Eco-friendly Hotel Design

Editor's Note: The following is a repost from www.design-training.com/blog/eco-friendly-hotel-design/.  Many of these energy saving ideas can be translated into the residential market.  In addition, the more exposed clients are to these types of options in the public setting the more apt they are to seriously consider it in the private.

Written by:  Jamie Gibbs, the resident blogger for home insurance comparison site Confused.com.

It’s important for us to save and conserve energy wherever we can. With the focus on reducing our carbon footprint and becoming more energy conscious, designers and architects are quickly adapting to implement energy saving methods in their design. In particular, the building of new hotels and designing for refurbishment of existing hotels means that it pays to know where the biggest savings in energy can be made. These green hotels make use of eco-friendly systems to conserve energy, protect the environment, and dramatically lower overall costs. Let’s take a look into some of the major eco-friendly initiatives of modern hotel design.

Recognizing a green hotel
For consumers, being able to identify these green hotels can be difficult without doing a lot of research.  Fortunately, hotels can be certified as 'green' by initiatives such as the Eco Crown Hospitality Certification; a globally recognized certification that uses universal standards to rate hotels.  A hotel that has this certificate (Gold, Silver or Bronze) can boast low waste production, environmentally conscious design, and a high degree of energy efficiency.  Alternatively, consumers can look through the Green Hotels Association's list of members for a selection of suitable hotels.  While these hotels are not certified, they are part of a community that is dedicated to energy saving hotel design.

Motion detector lights
Lighting accounts for roughly 12 percent of the total energy consumption of hotels, so an energy saving here results in a much lower cost base.  There are some quick fixes in this area, such as switching to LED bulbs, or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) in areas where lights are usually left on 24/7.  However, a more efficient way is to introduce smart lighting into the hotel.  Guests and staff tend to leave lights on needlessly and let them run while they aren't in the room.  The introduction of motion detector lights in guest rooms, for example, will ensure that there will only be light when there is someone there.  Motion sensor lights are now a common sight in hotels, and any hotel built in the past year or so is likely to have them.

Dual flush toilets
Older toilet cisterns tend to use between 3.5 and 7 gallons of water per flush.  In a standard house, this equated to roughly 30 percent of all water usage for the home.  In a hotel, the numbers quickly multiply up to a lot of wasted water.  New buildings are being designed with this in mind and have introduced dual flush toilets systems to reduce water waste.  These systems give the option of a light or heavy flush depending on how much water is needed to clean the toilet, and use less than 1.5 gallons per flush.  A 40 percent savings in water usage is significant when that savings is multiplied throughout all the rooms of a hotel.  Dual flush toilets are becoming commonplace in hotels throughout the world but an example of a newly built eco-hotel that implements this feature is the Element Hotel in Frankfurt (scheduled to open in 2014).

Key card climate control
Heating guest rooms can total up to a third of the energy bills at any hotel.  In a similar vein to innovations for eco-lighting, there are also methods to control the excessive heating in hotel guest rooms.  New technology has two modes; "occupied" and "economy".  When a guest uses their card to enter the room, "occupied" mode is activated, allowing a HVAC control unit to heat or cool the room to the guest's requirements.  When they lock the door with their keycard after leaving, "economy" mode is activated, saving up to 40 percent of energy in this manner.  This system can be seen in the Orchard Garden Hotel, San Francisco, whose Green Boutique rooms give consumers control over their environment via their key card.

Greywater harvesting
An average bath can use between 28 and 36 gallons of water, while showers accumulate up to roughly seven gallons per minute.  A majority of this water is wasted, however new measures are being taken in order to recycle it.  Greywater usually comes from baths, showers and hand basins (so-called because of its cloudy, grey color after use) and when put through a greywater harvesting system it is filtered, disinfected, and reused to fill toilet cisterns throughout the hotel.  If a dual flush toilet only uses 1.5 gallons per flush, a bath of greywater could power at least 19  flushes, saving a considerable amount of water usage.  The Dead Sea Spa in Jordan utilizes this system to great effect in a climate where water is a scarce commodity.

