With the increasing environmentally conscious trend, hotel owners are turning to solar energy systems to power their facilities. And this opens up opportunities for various benefits such as saving electricity costs, improving customer experience and enhancing brand image.
The hotel industry is one of the sectors with the highest energy demand. Hotels and resorts require large amounts of energy for electrical systems and facilities to ensure the comfort of their guests. This high power consumption leads to large electricity bills that can be offset by large-scale solar PV systems.
Can Solar Panels Power Hotels?
Solar panels are capable of powering a hotel, meeting all its energy needs or reducing its electricity bill significantly.
While most hotels depend on electricity and natural gas, any hotel can benefit greatly from solar power. Solar power systems provide clean, efficient, and reliable energy to power a variety of energy-demanding operations, including:
Catering
Charging station
Elevator
Entertainment
Hot water heater
HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning)
Laundry
Lightning
Office equipment
Cooling
Hotels can use solar power creatively at mobile charging stations.
Hotels have different sizes and types of facilities, so energy consumption varies. A large hotel may require thousands of solar panels spread across multiple locations to meet its energy needs. A small boutique hotel may need less than a hundred solar panels to run all its operations.
The number of solar panels needed to power a hotel depends on:
Facility
Energy requirements
Financing capacity
Location
Size and available installation space
What Hotels Use Solar Power?
Many modern hotels and resorts around the world use solar power as their primary or secondary energy source.
Hotel owners are taking a step forward in sustainability by using solar energy to power their buildings. The owners of this hotel have realized the environmental benefits and energy savings of utilizing energy from the sun.
Here are some examples of solar powered hotels and resorts:
Courtyard by Marriott-Lancaster - This 133-room hotel in Pennsylvania is 100% solar powered. Its solar power system consists of 2,700 panels that produce 1.2 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. Courtyard by Marriott-Lancaster is also the first Marriott-branded hotel in the US to meet all of its energy needs from solar power.
Waianuhea Eco Resort - As the name suggests, Waianuhea B&B is an eco-friendly facility in Honokaa, Hawaii. This remote, off-grid 4-star facility generates all its energy from a solar photovoltaic (PV) power system. And it uses local produce and harvested rainwater in food preparation and other operations.
Frangipani Beach Resort, Anguilla - Located in the British West Indies, this resort uses 800 solar panels to meet 70% of its energy needs. A 370-kWh solar power system was installed around a quarter-acre of Frangipani Beach Resort's main entrance.
Kudadoo Maldives - A private island resort in the Maldives, Kudadoo won the prestigious Hospitality Design Award for sustainability. The resort relies on a 340 kWp solar array to fully power its overwater bungalows. The installation design minimizes energy use through panel gaps and a large canopy.
Kazi Camp, Kenya- Africa's first solar powered safari lodge. This eco lodge has won several awards, including a World Heritage Award and an Ecotourism Award, for its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint through sustainable energy.
Santika Premiere, Palembang - In order to show its commitment to going green, one of the well-known hotel groups in Indonesia, Santika Indonesia Hotels & Resort, is now using solar panels as their electricity source. Since November 2020, the company has installed solar panels at one of their hotel branches, namely Hotel Santika Premiere Palembang. The energy capacity of the solar panels they use is 318.5 kWp.
Although installing solar power on a large scale is a large initial investment, it can save operational costs in the long run. According to the US Department of Energy, American hotels have saved an estimated $290 million on energy and water costs since 2011 by improving energy efficiency.
Hotels that switch to solar energy save money in the following ways:
1. Reduced or eliminated electricity bills: Solar power is a renewable energy. Once operational, the hotel will immediately save on electricity and natural gas costs. Once the solar power system is profitable, the hotel will have no electricity costs if it operates entirely on solar power.
2. Tax incentives: Like other business owners, hoteliers who switch to solar energy benefit from the federal government's tax incentives. Investment Tax Credit (ITC). Also, many states offer additional tax breaks, incentives, and rebates to encourage hotels and businesses to switch to solar power.
3. Affordable financing options: Installing solar panels is expensive, and many hotel owners cannot afford the initial costs. However, many solar panel companies and financial institutions offer several financing options such as solar panel grants and loans for businesses looking for solar panel solutions.
4. Increased cash flow and revenue potential: Reduced electricity bills free up cash for hotels to use on other things, such as upgrading amenities and enhancing the guest experience. They can also use net metering to sell excess energy back to the grid. They can even supply solar generated power to neighboring homes and businesses if it exceeds their energy needs.
Apart from reducing operational costs, what are the benefits of using solar power for hotels and guests?
In addition to reducing operational costs, hotels enjoy other benefits of solar energy, such as green marketing and improved customer experience.
Here are the benefits of switching to solar power for hotels and guests:
Sustainability: Because solar power is renewable energy, it is good for the environment. This energy is also efficient and reliable. Therefore, hotels contribute to reducing harmful emissions by producing clean and sustainable energy.
Better customer experience: Hoteliers who utilize solar energy can provide the best service to their guests. For example, electric vehicle charging stations, solar-powered carports and outdoor lighting are attractive amenities that increase hotel occupancy rates.
Employee retention: Using solar energy also creates an eco-friendly environment for employees. Hotel owners who use solar power are more likely to retain talent because their staff is happier and feels like their vision aligns with their boss's.
Green marketing: In the era of environmentally conscious consumers, there is no better way for hotels to earn a good reputation and a high LEED rating than by being environmentally friendly. Guests looking to reduce their carbon footprint will seek out and appreciate solar-powered hotels when traveling.
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