An exploration of the hospitality design industry and a plan for how to cut its water and energy usage by more than half. By Eric Corey Freed, organicARCHITECT

1. FINISHES locally
Recycled, non-toxic,
sourced, sustainable.
TASKthe work areas
Only light
LIGHTS
to save energy.
KILL all electronics
Turn off
SWITCH
when not in use.
CABINETRY
Use formaldehyde free
cabinets & FSC or
bamboo doors.
MINI natural, healthy
Organic,
BAR
foods.
FLOORING trap
Hard flooring doesn’t
allergens.
LINENS free &
Organic, chemical
non-synthetic.
CLEANERS
Non toxic cleaners.
GREEN HOTEL ROOM
citystayhotels.com

2. ERIC COREY FREED
Principal, organicarchitect
nearly 20 years of experience in green building
LEED Accredited Professional, US Green Building Council
Author: “Green Building & Remodeling for Dummies”
Author: “Green$ense: How to Pay For and Profit From 50 Green Home Projects”
Author: “Sustainable School Architecture”
Founding Chair of Architecture, The San Francisco Design Museum
Board of Directors, Architects/ Designers/ Planners for Social Responsibility
Advisory Boards: Green Home Guide, Ecosa Capital, West Coast Green
Co-Founder, ecoTECTURE: The Online Journal of Ecological Design
Columnist: Natural Home Magazine, GreenerBuildings.com, Luxe Magazine
Developer: Sustainable Design Curriculum Academy of Art University
University of California Berkeley
CONTACT:
CONNECT:
415.474.7777
info@organicarchitect.com
Slides in this presentation may be used
with proper credit for non-commercial use only.
Other uses require written permission.
Sources are listed on each slide where relevant.
Image sources are listed when available.
Copyright ©2008-10 organicARCHITECT Inc.

4. LEED Certified
Hippies Welcome.

5. 4,389,443
u.s. hotel rooms
SOURCE: Smith Travel Research (as of 2008)

6. 1,146,500
u.s. hotels consume enough to power over
homes

7. 23%
not at all green
71%
SOURCE: Survey by Deloitte, April 2008
somewhat green
perception of the lodging industry
among business travelers

8. 3,700,000,000
$
spent on energy

9. SOURCE: California Integrated Waste Management Board
65% of all utilities
electricity use
% of all utilities

10. % of all utilities
23%
electricity use lighting only
SOURCE: California Integrated Waste Management Board

11. 6% after
upgrades
SOURCE: California Integrated Waste Management Board
electricity use potential after upgrades
% of all utilities

12. 10% energy
reduction is
equivalent to
increasing
ADR by $2.45
11
green hotels
$
increase
SOURCE: PKF Consulting
in RevPAR

13. 30% savings
SOURCE: California Integrated Waste Management Board
potential water savings
using ultra low flow fixtures

14. Hoshi Ryokan Hotel
718 A.D.

16. VOC PAINT
Unhealthy paints used.
Could be VOC free.
TRAPPED AIR
Windows don’t open to
allow fresh air.
OVERhard to control
Lights are
LIT
and easy to leave on.
FORMALDEHYDE
Cabinets contain high
levels of formaldehyde.
PESTICIDES
Linens contain chemicals
and harsh detergents.
VAMPIRES
Power is consumed
whether needed or not.
ALLERGENS
Carpets trap dust and
need constant vacuuming.
TOXINS harsh
Cleaners contain
chemicals.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES

17. the state of “green” hotels

18. 34%
SOURCE: Survey by Deloitte, April 2008
seek out green hotels
among business travelers

20. 30%
SOURCE: Survey by Deloitte, April 2008
requested linen reuse, but hotel changed anyway
among business travelers

21. 20%
SOURCE: Survey by Deloitte, April 2008
not allowed to be as green as desired
among business travelers

22. it’s getting crowded in here...

23. leaders

24. low hanging fruit
LINEN REUSE
Proper signage and education.
LOW gallons per minute (instead of 5).
Uses 2.5
FLOW SHOWERS
LOW gallons per flush (instead of 5).
Uses 1.6
FLUSH TOILETS
CFL BULBS uses tenth of energy.
Lasts 10 times as long;
DIGITAL and accurate.
Programmable
THERMOSTATS
RECYCLING
Lowers your waste bill.
ENERGY less than a year.
Pays for itself in
STAR EQUIPMT
NON-TOXIC CLEANERS
Flickr: FriendlyMade
Fewer claims from staff.

