Home Publisher's Point of View Thirty Geographical Areas Covered in Landmark Benchmarking Study

Thirty Geographical Areas Covered in Landmark Benchmarking Study

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If you are looking to benchmark your property’s occupancy, average daily rate and revenue per available room against your chosen competitive set, there are trusted sources for that information. But let’s says you want to benchmark your property’s energy consumption or carbon emissions against a competitor or competitors, where do you go? Within your own company—Hilton, Marriott, IHG, Wyndham, etc.—that is quite possible because utility data is now collected consistently and in a standard format, but what about benchmarking against a hotel or hotels outside your company?

Thanks to a collaboration between the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), the Cornell University Center for Real Estate and Finance (CREF), Greenview, and nine hotel companies, the lodging industry now has the capability to benchmark energy and carbon emissions across companies. The progress toward that end was summarized in a report recently released and authored by Howard G. Chong, assistant professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and Eric E. Ricaurte, founder and CEO of Greenview. The title of the report: “Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking.” (Click here to access the study.)

According to the authors, in this first study of its kind, monthly utility usage from some 4,620 hotels were analyzed. However, only about 1,800 met validity tests. Eventually, that list of hotels was narrowed down to about 1,200. As a result, sustainability benchmarks for hotels in 30 geographic areas in China, the United Kingdom, and the United States were established. A few of the geographic areas in the United States: Atlanta, Denver, Orlando, Phoenix.

Wide Variation in Energy Consumption

Greenview’s Ricaurte told me that the majority of the hotels included in the study ended up being full-service hotels. “Brands have more data for full service,” he says. Not surprisingly, energy and carbon emissions performance varied greatly in some cases for hotels with very similar attributes. “In the same city, energy per square meter can vary by more than a factor of five,” the authors found.

One purpose of the study is to provide credible benchmarks according to not only geographical markets but also industry segments as well. Another purpose is to conduct valuable industry data analysis while maintaining a confidential data set through an academic center, so that the source data will not be shared with third parties or used commercially. A third purpose is to pursue a common definition and transparent, rigorous method for benchmarking and modeling carbon and energy usage based on hotel-specific attributes and data.

Previous attempts at establishing benchmarking systems have failed to take into consideration geographic market and segment, the authors say, citing the EPA’s Energy Star Portfolio Manager as one example. According to Ricaurte, Energy Star did not use occupancy as a variable in its model; Portfolio Manager is for all buildings and occupancy is less relevant for other types of buildings.

Data Presented According to Six Metrics

In this first collection of industrywide data certain geographical areas lacked a critical mass of quality hotel data. That said, many areas did indeed have enough data and that is what makes this first study valid and valuable. Analyzed 2012 calendar-year data for each region are presented according to six metrics: carbon footprint per occupied room (using Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) methodology); hotel carbon footprint per room; hotel carbon footprint per occupied room; hotel carbon footprint per square meter; hotel energy footprint per occupied room; and hotel energy footprint per square meter.

The authors explain how they corrected for weather and how they factored in laundry operations and energy use related to heating and cooling. They admit that much more data needs to be collected and analyzed in order to better judge energy use variations between similar hotels. The study includes tables and graphs that require careful reading as they are somewhat complex.

Ricaurte said the next version of the study is already in progress with a goal of collecting even more data. “We hope and anticipate we will have more information next year,” he says. “There is only value in this if we have more global data.”

If you are interested in learning more about the study and participating in this year’s benchmarking, contact Eric Ricaurte at eer3@cornell.edu.

GLN Adds Advanced Vapor Technologies Case Study to Website

Green Lodging News has added an Advanced Vapor Technologies Case Study to its website. The case study details how the Vancouver, B.C.-based Loden hotel uses Advanced Vapor Technologies’ MondoVap with TANCS dry steam vapor sanitation system daily. The reduced-chemical, low-moisture cleaning system, which ensures “in-sourced” carpet and drapery cleaning, results in rapid room turns and lowers operating costs while providing superior results.

“We have enhanced the guest experience using the MondoVap as a cleaning and sanitizing tool because is it quick and chemical-free, and leaves a clean, fresh, non-fragranced smell,” says Nada Vintar, long-time Executive Housekeeper at the Loden. “Once Curtis Bryce of Innovative Cleaning Solutions shared it with us several years ago, we adopted it fully as a daily tool for in-place wool carpet and fine drapery cleaning, and hard floor and above-floor care; as it enables restoring pet-soiled rooms quickly for same-day turnaround so guests are not kept waiting and rooms are kept in ready inventory.”

To learn more about Advanced Vapor Technologies, visit www.advap.com. To read the entire case study, click here.

Who is Your Sustainability Champion?

Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Looking for Guest Columnists

Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Planning Advertising for 2014?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2014. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2014 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

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As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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