March 6, 2017

Dear Boston Green Tourism Members,  

Our next meeting will be Thursday March 9 from 2:30 to 4:00  at Fairmont Copley Plaza in the Forum Room, lower lobby.
 
I thank our hosts:  George Terpilowski, Jean-Francois Lincourt, Eric Ulvila, Brooke Lizotte.
 
I hope you can come!
 
Dan 
 
 
SPEAKERS

Eric Ulvila, Director of Engineering, Fairmont Copley Plaza  

Mr. Ulvila will discuss  the importance of proper LED selection to support lighting upgrades, and leveraging ownership dollars to support internal hotel projects.

John Pifer, Director of Engineered Systems,  OpTerra Energy Services   

Mr. Pifer will discuss two energy efficiency technologies that are now commercially available for hotels: energy storage and heat pump water heaters. 
 


Kevin Lubinger, Program Manager, Energy Efficiency,  EVERSOURCE  

Mr. Lubinger will describe the 2017 Mass Save incentive program and how hotels can take advantage of it. He'll also discuss recent Boston hotel energy success stories.



Dave Radford, CEO and President of Q Free Boston 

Mr. Radford will discuss Parking Guidance systems, which direct patrons to available parking spaces through the use of intelligent sensors and signage.
 
Parking Guidance systems enable patrons to find parking in 30% less time. They allow managers to optimize inventory and assure they have enough spaces for their guests. By reducing the need to "cruise" to find spots, they alleviate congestion, air and noise pollution. 




 
IDEAS

InterContinental Boston Cuts its Food Waste--and Reduces its Food Budget
 
When hotels generate less food waste, they cut their food purchasing and waste hauling bills. And they benefit the environment by reducing the amount of food that must be shipped and processed.

InterContinental Boston recently established a successful food waste reduction program.  Chef Didier Montarou and Environment Services Coordinator Fabienne Eliacin said that the hotel used to over-order banquet food by 10% - 15%, to assure that they didn't run out. New practices enable them to over-order by only 2% - 3%. They also found ways to purchase less food for the hotel restaurants.
 
For banquets, IC Boston chefs now confirm attendance with their clients 3 days before events,which enables them to better estimate their food requirements.
 
Better menu engineering has yielded good results, too. The hotel has fewer menu items now, so they don't have to order food for dishes that don't sell well.
 
Also, the hotel changes its menus less often, because new dishes are inherently wasteful. Chefs must over-order for new dishes until they learn how to cook them perfectly and get the portion sizes right.
 
IC Boston now uses cooking oil more efficiently, too. They use the Vito Oil Filtration System (see video here), which enables them to reuse fryer oil 3 or 4 times, and cut their purchases in half.  When the oil can't be used again, it's picked up by Lifecycle Renewables which converts it to bio-diesel.

The food that does go to waste is pulped to squeeze out the water content and reduce its volume. JRM then hauls it to a compost facility.
 
IC Boston's food waste program hasn't hurt customer satisfaction scores. Indeed, satisfaction with quality and service has increased during the implementation period.

--
 
IC Boston had an overall recycling rate of 70% in 2016--up from 45% several years ago. Ms. Eliacin is aiming for 72% in 2017.
 
She credits the recycling program's success to: educating every new employee; speaking at quarterly all-staff meetings and department meetings; making the green program fun with festive Earth Hour and Earth Day celebrations; encouraging staff to give feedback and ask questions; and making it easy to recycle. Here are recent presentations on IC Boston's  donation program and other  green initiatives.



 
ARTICLES 

Glenn Hasek, Green Lodging News, December 13

Do your guests leave the shower unattended when the water is warming up? Apparently, most hotel guests do--wasting water and energy.
 
A new technology that cuts hot water waste in the shower is under development. The Shower Stream "knows" when guests walk away from showers--and it turns off the water after it becomes warm. It senses when guest returns and turns the water on again. 

This smart device calculates properties' utility bill savings. Shower Stream claims that their product pays for itself within several months.

If you want to test this product, contact Shower Stream: g [email protected], (713) 876-7726. 


Tony Lundell, Condenser, June 2014
 
Dirty, moldy food processing and HVAC evaporator coils don't transfer heat well and are inefficient. Pathogens could develop that endanger staff and guests. Periodic deep cleaning and sanitation improves energy efficiency and decreases health risks.  The author describes how to do this properly.
 
Nano-coatings on HVAC coils improve energy efficiency and extend equipment life. Some are self-cleaning, antimicrobial and anti-corrosive.




 
2017 MEETINGS

The following meeting will be 2:30 to 4:00. 

March 9 Fairmont Copley Plaza
April 27 Taj Boston
May 25  
June 22
Sept. 14  
October 12  
December 7 Le Meridien


See you Thursday at Fairmont Copley Plaza!


Boston Green Tourism
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