All of these individual innovations synergize their efforts to save considerable amounts of energy.  Sooner than later, eco-friendly industrial design will be a major requirement for all buildings, so the early adopters of these systems can see major benefits as they stay ahead of the game.  Teaching consumers about these initiatives can also have a major impact as public knowledge increases global awareness and support for future initiatives.
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Additional Sources:
The Franklin Institute - What's the cost of not conserving? http://fi.edu/guide/schutte/howmuch.html
Waterwise - Indoors. http://www.waterwise.org.uk/pages/indoors.html
Entergize - Key Card Technology. http//www.entergize.com/keycardsystems.html
Leonardo Energy - Energy Efficiency in Hotels. www.leonardo-energy.org/hotels
 

Help Your Clients Make Environmentally Friendly Decisions

By Lynn Wyndham Morris, Allied ASID
Director of Communication for ASID
As a member of a profession that directly impacts the built environment, designers serve as ecological stewards to guide clients on simple ways to incorporate sustainability into their lives.   With dwindling natural resources, overburdened landfills, a growing population, and energy and toxicity concerns, it's imperative that everyone do their part to help.  Here are five quick ways to jump-start someone after you’ve helped with their interior update, a remodel or even replacing lighting in their home. The benefits to everyone will be long-term.

1) Lights off is OK.  Many clients have children who forget to turn lights off when they leave a room.  Most people leave their closet lights on all the time. When you’re busy with family events and tasks, an unforgotten light can drain energy and produce heat; not a good idea in a small closet.  The answer is as simple as installing a vacancy or occupancy sensor.  For closets, children’s rooms, and shared baths, a vacancy sensor can be installed right at the light switch. They can be adjusted to turn lights off 5-15 minutes after the room is unoccupied, and a homeowner can be taught to easily make adjustments.  For a kitchen remodel, recommending occupancy sensors for clients is ideal. The options are as inexpensive as a big box store item for $30 or part of an automated system. Paint a picture for your client; they enter the kitchen – often from the garage – with a load of groceries or dry-cleaning in their arms.  Voila, the lights go on so they don’t trip on the toys left on the floor, or smack into the edge of a cabinet. Priceless.

2) Check the thermostat. After completing interior paint projects and remodels, check the position and condition of the client’s thermostat. Deciding whether to paint the housing, relocate it, or update it, is a common practice. With a little bit of knowledge, you can assist your client with both energy efficiency and aesthetics.  Programmable thermostats will save them money right away. It’s a quick step (depending upon the season) for a quick lesson in use.  Rather than heating their home to a toasty 72 degrees in the winter, tell them to wear their beautiful sweaters and turn it down to a cozy 68 degrees. Statistics show that they can save even more - up to 15% of their bill - by turning it down another 5-10 degrees during sleep. An automatic thermostat can be programmed so there is no need for them to adjust the thermostat manually. For those people who are in the habit of heating their home to 72 degrees, let them know that they can acclimate to a lower temperature by lowering the thermostat one degree per day. When they come in from the cold, 68 will feel toasty and warm.

3) Insulate.  Many clients don’t think of insulation even during a remodel. However, whether they try to keep their home cool or warm, eliminating the loss around windows and doors is key to energy savings. Advise them to check the seal around windows and doors that are not being replaced, since they’re likely the largest points of air exchange.  For every receptacle and switch, especially when specifying new ones, have the electrician check for air leaks; most exterior walls have leaky boxes and there are inexpensive gaskets at hardware stores that fix them quickly and inexpensively.  Pipes are easy to insulate when the walls are open. Recommend that clients add foam covers to their hot water pipes in the kitchen and bath, especially if the ‘run’ from their heater to the faucet is long. Why heat the walls in summer and lose heat as the water travels in winter?  If a client does not want to switch to a tank-less water heater – you can investigate the cost-benefit and savings easily - how about recommending a blanket on the hot water heater? It will keep the water hot longer, and save money on re-heating. If a large project is underway, including exterior updates, also address leaking air from chimneys, vents, and attics. A small investment in insulation does add savings to heating and cooling a home for the long-term.

