Responsible Power
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The road to sustainability and net-zero is becoming ever more pressing. Burning rainforests, extraordinary weather events, the melting Arctic ice cap, plastic pollution to name some of the events that are gradually causing people to think about the future.
The hospitality industry in particular is increasingly required to strive towards a neutral carbon footprint and to reflect on corporate responsibility.
There is one simple, cost-effective way to start the journey to carbon net-zero which is often overlooked, and that is to make sure that the energy being consumed is actually required and not wasted. (The World Economic Forum reports that the United States wastes 68% of the energy it produces!) To do this, you need to know where, when, how and why energy is being consumed throughout the business during both day and night. This information provides the building blocks to identify waste and inefficiencies, to measure improvements and to build a better business – and save money.
Consider energy consumption in a commercial enterprise such as a hotel. Previously, it was the responsibility of the purchasing department to negotiate the best supply deal. Consumption itself was regarded as largely the realm of the property department. And staff behaviour was possibly guided with an occasional directive to switch off the lights when they left.
Applying the connectivity that modern technology brings to the hotel for example in being able to measure energy consumption with the correct granularity means that power can be consumed more wisely. Staff can take responsibility for their own departments’ consumption, and the analysis of that data allows decisions and investments to be made that work in the long-term.
To continue with the hotel analogy, the negotiation of the supply contract needs to reflect a potential reduction in consumption. Sometimes this may cost a little more in the short-term but buying ‘green’ energy will contribute both to sustainability targets and to customer sentiment. It may even affect financial funding and shareholder appeal.
To be truly smart, we need to consider the enterprise as a whole, set sustainability goals, and include these when considering investments on a local level.
In most hotels energy is the second biggest cost after payroll.
How we use energy is crucial to the enterprise as a whole, and all staff, buildings, plant and services should all be contributing towards building a more sustainable business.
Apart from all other considerations, hotel clientele, most particularly for corporate events, are increasingly making decisions based on the sustainability profile of the hotel or arena where they intend to hold events. Responsible Power can demonstrate and prove the efficiency and effectiveness not only of hotels but in all businesses where power is consumed.
Responsible Power allows the client to see where and when energy is consumed at the time it is used.
Find out more at https://responsiblepower.co.uk/ and visit stand number 830 at Hotel360.
