Lodging Engineer
thing we have to change is everything. buildings, to change or not. I choose to that you contracted to have a retro-
This has provided us with an opportunity change and with any luck during the sum- commissioning. Would you tell us
to go back and examine our current op- mer of 2010 the USGBC will certify that about this?
erations, change operations practices to we have.
We began our energy conservation mea-
reduce their environmental impact and
sures when we contracted with two local
save money in the process.
I understand you received a rebate
firms, CB Engineers and Intergy, to per-
from Pacific Gas and Electric as a re-
form a retro-commissioning of our build-
Obviously you can’t become LEED sult of one of the projects you took
ing. A typical building’s commissioning
certified all by yourself. Can you speak on.
occurs at the initial start-up of various
to your partners and maybe to the
We just completed retro-fitting our valet
mechanical systems and verifies compli-
owners or those who got behind your
parking garage lighting system. Our ga-
ance with original design intentions. And,
vision and championed your goal of
rage is open 24/7 - 365 days a year. We
it is also when you receive and catalogue
becoming LEED certified?
replaced 140 light fixtures that had abso-
all the owners’ manuals and warranties. I
The good news is that everywhere we lutely no controls consuming 210 watts
believe our retro-commissioning is unique
turn we find willing partners to help us each with compact fluorescent bulbs using
and perhaps precedent setting as the
on the path. Our customers expect us to only 43 watts each. This change reduced
revisit to one’s building systems is typi-
help them offset their travel and to recycle
their waste and we do. San Francisco
State College has provided hundreds of
Harry gets the rebate check from Pacific Gas and
hours of research through student proj-
ects and interns to help determine our di-
Electric as a result of a project
rection. Pacific Gas and Electric expects
us to be as frugal with energy as possible
and they give us rebates for energy sav-
ing projects and practices such as Retro-
Commissioning components of the LEED
project. Across the street from the hotel
is the Pacific Energy Center where I go
for seminars and classes. We are also
finding help from the Food Service Tech-
nology center who have provided a free
energy audit of our kitchens. They are the
ones who provide Energy Star labels for
commercial food equipment. Recology
provides the best trash and recycling pro-
gram I ever seen. Last, but not least, is
the city of San Francisco’s Department of
the Environment with its zero waste goals
and all the free advice and even water
saving devices. They have provided free
low flow faucet aerators for every guest the garage’s illumination to the minimum
cally done years down the road from your
room. In San Francisco there is a lot of lighting level allowed by building code to
building’s initial start-up, not in the second
help if you ask for it. one foot candle per square foot. We spent
year of operation. As a result of their ef-
$40,000 replacing the lights in our garage
forts, CB Engineers discovered five (5)
Can you tell us what motivates you to
and received a $32,000 rebate from Inter-
major categories to improve energy con-
go that extra mile? What makes you
gy Corporation on behalf of Pacific Gas
sumption in the building and by October
want to improve your property’s en-
& Electric Company. And, we project con-
we had produced year over year energy
ergy usage?
tinued savings of $35,000 annually. This
cost savings in excess of 15% of total us-
If you are like me you probably got into
project is only one of many that we have
age. The commissioning cost $60,000 in
or stayed in this business to make things
identified and acted on. We received or
engineering fees. We were granted a re-
better. I love to find ways to save energy,
qualified for over $100k of rebates last
bate from PG&E of $48,000 and expect
make workplaces healthier, see my build-
year and reduced our cost compared to
to pocket annual savings in the range of
ings and plants shine. Many people do
budget by $250k. If you equate this to the
$200k compared to our baseline opening
not remember the first Earth Day, I do and
revenue that would need to be generated
year’s cost.
I thought these days might never come.
to produce this in profit, it equates to an
This is our moment our time is now. Nine-
increase in sales of $2,250,000. You’ve accomplished quite a bit in a
ty percent of the problem today is in our
relatively short period of time. You
hands due to the carbon emissions of our
I understand as a part of identifying
mentioned that you want your prop-
conservation measures for your hotel
PAGE 5 | Winter 2009 / 2010 | Lodging Engineer
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