The First Facility Management Blog

Accor North America announced a new agreement between its Sofitel Hotels and wind energy supplier Community Energy, Inc. to purchase clean, renewable, wind energy for all nine Sofitel locations in the U.S. This purchase of wind generated power in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) qualifies Sofitel Hotels as an EPA Green Power Partner, making it the first hotel chain to choose green power for each of the brand’s hotel locations in the country.

“We’re proud to step up as a leader in our industry and to do our part for the environment. Our customers recognize and value the commitment we’ve made to a safe and secure energy future. We hope others will follow our lead and make the choice as well,” said Robert Moore, senior vice president of Technical Services for Accor North America.

Sofitel has nine locations throughout the United States including two in Chicago and one in Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Washington, DC. These properties will buy a total of 1,527,000 kilowatt hours (kWhs) of renewable energy.

Compared to the average generation mix in the regional electric grid, the environmental benefit from this purchase is equal to offsetting approximately two million pounds of carbon dioxide per year, the impact of which is equivalent to planting more than 800 acres of trees each year or not driving 2.36 million miles. This level of commitment makes Sofitel the first hotel chain to become an EPA Green Power Partner.

“EPA applauds our corporate partners for protecting our environment by purchasing green power,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “By voluntarily shifting to renewable energy, Accor North America is proving you don’t need to wait for a signal in order to go green.”

Community Energy President Brent Alderfer stated, “Sofitel has stepped up as a leader in the hospitality industry. Their renewable energy purchase puts their energy dollars to work to benefit the environment and the nation. As more customers choose to follow their lead and purchase renewable energy, we can bring more clean power resources online to meet that demand.”

Sofitel has also led the industry in efforts to reduce water and energy usage such as the use of ozone laundry systems in its properties. Last September, Sofitel San Francisco Bay was honored nationally by the WateReuse Association as the 2007 Customer of the Year for becoming the first to collaborate with the City of Redwood City, Calif., on its Recycled Water Project.

This agreement with Community Energy signifies the commitment of Accor North America and Sofitel to energy efficiency and sustainable development. Accor North America’s annual Earth Guest program in 2007 consisted of extensive and ongoing environmental initiatives including the planting of 20,000 trees representing each Accor employee in North America, implementation of a 65-point environmental check list at all properties and at the corporate headquarters, and donation of $375,000 to educational and charitable groups. Earth Guest program activities are led and put into action at the corporate level and in local communities by Accor North America’s four brands and over 950 properties – Sofitel, Novotel, Studio 6, and Motel 6 in the U.S. and Canada.

What is Wind Energy?
Wind Energy is a clean source of electricity produced when specially designed wind turbines capture the wind to generate electricity. Like historical windmills, modern wind turbines generate power from the wind. New wind turbines are the fastest growing and one of the most cost-effective renewable energy technologies in the world, and are producing power all across the United States.

What are the Benefits of Wind Energy?
Among other benefits, Wind Energy is clean and helps reduce air pollution; combats climate change; diversifies energy supply; creates jobs and regional growth and delivers clean power on a large scale.

How can I Purchase Wind Energy for my Business?
Community Energy works with a number of different utility companies throughout the country offering clean, renewable energy products that can be purchased as an additional item on your electricity bill. If Community Energy does not have a partnership with your utility, you can still support wind energy through the purchase of wind Renewable Energy Credits (RECs). These third-party certified RECs ensure that each month, clean wind energy is being generated and delivered to the power grid on your behalf, helping to make the mix of electricity in the power grid cleaner.

How Will the Wind Energy get to my Business?
Your purchase ensures that wind energy is generated and placed onto the power grid on your behalf. You can think of the power grid like a giant bathtub being filled with electricity from many different faucets - like nuclear, coal or wind. Every time you turn on a light switch, you drain a little electricity from the tub. By buying wind energy from Community Energy you are increasing the amount of pollution-free wind generated electricity, or pouring clean water into the tub, and decreasing the need for energy generation from other non-renewable polluting sources. Wind energy is guaranteed to be placed on the grid in an amount equal to your purchase size, thereby matching your power consumption with clean, renewable wind energy generation. For information, click this link.

Accor North America Leads the Hotel Industry with Fluorescent Bulb Recycling Initiative as Federal Government Passes Law to Phase Out Incandescent Bulbs by 2014

Motel 6, the largest corporately owned and operated hotel chain in North America, announces the completion of its roll out of the first national fluorescent light bulb and battery recycling program within the hospitality industry. Motel 6, with more than 900 properties across the country, is the first U.S. hotel chain to implement this type of recycling program at its corporate properties nationwide without a federal mandate. The program, which launched in June 2007, is a continuation of Accor’s Earth Guest initiatives that demonstrate Accor North America’s dedication to preserving the environment.

