Case Study : Thermal Insulation Savings
The Arrow Motel used 80,775 kWh in 2001, which includes electricity, gas and fuel for the car. The Energy Efficiency Conservation Agency report on motels and hotels in 1995 shows that the average for a similar sized motel is 275,000 KWh. A comparison with a group of 14 South Island hotels /motels , based on the same number of gues t nights, was 277,600 kWh.
For John and Sally Gilbertson, energy efficiency means a lot more than putting out the recycle bin each week. It's precisely what they had in mind when they designed their award-winning hospitality business , the Arrow Motel in Nelson.
Efficiency starts from the ground up
For John, getting the basics right from the beginning was paramount: The advice we received from our construction advisor/ project manager Colin Reeves lead to the use of a number of efficient construction systems . These have been the core elements for achieving our aim of operating an energy efficient motel. The construction of the building includes high mass concrete construction, Firth Ribraft concrete floors , Superform polyblock/ Tockcoat walls for thermal mass , insulation, including wool insulation in the ceiling, and Pilkington double glazing.Saving energy is part of a daily routine
Operating the motel efficiently is done in a variety of ways. For example, a Quantum solar-electric heat pump for water heating and a computerised lighting system operate well all year round. We've also upgraded our vehicles to fuel injected models, and encourage the use of the local shuttle bus, taxis, and car pooling.How they did it!
Constructing and managing a sustainable business has lead to a range of flow-on benefits for both Arrow and the environment:
- Noise control (though cons truction, glazing and insulation)
- Eco-system conservation (through landscaping, tree-planting and environmentally friendly sprays and insecticides )
- Management of water resources (through underwater storage tank, control system for irrigation and restrictor devices in shower heads which reduce flow but maintain pressure)
- Optimised wastewater management (including twin flush cisterns for toilets; a machine which mixes cleaning chemicals to avoid overuse; new cleaning technologies, and a recently installed system for irrigation, using laundry grey water)
The benefits of Energy Efficiency
Reduced greenhouse emissions (through LP gas, using cars efficiently, and using manual or electric garden tools for lands caping) Minimising, re-using and recycling waste (including refillable dispensers in showers etc).
Improved management of hazardous substances in conjunction with supplier's cleaning technology (this includes not storing hazardous substances on site where possible and the use of suitable plants around the apartments to control ants naturally)Arrow Motel uses 70% less energy
Confirmation that John and Sally's hard work was paying off came in the form of a report by Emsol Energy Management. It showed that Arrow Motel uses 70% less energy compared to similar sized motels, saving around $39,000 a year. And even though the Gilbertsons estimated they spent an extra $20,000 on energy efficiency aspects of the complex over and above the standard construction costs , giving them a payback of only six months.
Winning the Genes is Energy Commercial/ Services award certainly hasn't made John and Sally complacent. In fact, if anything it's encouraged them to keep searching for even more energy efficient ways to run their business. The difference with the Gilbertsons is they turn knowledge into viable business solutions. Current initiatives include:
replacing lighting where possible with more efficient bulbs, replacing high consumption computers with low energy laptops, continually extending the use of the power management computer, and some basic things like increasing the line space we have available for laundry and reducing lint in the driers by hemming our cleaning rags.
From the big picture to the finest detail, John and Sally continue to show that savings with energy efficiency in mind are there for the taking. And it seems that word is spreading
about their success:
We have even been approached by others considering developing similar properties. Because we are constantly monitoring developments we're able to tell them not only what system we used at the motel and the effects they have, but also what new systems have been launched onto the market.
It just goes to show, it is possible to make real savings by adopting sound technological solutions that deliver a better, more energy efficient way to run your business . And the best thing? The techniques used by the Gilbertsons can be replicated by any business, no matter the scale.