4)  Use energy efficient lamping. Whenever you specify a light fixture, provide the lamping; it’s a small cost to absorb and can put clients on the right path for the future.  Whether you select compact fluorescent (CF) or light emitting diode (LED)m lamping becomes a professional decision that clients will be happy to have you make. Most people aren’t certain of the differences, how to select them, or what wattage to purchase.  You will find that many clients stock incandescent bulbs fearful that they will ‘run out’, yet they don’t realize the benefits of other light sources.  Since incandescent lamping is being phased out, this small gesture will help them with other fixtures in their home as those bulbs burn out. With the new bulb already in the fixture, you can advise clients that they will be saving money on energy as well as bulb replacement costs.  Since CFF and LED offer better lighting, dimmability, recycling ability, and energy savings, what's not to love?  Many municipal energy companies offer instant rebates to purchase energy efficient lamping, so the costs to replace bulbs will be low.

5)  Compost?  Indeed. Creating a compost pile for yard clippings is easy when clients have the space.  Many people know that the resulting mixture provides fabulous fertilizer for flower pots and gardens. For outdoors, there are many companies that sell ready-to-use compost bins, or you can make a  pile in a corner of a yard.    But what if they don’t have a yard or even a balcony?  Fear not. For indoors, composting is now easy, small scale and attractive.  Small ceramic composters that look great and take up little space, can sit on a countertop.  When used with a compost starter they won’t attract fruit flies, produce an odor, or grow mold. If you have cabinet space, a 4-5 gallon bucket from a hardware store works well. Houseplants will love it, start an herb garden with it, add to your outdoor planters, and the ecological benefits are many!

Lynn Morris is the principal designer for A Touch of Tradition Home & Garden Shop, a full service design studio & furnishings, lighting & accessory shop. From fabrics, window coverings, ready-made and custom furnishings, to fabulous lighting and accessories, TOT-HOME offers something for every style of decor. Lynn creates stylish interiors with enduring appeal and loves to incorporate classic, sustainable and luxurious details. Please visit her at: www.tot-home.com

Be An Environmental Steward - 10 Small Ways

By Lynn Morris, Director of Communications for ASID
Entirely Design, Allied Member ASID

As we all know, being environmentally conscious is a MUST not a trend. With dwindling resources, overburdened landfills, a growing population, and energy and toxicity concerns, it's imperative that everyone do their part to help. Here are 10 simple ways for each one of us to be environmental stewards this year:

1) Shop locally. Food ingredients will be fresher and material costs often lower when fuel costs to transport products long distances are eliminated. There are some fabulous San Diego area Farmers Markets. They are competitive in cost to large supermarket chains and the produce quality is far better. Check out this link for one near you: http://www.sdfarmbureau.org/BuyLocal/Farmers-Markets.php

2) Turn off lights when you leave a room. Children are easy to teach but we often miss the opportunity. Closets are an oft-forgotten room. If remembering is a challenge, an easy solution is to install an occupancy or vacancy sensor in place of a switch. You can do it yourself by purchasing at a hardware store and the $20-40 cost pays for itself in just a few months.

3) Ride a bike. When you can, take a bike to run errands. An added benefit is the exercise you get and the fitness you attain. Instead of a drive to the park or beach, take a bike ride and a fun tour of your local area.

4) Share rides. Is there someone you and your family can carpool with? Can you take trips to showrooms with a colleague? It's not hard to find someone to shop with!

5) Turn down the thermostat. Rather than heat your home to a toasty 72 degrees in the winter, put on a sweater and turn it down to a cozy 68 degrees. Save even more - up to 15% of your bill - by turning it down another 5-10 degrees while you sleep. An automatic thermostat can be programmed so you don't have to adjust it manually. You can acclimate yourself to a lower temperature by lowering your thermostat one degree per day. When you come in from the cold, 68 will be toasty and warm.

6) Maintain your tire pressure. Keeping the correct tire inflation pressure helps optimize tire performance and fuel economy. Correct tire inflation pressure allows you to experience tire comfort, durability and performance designed to match the needs of your vehicle(s). You can get your air tested for free at most tire centers; I use Discount Tire and they’re friendly and fast!

