Energy Saving Tips for Hotels
Hoteliers know what a big proportion of their profits get eaten up by energy costs. It’s hardly surprising when you think that all the guest rooms, communal areas, function rooms, dining rooms, bars, kitchens, bathrooms and leisure facilities need heating/cooling, light and power for electrical equipment. Fortunately, The Carbon Trust state that hotels could save around 20% on their energy consumption by making a few simple changes to the way they do things. As you’d imagine, water heating, room heating, lighting and refrigeration are all areas where you can make changes to save money on your hotel’s energy bill.
Water
Everyone knows that insulation is vital in saving energy on heating, but did you know that making sure pipes are insulated properly can save energy in water heating systems? Spray water taps also save more water and energy than other types. Making sure that leaks are repaired quickly is something you’d want to do anyway but it also saves energy. Another measure which can be helpful in more ways than one is to keep the water temperature down to around 60°C which is warm enough to kill bacteria but not too warm that it will scold guests and waste energy.
Lighting
LED lighting can reduce the amount of energy used on lighting by 80% and many of these modern lights last a lot longer than the older tungsten GLS types or T12 fluorescent tubes. Occupancy or movement and daylight sensors are also a good idea to guard against people leaving unnecessary lights on.
Heating/Air Conditioning
On average, a building loses 20% of its heat through the roof so this is where insulation is particularly important and insulating all the pipework that makes up your heating system is a good idea too. Close curtains, blinds and shutters in unoccupied areas to keep heat in or to keep it out during hot days. Regularly have your boiler and/or air conditioning system serviced to keep them running as efficiently as possible. As control is vital to saving energy, installing a new easy to control air conditioning system, some of which can be controlled using Wi-Fi, will not only use the latest energy efficient technology but will also allow you to control each part of the system much more finely than older systems. For some hotels, using an air conditioning unit rather than radiators can be a more energy efficient system especially if you’re regularly experiencing the phenomenon where the radiators are heating and the air conditioning is cooling at the same time.
Refrigeration
Clean and well-maintained fridges and freezers function far more efficiency than dirty clogged up ones. Get them maintained regularly, don’t overload them and keep the doors closed as much as possible for maximum energy efficiency. Replacing old units with far more energy efficient new ones will save money in the long term too.
At 4Facilities, we can maintain or replace air conditioning units, fridges and freezers in a cost effective and efficient manner to save you money on your energy bill. Regularly looking after air conditioning units, fridges and freezers will also make it less likely that they’ll break down causing you hassle and costing you money. Speak to one of our team on 01273 044045 or contact us here for more information or a quick service response.