25. $
$
increase
per square foot
4
savings
67
SOURCE: Capital E; US Green Building Council

26. Avalon Hotel Gaia Napa Valley Hotel Terra Vancouver Hotel
Portland, Oregon Napa, California Teton Village, Wyoming Vancouver, Washington
Silver - 2008 Gold - 2007 Silver - 2008 Certified - 2006
University of
Maryland Inn Hyatt Olive 8 Len Foote Hike Inn CityFlats
Adelphi, Maryland Seattle, Washington Dawsonville, Georgia Holland, Michigan
Certified - 2005 Certified - 2009 Gold - 2004 Gold - 2009
Orchard Garden Palazzo Proximity Hotel Snowmass
San Francisco, California Las Vegas, Nevada Greensboro, North Carolina Aspen, Colorado
Certified - 2007 Silver - 2008 Platinum - 2008 Silver - 2005
hotels
Starwood Element The Ambrose Callaway Gardens Unity Village Hotel
Lexington, Massachusetts Santa Monica, California Pine Mountain, Georgia Kansas City, Missouri
Gold - 2008 Silver - 2008 Certified - 2007 Silver - 2007

27. Avalon Hotel Gaia Napa Valley Hotel Terra Vancouver Hotel
Portland, Oregon Napa, California Teton Village, Wyoming Vancouver, Washington
Silver - 2008 Gold - 2007 Silver - 2008 Certified - 2006
85%
University of
Maryland Inn Hyatt Olive 8 Len Foote Hike Inn CityFlats
Adelphi, Maryland Seattle, Washington Dawsonville, Georgia Holland, Michigan
Certified - 2005 Certified - 2009 Gold - 2004 Gold - 2009
Orchard Garden Palazzo Proximity
Proximity Hotel Snowmass
San Francisco, California Las Vegas, Nevada Greensboro,
Greensboro, North Carolina Aspen, Colorado
SOURCE: US Green Building Council
Certified - 2007 Silver - 2008 Platinum - 2008
Platinum Silver - 2005
Starwood Element
similar
The Ambrose Callaway Gardens Unity Village Hotel
Lexington, Massachusetts Santa Monica, California Pine Mountain, Georgia Kansas City, Missouri
Gold - 2008 Silver - 2008 Certified - 2007 Silver - 2007

28. Sustainable Sites
• Credit 5.2 Maximize Open Space
• Credit 4.3 Alternative Transportation, Low-Emitting
and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles
• Credit 6.2 Stormwater, Quality
Water Efficiency
• Credit 1.2 Water Efficient Landscaping
No Potable Use or No Irrigation
• Credit 2 Innovative Wastewater Technologies
missed Energy & Atmosphere
• Credit 2 On-Site Renewable Energy (3 points)
opportunities • Credit 5 Measurement & Verification
• Credit 6 Green Power
Materials & Resources
• Credit 2.2 Construction Waste Mgmt, Divert 75%
• Credit 5.2 Regional Materials, 20%
• Credit 7 Certified Wood
Indoor Environmental Quality
• Credit 7.1 Thermal Design
• Credit 7.2 Thermal Verification

29. ®
“We’ll leave the light on for you.”
(...and everything else too.)

30. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
Silverton Hotel
Australia

31. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
ROOMS

32. FINISHES locally
Recycled, non-toxic,
sourced, sustainable.
TASKthe work areas
Only light
LIGHTS
to save energy.
KILL all electronics
Turn off
SWITCH
when not in use.
CABINETRY
Use formaldehyde free
cabinets & FSC or
bamboo doors.
MINI natural, healthy
Organic,
BAR
foods.
FLOORING trap
Hard flooring doesn’t
allergens.
LINENS free &
Organic, chemical
non-synthetic.
CLEANERS
Non toxic cleaners.
GREEN HOTEL ROOM
citystayhotels.com

33. DON’T TREAT ALL ROOMS THE SAME
Flickr: pilipala9

34. NORTH WEST

35. SHADE SOUTH & WEST WINDOWS
(here)

37. sage-ec.com

39. sage-ec.com

40. 300
$
echoflexsolutions.com

41. each room uses
cards
200
a year
SOURCE: Kaba; HD Magazine

42. key card materials add up to:
100 pounds/yr/hotel
kaba-ilco.com

43. sustainablecards.com

44. greenkeycard.com

45. 40%
SHOWER SAVINGS
evolveshowerheads.com

46. ambientdevices.com

47. the
minibar is an opportunity

48. HEALTHY FOOD IN MINIBAR

49. in-room recycling
80%
increase

50. in-room recycling
lifestylebazaar.com

51. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
GUESTS
Flickr: Faerie Girl

52. same price?

