management..  The on-going action plan includes more advances in this regard. 

In addition to these large dollar savings, energy system improvements, and the pride in having mastered energy management to a standard rarely seen in Asia, the Westin has also built on its already outstanding reputation for environmental consciousness.  Ever since becoming the only hotel in Macau to construct its own complete sewage treatment works (the treated water is used for the adjoining Macau Golf Course), the Westin has always included environmentally conscious ideas in its planning.  The Energy Management Programme is the crowning achievement in this regard.  Today's most urgent environmental issue is that of global warming. Macau's low lying landscape makes this concern even more pertinent.  Every single unit of electricity used unnecessarily directly contributes to this problem.  So cooling or lighting a space with no people in it, preheating an oven longer than required, or operating a boiler at less than maximum efficiency are all practices to be weeded out.  The Westin has done such an outstanding job in this regard that in 1998, their efforts reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 3 million kilogrammes.  Finding another hotel with that sort of impact would be quite a challenge. 

Energy Resources Management is Asia' only hotel energy management company.  Hotel operators outsource their energy management to ERM in order to be able to focus all their attention on their core business.  ERM also conducts highly industry-specific hotel energy audits, reviews hotel plans and engineering drawings for energy efficiency, conducts training for all levels of hotel staff and management, and designs measurement and verification protocols.  Since its formation in 1992, ERM has helped its clients throughout Asia to identify and deliver millions of dollars in energy savings.