Two new net-zero hotel projects could be a sign of things to come for the hospitality industry, which is ripe for efficiency improvement.
The industry comprises about 10% of all commercial real estate in the U.S., and has the highest energy use intensity (EUI) of all CRE sectors. The projects, the William Penn Hotel in San Francisco, and a new boutique hotel in New Haven, Conn., are on target to be the industry’s first net-zero buildings.
The New Building Institute, which tracks net-zero buildings around the country, says it has no verified net-zero hotels on file. New Haven’s Hotel Marcel, at 110,000 sf, will generate 100% of the power it needs for lighting, heating, and cooling, as well as for charging stations for electric cars from rooftop and parking canopy arrays. The green measures will cost about $5 per sf more than a standard-built project, with projected energy savings of about $1 per sf annually.
Developers of the San Francisco project plan to use the building as a lab for startups to test new products. The hotel will also add solar panels and make energy-saving upgrades.
Related Stories
| Jan 26, 2012
Industry challenges Connecticut's suit over defective construction work
The dispute arose over multimillion-dollar leaks at the University of Connecticut's law library.
| Jan 26, 2012
Earthquake 'fuse' could save buildings during temblors
The idea is to use an earthquake "fuse" that can prevent the tiny fractures and warps that make structures unsafe after a quake and very expensive to repair.
| Jan 26, 2012
HPD open materials standard for green building materials gains momentum
GreenWizard, provider of a cloud-based product management and project collaboration software, is the latest industry participant to sign on
| Jan 26, 2012
Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center
New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection.
| Jan 18, 2012
Chile's seismic code upgrades credited with saving lives in 2010 quake
Since 1960, when Chile suffered a 9.5 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded; the country has steadily improved building codes to protect lives and property.
| Jan 18, 2012
Report analyzes residential hurricane codes in 18 states
The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report analyzing residential building codes in 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.
| Jan 18, 2012
Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code
The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.
| Jan 18, 2012
California approves open cell spray foam for energy efficiency standards
The California Energy Commission (CEC) now recognizes open-cell spray foam as an accepted insulation in its 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.
| Jan 5, 2012
Building to LEED standards now an 'easy call' from cost standpoint
Once seen as a cost burden, building to LEED standards is now an "easy call," according to Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability for real estate management and development firm Jones Lang LaSalle.
| Jan 5, 2012
Minnesota's GreenStep Cities program aids communities in winning grants
GreenStep Cities, a Minnesota initiative, was designed to provide greater recognition to the state's communities for achievements in meeting sustainability standards and goals.