53. NOT ALL GUESTS ARE EQUAL
Flickr: jimnomad

54. 20%
energy & water use
MORE IN HOTELS

55. 27,397,200
worldwide
bottles a day
SOURCE: Travel & Leisure

57. pineapplehospitality.net

58. powerbrandscorp.com

59. lather.com

60. Flickr: apollosputnik

62. TV MOVIES ENERGY USAGE WATER USAGE
LIGHTING 1690 WATTS SINKS 15 GALLONS
CD JUKEBOX MEDIA 0700 WATTS SHOWER 20 GALLONS
HEAT / COOL 0210 WATTS - GREYWATER TOILET 07 GALLONS
VIDEO PHONE TOTAL 2600 WATTS TOTAL 28 GALLONS
AVERAGE GUEST 3000 WATTS AVERAGE GUEST 200 GALLONS
ROOM SERVICE
Congratulations! You’ve exceeded the savings for water and energy.
ECO PERFORMANCE Your air conditioner will rise 5˚ at 07:00 PM.
ECO TIP: The shower timer is a friendly nudge after 5 minutes.
HOTEL DASHBOARD ENERGY PRODUCTION GUEST PREFERENCES
FITNESS CENTER 2360 WATTS NEWSPAPER DELIVERY IS OFF CHANGE
ROOM CONTROLS
STAIR SKIPPING 1230 WATTS HEATER ENERGY SAVER ON CHANGE
Copyright © 2009 organicARCHITECT Inc.
GUEST SERVICES TOTAL 3590 WATTS SHOWER TIMER IS ON CHANGE
AVERAGE GUEST 1800 WATTS LINENS CHANGED 2X A WEEK CHANGE
MESSAGES 2
Welcome, Mr. Brad Pitt TONIGHT TODAY
You’ve earned 1,200 Reward Center Points for your eco performance.
You have 2 new messages. A wake up call for 06:00 AM is set. 78˚
FRIDAY, 01 MAY 2015 08:56 AM SUNSET: 07:12 PM 83˚H / 27˚L

63. TV MOVIES ENERGY USAGE WATER USAGE
CD JUKEBOX
VIDEO PHONE
ROOM SERVICE
Congratulations! You’ve exceeded the savings for water and energy.
ECO PERFORMANCE Your air conditioner will rise 5˚ at 07:00 PM.
ECO TIP: Use the refillable metal bottle to save on plastic water bottles.
HOTEL DASHBOARD ENERGY PRODUCTION GUEST PREFERENCES
NEWSPAPER DELIVERY IS OFF CHANGE
ROOM CONTROLS
HEATER ENERGY SAVER ON CHANGE
Copyright © 2009 organicARCHITECT Inc.
GUEST SERVICES SHOWER TIMER IS ON CHANGE
LINENS CHANGED 2X A WEEK CHANGE
MESSAGES 2
Welcome, Mr. Brad Pitt TONIGHT TODAY
You’ve earned 1,200 Reward Center Points for your eco performance.
You have 2 new messages. A wake up call for 06:00 AM is set. 78˚
FRIDAY, 01 MAY 2015 08:57 AM SUNSET: 07:12 PM 83˚H / 27˚L

64. 20%
displaying energy & water feedback
improvement

65. REWARD GOOD GUESTS

66. GIVE INCENTIVES A HEAD START
SOURCE: Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
1 2 3 1 2
3 4 5 6 7
4 5 6 7
Free car wash after 8 washes Free car wash after 10 washes
19 %
returned 34 %
returned

67. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
OPERATIONS

68. one
one hotel
week
100
families
52
52 weeks
alexmaclean.com

69. gaianapavalleyhotel.com

70. agilewaves.com

71. ihgplc.com

72. 1,200,000
daily copies of USA today in hotels
papers
(half their circulation)
60 %
unread
18,197
emissions of
cars

74. HOT AIR
HOT AIR
HOT AIR
A/C
HOT WATER
40 %
off
HOT WATER BILL

75. solarsheat.com

76. 87%
using non-toxic cleaners reduces
AIRBORNE TOXINS

77. get rid of carpeting in the rooms
46,141,825
$
spent on vacuuming
34,829
enough to power
homes

78. lovefoodhatewaste.com

79. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
Flickr: u07ch

80. toto.com

81. pedalvalve.com

82. UPGRADE TO LOW FLOW PEDAL VALVES
NEW
FAUCETS
2.5 1.5
flow
gpm gpf
15 10
time
seconds seconds
.625 .25
use
gallons gallons
450 times/day 70,312 28,125
gal/yr gal/yr
45,187
= __________ gallons saved
678.
x $____/gallon = $______
0.015

83. SOURCE: Energy Star
130
$
per
SIGN
per year
activesafety.com

84. $
per
300
CAB
per year
SOURCE: US Department of Energy

85. 0,000
hotel elevators in u.s.

