African forerunner in Green hospitality Case study
P art of the BON Hotel Group and South Africa s first hospitality establishment to offer a carbon neutral hotel experience the only one on the African continent Hotel Verde is the epitome of green consciousness and responsible tourism at work. From the outset, the development was earmarked to be Africa s greenest hotel. Through the use of energy-efficient technologies, innovative materials and the continuous nurturing of a sustainability culture, it has made this wish a reality. Situated 400 metres from the Cape Town International Airport and a short drive from the city, the 4-Star establishment has 145 rooms, conference facilities, a restaurant, bar, 24-hour deli, indoor gym, outdoor jogging trail and an eco-pool. Hotel Verde not only offers every luxury imaginable, but also the added element of extensive green features such as carbon neutral stays for corporates and guests alike. According to Andre Harms, the hotel s Energy Manager, the building employs a smart mix of clean and sustainable technologies that not only optimise the energy efficiency of operations and processes, but also reduce the hotel s dependence on the national electricity supply:
The hotel has 154 Photovoltaic (PV) panels installed on top of the hotel s roof and they also have 66 on the north facing façade. The 220 PV panels use the sun s unlimited and clean energy to generate a maximum of 52.8 kilowatts (kw) of electricity to help power the hotel. Three wind turbines complement the PV array with a further 3kW each when the Cape wind blows at 12 metres per second. Inside the building, a lift equipped with a regenerative drive and driven by gravity, ferries the hotel s guests from floor to floor, whilst generating electricity that will be fed back into the hotel. In the basement, a sophisticated ground source heat pump system enables waste heat generated by the hotel s air cooling system to be captured and used for internal space and water heating. Harms said, the ground source heat pump system replaces the chiller, geyser and boiler in a typical hotel. It allows us, via a heat exchanger in the ground below the hotel, to utilise waste heat from chilling processes for other purposes such as internal heating and water heating. It dramatically reduces heating, cooling and ventilation expenses, as well as water heating costs. Other energy and resource efficient technologies at play throughout the hotel include: Flow restrictors on taps and energy and water saving showerheads these limit hot water usage, saving both electricity and water without compromising guests shower experience. Rooms including guest rooms, conference and meeting rooms are all fitted with occupancy sensors that activate lights and air-conditioners when rooms are occupied. When rooms are vacant for a period of time, lighting and air-conditioners are switched off to save energy.
At Hotel Verde, energy consciousness is encouraged across the ranks, even amongst guests Energy-saving messages and tips on how to save electricity are strategically posted throughout the hotel. This, according to the hotel s Marketing Manager, Sarah Farrell, is to remind people of their responsibility to live sustainable and resource responsible lifestyles. We hope to get people to think about saving electricity, inspire them to take home what we have shared with them and adopt electricity smart behaviours in their own lifestyles, she explained. Guests are also encouraged to participate in the Verdino Programme, which allows them to earn Verdinos the hotel s internal currency for every energy-efficient action they practice whilst staying at the hotel; guests can redeem and spend their accumulated currency as they wish at the hotel. In addition, every Wednesday night, the hotel stages an earth hour between 19h00 and 20h00 during this time, guests dine by solar light whilst food is prepared using alternative energy sources. Outside, Hotel Verde has a vertical aquaponic garden where, depending on the season, small edible plants are grown for use in the kitchen including celery, spinach, chives, watercress, basil, butter sage, lettuce, mint, pansies and parsley. The aquaponic system is fed by a timed pump system to ensure plants get enough water without wasting energy unnecessarily. Awards and accolades The Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) awarded Hotel Verde a 6-Star rating in June 2015. This is a highest accolade and a first for a hotel in South Africa, after having scored 82 points in the Green Star SA Existing Building Performance tool. The rating is valid for a period of three years to ensure the hotel is continually operated according to stringent efficiency and sustainability targets. Only a handful of South African buildings has achieved a 6-Star rating, the highest certification a building can achieve, and an acknowledgment of world leadership in environmentally friendly building operations and management. The aim of a green building is to use resources more efficiently and address climate change, whilst creating healthier and more productive environments for people to live and work in.
Celebrating its 2nd birthday in August 2015, Hotel Verde s other recent accolades and achievements include: Being awarded a second Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED ), and Platinum Green Building Certification by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), making Hotel Verde the first hotel globally to achieve double platinum certification for LEED The first platinum certification was awarded in the New Construction in the Green Building Design & Construction category in May 2014, which established Hotel Verde as one of only six hotels in the world and the only hotel in Africa to receive this accolade at the time. The second and most recent platinum certification was awarded in the Existing Building Operations & Maintenance category, giving Hotel Verde a double platinum status and proving beyond any doubt that it is Africa s greenest hotel. Being awarded Green Hotelier of 2015, Africa and the Middle East, in the International Tourism Partnership s Green Hotelier Awards 2015. It was also voted Top 1% by Travelers Choice on TripAdvisor in 2015. Hotel Verde has a very innovative approach to saving energy that incorporates both energy-saving technologies and electricity smart behaviours. The importance of encouraging mindful electricity use in all spheres of business cannot be overstated; the hotel has shown that even paying guests can be motivated to use electricity conservatively without disturbing their experience. rience. Eskom Energy Advisors Before commencing with any energy efficiency retrofits, hotels and any other business should first conduct an energy use assessment of their operations. Eskom s Energy Advisors are on standby to offer assistance in this regard they excel in giving advice on how to: Reduce energy usage Do walk-through energy assessments to identify energy usage patterns, energy needs, areas of energy wastage and energy-saving opportunities Optimise operations and maintenance Improve electrical systems and processes Measure and verify energy savings (and where to find a SANAS approved Measurement & Verification Authority). Having a variety of tariffs on hand to work with, drawing on outside technical assistance and understanding the latest energy-efficient electro-technologies, Eskom s Energy Advisors are equipped to make specialist energy efficiency recommendations with regards to tariffs and appropriate energy sources whether electrical, fossil fuelled or renewable based on an in-depth energy assessment of your hotel or lodge. Call 08600 37566, leave your name and number and an Eskom Energy Advisor will contact you or alternatively ask for a specific advisor to contact you. Visit www.eskom.co.za/idm for more information.
Issued by Eskom Integrated Demand Management March 2016 Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd Reg No 2002/015527/30