7) Recycle more. Don't empty your car into the garbage can in a parking lot. Take those bottles and bags to a grocery store for recycling if you don't have community centers or home pick-up. More importantly, consider everything you purchase and how it's packaged, opting to recycle packages you must buy, and change products whose packaging is excessive.

8) Insulate your home. Whether you are trying to keep your home cool or warm, ensuring a good seal around windows and doors is key. Check air flow from receptacles and switches as well; there are inexpensive gaskets at hardware stores that fix them quickly. Be sure your dryer vents, chimneys, and other access points are also insulated. How about a blanket on your hot water heater and hot water pipes? It will keep the water hot longer, and save money on re-heating.

9) Use energy efficient bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs save over 50% of the energy used by incandescent bulbs. With better lighting, dimmability, recycling ability (Home Depot), and energy savings, what's not to love? SDG&E offers instant rebates to purchase at Dixieline so the cost per bulb is about $0.50. With nearly three times the life of incandescent bulbs, that's more than double the savings.

10) Compost. Whether you have a large yard or a small one, placing yard waste into a compost bin is easy and the space required for a small bin is about 24” in diameter. The resulting mixture will provide fabulous fertilizer for your pots and garden; mine does! There are many companies that sell compost bins, or you can make your own. Indoor composting is now easy, small scale and attractive. Check out the available products on-line when you Google “kitchen composting”. While not advocating a specific product, www.Amazon.com has a variety of kitchen composting pots that are very nice and competitively priced.

Lynn Morris is the principal designer for A Touch of Tradition Home & Garden Shop, a full service design studio & furnishings, lighting & accessory shop.   From fabrics, window coverings, ready-made and custom furnishings, to fabulous lighting and accessories, TOT-HOME offers something for every style of decor.  Lynn creates stylish interiors with enduring appeal and loves to incorporate classic, sustainable and luxurious details. Please visit her at: www.tot-home.com





Three Simple Steps to Reduce Energy Consumption on Design Projects

by Jim Diez
Southwest Audio Visual, ASID Industry Partner

It is estimated that on an average power bill over 50% can be directly attributed to HVAC and lighting. If you are an eco-conscious interior designer, here are some easy steps that have a substantial impact on the energy use of your project.

Energy Efficient Bulbs: On average, most standard light bulbs burn about 65 Watts of power, sometimes more. A chandelier can use well over 1000 Watts of power depending on the number of bulbs. By switching over to energy efficient light bulbs, you can cut the cut the energy use of the lighting fixtures by as much as 90%! CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs), use on average 25% of the power that a normal incandescent light bulb burns. LED light bulbs are a new technology that can be even more efficient, running on an average of 10% the power used by an incandescent light bulb.

Lighting Automation and Dimming: Lighting automation used to be an option that was only available to our elite, high-end clients. New technologies have brought the cost down significantly and made it an option that can greatly enhance the comfort of a home. Dimming a lighting circuit reduces energy consumption, and adds significantly to the life of the bulb. If used in conjunction with energy efficient bulbs, your client might not ever have to change a light bulb again! If the designer works closely with the lighting automation company, together they can create scenes that save energy and highlight the details of the designer’s work. This can be done by highlighting a beautiful stone countertop or illuminating art on the walls.

Total light Control: This is where you really start to make an impact on the power bill. In common areas where there are a lot of windows, suggest automated shade control to your clients. To do this you will rely heavily on the knowledge of your subcontractors handling the home automation and lighting control. If designed correctly using daylight sensors and timers, automated window treatments will greatly reduce the solar heat gain from direct sunlight. By doing this you reduce the demand on the AC/Heater, which is your biggest power draw in any home. This will also help protect the beautiful furniture and elegant flooring that you install in your homes.

These are 3 simple steps that will make a significant impact on the power use of any project. As we move forward into these eco-friendly times, suggest these options to your clients. Although it can cost a little money up front, in the end these investments into the home will pay for themselves and eventually even make money for your clients.

For more information, please contact Jim Diez at Southwest Audio Visual, 858-324-1704 or http://www.swavconsulting.com/.