86. 20
efficient elevator controls can save enough to power
homes
kone.com

87. 75
percent
savings on
ENERGY
4
each saving
car emissions
6500
$
year

88. $
350
per year
SOURCE: US Department of Energy

89. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
red lights indicate green lights indicate
poor performance better performance

90. Galle Face Hotel
Sri Lanka

92. ATTACH NO STRINGS
A donation has already
If you reuse the towels,
been made to a nonprofit
SOURCE: Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
a donation will be made to
environmental organization,
a nonprofit environmental
since we trusted you’d
organization.
reuse your towels.
45 %
more

93. HERD EFFECT PERSONALIZED
Many prior hotel
guests have been Most of the guests
SOURCE: Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive
eco-friendly in this room
by reusing their reuse their towels.
towels.
33 %
more

94. 500
watts

95. fluxxlab.com

96. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
Flickr: FriendlyMade

97. 20% TOTAL ENERGY SAVINGS
185˚>150˚
lower temperature

98. D
of
U
en
3 C
erg
y
1 TL
use
% EAKA G E
30
%
SOURCE: California Energy Commission

99. CHANGE YOUR FILTERS
5%
SOURCE: California Energy Commission
OFF YOUR HVAC BILL
31f%rgy use
o ene

100. ROOMS GUESTS OPERATIONS COMMON BACK OF HOUSE LANDSCAPE
Flickr: Cock Robin

102. SOLAR POOL HEATING
75% ENERGY SAVINGS
17% use
of energy

104. zipcar.com

106. COOL ROOF SAVINGS
70˚
40˙ C
cooler

107. COOL ROOF SAVINGS
4,000,000,000
$
by 2015
$35M $40M $10M
CHI
LAX
SOURCE: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
LAS NYC
PHX $16M
$37M DFW
$20M $20M
MIA

108. GREEN ROOF SAVINGS
40%energy savings
hydrotechusa.com

109. fairmont.com

110. greenscreen.com

111. WATER CATCHMENT
1000sf = 632 gal/in
9285sf = 5868 gal/in
65,000sf building / 7 floors
= 9285.7sf roof area
= ____ inches per year
21
x ___ gallons = 123,240 gallons/year
5,868 _______

112. DRIP IRRIGATION
60%
WATER SAVINGS

113. POROUS PAVING
20˚
LOWER TEMPERATURE

114. roof
green
cool r
oof
nat solar
pla ive p
shadeanels
w/d nts south
rip
por
ous
pav
ing
sha
de
tree
wat s
er c
atc
hm
total energy savings ent
80%

115. 50% ENERGY SAVINGS SUMMARY
metric tons of co2 saved
10,765,804
barrels of oil saved
25,036,752
coal fired power plants
2.5
Flickr: sorabji

116. metric tons of co2 saved
10,765,804
co2 cuts required by 2020 hotels alone
58,000,000 19%
co2 cuts required by 2050
1,450,000,000 8%

117. metric tons of co2 saved
10,765,804
barrels of oil saved
25,036,752
coal fired power plants
2.5

118. = +
u.s. hotel Libya U.A.E.
energy savings oil imports
barrels of oil saved
32,000,000
25,036,752
Flickr: sorabji

119. = +
u.s. hotel Argentina Egypt
energy savings oil imports
barrels of oil saved
23,200,000

120. = +
u.s. hotel South Korea Vietnam
energy savings oil imports
barrels of oil saved
28,285,000

121. =
u.s. hotel France
energy savings oil imports
barrels of oil saved
32,468,000

122. tourismpartnership.org

123. YOUR HOMEWORK
5
what’s next:
action steps

124. 1
YOUR HOMEWORK
get a free waste
assessment from
atlanticenergy.net

125. 2
YOUR HOMEWORK
put capital people
in same room
as operations

126. 3
YOUR HOMEWORK
follow the money
to uncover the
easiest savings

127. 4
YOUR HOMEWORK
measure
everything
measurable

128. 5
YOUR HOMEWORK
learn from guests
by asking for
their input

129. “you must be the
CHANGE
you wish to see in the
WORLD...”
-Mahatma Gandhi

130. organicarchitect
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