Coast Hotels & Resorts Reduces Greenhouse-Gas Emissions With Hybrid Heating

Coast Hotels & Resorts is leaving a much smaller carbon footprint these days after installing Sempa hybrid heating systems at three of its hotels in Whistler, Sun Peaks and Revelstoke, B.C. The new heating system has helped the company cut its greenh
 
Nov. 17, 2009 - PRLog -- By installing an electric-boiler system alongside a hotel's existing gas or propane heating system, Sempa's hybrid heating system uses real-time intelligent controls to track and manage heating demand, switching between natural gas or propane to electric heat depending on which source is the cheapest at any point during the day.  The technology monitors fuel prices electronically and collects data on heating costs and greenhouse-gas reductions so users can track their energy savings online.

"Travellers today increasingly want to take steps to minimize their holidays' environmental impact," said Graeme Barrit, President of Coast Hotels & Resorts.  "Sempa's hybrid heating system has made a significant contribution in helping Coast Hotels & Resorts save energy, reduce greenhouse-gas emissions and become a more environmentally sustainable business."

Since installing the hybrid heating system in October 2008 at the Hillcrest Hotel, a Coast Resort in Revelstoke, B.C., the hotel has trimmed its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 189 tonnes and cut its heating costs by $45,000, a 28 per cent reduction in total energy costs.   The system also reduced the hotel's overall energy consumption by 13 per cent.

The Hillcrest Hotel hybrid heating project involved the installation of a 150 kilowatt (kW) electric boiler, re-piping of the hotel's existing propane boiler system and upgrading building automation system for monitoring and control.  The $220,000 project is expected to pay for itself in approximately five years in annual energy savings.

The Coast Sundance Lodge's hybrid heating system involved the installation of a 135 kW electric boiler and two new 2.1 million British Thermal Units (MBTU) medium high efficiency gas boilers in March 2009 along with a new state-of the-art building automation system. Over the past seven months the hotel has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 65 tonnes and cut its heating costs by $22,040, a 26 per cent reduction in total energy costs.   The system also reduced the hotel's overall energy consumption by 11 per cent.  The $274,000 hybrid heating system is expected to pay for itself in approximately six years in annual energy savings.

Coast Blackcomb Suites at Whistler has three Sempa hybrid heating systems installed.  The first installation, completed in 2004, involved adding a hybrid heating system consisting of a 108 kW electric boiler to heat the outdoor pool and hot tub area of the hotel.  This was followed by a second installation in 2006 involving the addition of electric duct heaters and Digital Demand Controls (DDC) controls to the makeup air systems to heat the common areas of the 186-room hotel.  The first two installations reduced the hotel's greenhouse-gas emissions by over 45 percent and lowered energy costs by more than $125,000 annually.  The third and final hybrid heating system installation at the hotel included the addition of a new 200 kW electric boiler and a new gas fired boiler and DDC controls to the domestic hot water supply. The new systems domestic water system was piped in a primary-secondary loop configuration to reduce standby loss from circulating water through gas boilers when they were not firing.

Additional eco-friendly initiatives Coast Hotels & Resorts has undertaken at its properties include: introducing key cards made from recycled materials, using biodegradable garbage bags, turning down heat in unoccupied room, installing energy efficient lighting in all guest rooms and public areas, replacing paper towels with washable kitchen cloths, using microfibre mops and dusters, greater use of chemical-free cleaning products, providing guests with shampoo, bath gel and lotion in bulk containers to reduce the number of small bottles used, and donating old linens and lost and found articles to local charities, among other steps.

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Sempa Power Systems Ltd. is a Canadian-owned forward thinking organization providing progressive and innovative smart energy solutions. Sempa’s flagship products provide a variety of industries, such as building owners and operators with measurable and manageable results in dramatically reducing energy costs, lowering overall energy consumption and decreasing green house gas emissions. For more information please visit us at sempapower.com.
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