Most non-engineering people do not understand all the technical terms associated with energy management and utility bills. But there are tremendous savings that can be achieved in simple ways. For instance, the cost of electricity can be dramatically decreased by adjusting the usage of various appliances. We used a national average cost for electricity of $.08 per kilowatt hour to calculate costs of these examples for possible savings in the hotel’s use of electricity.

Television set
The average 19-inch television set found in most hotel rooms is rated at about 250 to 300 watts. This may be the most abused energy-waster found in a hotel. Guests frequently leave their televisions on even when they leave the room. If one television set is left on needlessly for about two hours per day, the cost is approximately $50 per year.

Table and wall lamps
The average guest room has a combination of four table or wall-mounted incandescent lamps. Most hotels use 100-watt incandescent light bulbs in these fixtures. If these lamps are left on an average of four hours per day when the room is unoccupied, the cost to operate them will be $50 per year, per room.

Through-the-wall air conditioner
Regardless of location, almost every hotel guest room requires approximately a one-ton air conditioner. Air conditioning can easily be turned off or set back dramatically when the guest room is unoccupied. If the air conditioner were left on needlessly for eight hours per day, or about 1000 hours per year, it would cost the hotel owner an additional $160 per year per room to operate.

Through-the-wall heating unit
Northern-climate hotels generally require at least three kilowatts of electric resistance heat in the through-the-wall unit for space heating a guest room during the winter. The space heat should not be turned off to conserve energy; however, it can be set back significantly on mild days. Assuming the heat running hours could be reduced just 10 percent, adjusting the thermostat would save 1000 hours in a year. The hotel’s cost for that 1000 hours for one room is $120 per year.

Guest bathroom exhaust fan
Some guest bathroom exhaust fans are controlled by the light switch. Therefore, when the bathroom light is left on, the fan runs continuously. This is a very small motor; therefore, if the fan were left on eight hours per day, it would cost about $25 per year to operate, not including the large cost of replacing exhausted air with outside air.

Guest bathroom light
It is difficult to generalize the lighting load of guest bathroom lighting since there is a variety of fixtures, but a 200-watt light equivalent can be assumed. Guests frequently leave bathroom lights on as night lights. Assuming this happens on a regular basis, or about eight hours per day, it will cost an additional $50 per room per year to operate this light. 

Whirlpool aerator
Many new limited service hotels have a small indoor pool and whirlpool. It is not unusual to find a whirlpool with an aerator that operates continuously. This aerator is typically a one and one-half horsepower pump and can easily be kept off for at least four to eight hours per day. If the aerator runs continuously, it will cost an additional $200 to $300 per year to operate.

Pool lights
Small indoor swimming pools are usually provided with two 500-watt incandescent underwater lights. Unfortunately, many managers leave these lights on for decorative purposes when the pool room is closed. Turning these lights off for eight hours every night will save approximately $250 per year.

Pool room exhaust fan
It is not unusual to find a one-horsepower exhaust fan operating continuously on the outside wall of an indoor pool. This fan can easily be turned off for at least eight hours per day, saving $200 per year.

Commercial coffee maker
Almost every hotel offers free coffee to guests either in a small lounge or lobby. These coffee pots are heated far beyond the time they are needed. Commercial coffee makers consume a great deal of energy at about 2500 watts. If the coffee maker is left on needlessly for four hours per day, it can cost the hotel owner an additional $275 per year.

Housekeeping closets and other storeroom lights
Storerooms generally have one or two 100-watt incandescent lights that are frequently left on continuously. When these lights burn all hours, it will cost the hotel $60 to $120 per year per room in wasted energy.

Stairwell lighting
The most popular design for limited service hotels incorporates numerous exterior windows that almost always provide adequate light in stairwells during daytime hours. If, despite the natural light, lights are turned on continuously in stairwells, it will cost $200 to $300 per year per stairwell depending on the number of floors in the hotel. (Hotels without natural light must leave stairwell lights on 24-hours per day for safety reasons.)

Parking lot lights
Savings obtained in reducing parking lot lighting depends directly on the total number of lights and wattage in a parking lot. Assuming the presence of ten 400-watt high-pressure sodium lamps, operating these lights just one hour too long in the morning and in the evening will cost the hotel owner an additional $250 per year.

Conclusion
Due to varying habits of guests, it is difficult to assess how much energy is wasted each year in a hotel. But, it is not unusual to find savings from $10,000 to $30,000. Fortunately, managers now have technology to help limit the waste: photocell overrides, motion detectors, and energy-saving lamps. Additional actions initiated by managers will also save money: covering the pool and hot tub in off-use hours, installing separate switches for bathroom exhaust fans, and adding nightlights to the bedroom area. Truly, the longer a manager waits to address these issues, the more staggering the impact of energy costs will be to a hotel’s profits. 

(Phil Sprague is President of PSA Consultants, an energy consulting firm in Minneapolis that specializes in hotel energy management. He welcomes questions from readers regarding energy or engineering related problems. (952) 472-6900)

Reprinted with permission from The Rooms Chronicle, Vol. 5, No. 4, Pg. 12,  July/August 1997. Revised May 2001.
©1997-2001 The Rooms Chronicle