“We have already embraced the national phasing out of incandescent light bulbs, recently passed into law by the federal government, and have taken it to the next level by establishing this recycling program,” said Jim Amorosia, president and chief operating officer for Motel 6. “Despite the five-year life span on these bulbs, we estimate that our properties will still recycle an approximate, combined total 60,000 fluorescent light bulbs per year.”

On December 19, 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law a landmark energy bill to begin phasing out traditional incandescent bulbs starting in 2012, to be completed in 2014. Australia took a more radical approach earlier in 2007, becoming the first country to ban incandescent bulbs outright starting in 2010.

In January of 2006, Motel 6 began its extensive retrofitting of fluorescent lighting at its corporate-owned properties, which consumes 75% less energy than conventional bulbs. The brand’s retrofitting of fluorescent light bulbs and the Motel 6 Battery and Fluorescent Light Bulb Recycling Program complement the efforts of Motel 6’s parent company, Accor North America, to reduce energy consumption in all its properties. In late 2006, the Environmental Protection Agency honored Accor North America as an Energy Star Leader for significantly increasing energy efficiency in its economy hotel properties.

To develop this nationwide recycling initiative, Accor North America partnered with Facility Solutions Group (FSG), who oversees the program, and Veolia Environmental Services, who manufactures and recycles the light bulbs and batteries. Motel 6 properties received boxes specifically designed to collect light bulbs, along with containers for batteries. Materials are shipped automatically to each location on an annual basis with specific instructions on how to return the used containers.

Batteries, light bulbs and electronic equipment typically contain mercury, lead and other heavy metals that are considered hazardous to the environment. By initiating this recycling program, Motel 6’s waste is guaranteed to be properly recycled in accordance with federal, state and local regulations.

Accor North America’s Earth Guest program in 2007 consisted of extensive and ongoing environmental initiatives including the planting of 20,000 trees representing each Accor employee in North America, implementation of a 65-point environmental check list at all properties and at the corporate headquarters, and donation of $375,000 to educational and charitable groups. Earth Guest program activities are led and put into action at the corporate level and in local communities by Accor North America’s four brands and over 900 properties – Sofitel, Novotel, Studio 6 and Motel 6 in the U.S. and Canada.

The hotel chain is coordinating Accor Earth Guest Week from April 15-22 in honor of the 37th annual Earth Day on April 22. As part of this event, Accor North America, which operates more than 1,200 upscale and economy hotels, will plant 20,000 trees representing each Accor employee in North America, implement a 65-point environmental check list at all properties and corporate, and donate $375,000 to educational and charitable groups, while maintaining its ongoing environmental practices. These activities are led and put into action in local communities by Accor North America’s six brands and 1,200 properties in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico: Sofitel, Novotel, Ibis, Red Roof Inn, Studio 6 and Motel 6.

According to the company, the Earth Guest Week efforts are designed to maximize Accor employee involvement in beautifying the planet, educating and helping community members to implement their own Earth Guest initiatives. The posting of 65-point, tri-lingual environmental checklist posters throughout Accor North America’s properties and corporate headquarters is aims to convey to employees pro-environmental actions including training, consumption reduction, monitoring, and analysis. This checklist enables Accor’s employees to reach the ultimate goal of reducing their collective environmental footprint.

Accor North America notes that it supports education and the development of a strong community as the best devices to protect and maintain the earth’s resources. To demonstrate its support, the company has made charitable contributions of $375,000 to several institutions that benefit the local and global community. It is also donating to America’s Second Harvest, the largest relief network in the U.S. whose mission is to eradicate hunger; to the Tom Joyner Foundation to benefit minority students attending college; Canine Companions, an animal assistance program for people with disabilities; and scholarship funds for underprivileged students seeking a career in hospitality to the University of Houston, Johnson & Wales University and Penn State.

Other initiatives include offering organic food on the hotel restaurant menus and donating 10% of sales to America’s Second Harvest; the creation of employee mini organic herb gardens, offering battery recycling locations at select hotels and the corporate headquarters, and hybrid automobile displays.

Several key programs Accor operates year-round are:
* Participation in energy and water conservation programs including creation of a monthly energy/water consumption report to inform each hotel of its month to date progress in regards to consumption savings, taking into consideration variables such as weather and hotel activity levels (all Sofitel, Novotel and Ibis hotels since 2004)
* Water saving shower heads and faucet aerators (all brands)
* Ozone machines were installed on laundry washers; these machines allow the hotel to wash linen and towels with cold water instead of hot and reduce the use of soap/detergent (all Sofitel hotels with laundry)
* Using environmentally sensitive Ecolab™ laundry and cleaning products (all Red Roof, Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations)
* Technologically advanced heating and cooling systems to reduce consumption of power (all brands)
* Fluorescent bulb recycling in all 670 plus corporate-owned Motel 6 and Studio 6 properties by the end of 2007
* Corporate office recycling program
* Printing five million brand directories on recycled paper using Soy ink (all Red Roof, Motel 6, and Studio 6 directories)
* Ongoing retrofitting of fluorescent lighting (all brands)