Energy-efficient electrical devices

Principle

If you decide to replace or upgrade old electrical devices and appliances at your hotel, make sure you choose new products with a high energy efficiency rating.
• European energy efficiency stickers (introduced by Directive no. 92/75/EC) are posted on most electrical appliances, in particular:
- restaurant equipment (refrigerators and freezers, minibars, dishwasher),
- laundry equipment (washing machines, driers, etc.).

Explanations

The energy efficiency rating is expressed by category on a scale from A to G, A being the products with optimal efficiency and G the least efficient products.
It is particularly important to use restaurant and laundry equipment with high efficiency ratings (A, A+ or A++), as these services represent a significant share of energy consumption in hotels (food service can account for up to 15% of all energy used, for example).
• For office equipment (computers, fax machines, printers, scanners, photocopiers) the Energy Star label serves as a reference.
• Other energy rating labels also exist. In the United Kingdom, for example, the marking "Energy Saving Recommended" is attributed to products that fulfil strict energy efficiency criteria. In all 3,000 different products (clothes washing machines, dish washers, lamps, digital television and radio sets).

Implementation

• The first step is to list all the electrical appliances in use at the hotel. It is recommended that you collect documentation on these appliances. This information can include energy rating category, brand, year of purchase, energy consumption and the number of hours in operation.
• Second step: the hotel must decide which appliances need to be replaced, and make sure that new appliances have a high energy efficiency rating.
Remark
• Do not forget that if you replace an appliance with a more efficient device, and at the same time change the service level or operation (for instance if you acquire a larger refrigerator), the observed energy savings will be affected.
What additional measures can be implemented at my hotel to reduce energy consumption for electrical devices?
• You must ensure that your electrical devices are properly used, and are turned off when they are not in use (television set, DVD player, stereo system, etc.)
- The "standby" mode can account for up to 70% of consumption for a given device. This energy loss can be limited by encouraging your staff and customers to follow good housekeeping practices.
- Your hotel can also adopt a bath towel policy to limit loads of laundry and washing machine use, a large energy consumer.
• Remember that most appliances must be serviced and maintained regularly to ensure proper operation (refrigerator, freezer, clothes washing machine, etc.) If this is not done, you will waste energy. For example, a clothes washer that is not properly maintained can use 10 to 20% more energy than one that is maintained.

Costs

Approximate cost:
• variable.
Approximate payback time:
• < 1-8 years
It should be noted that costs and payback times are highly dependent on the local setting and the initial situation of the hotel.

Examples

Benefits

Cost savings
Energy savings:
• Electrical devices with a high energy efficiency rating are generally a low-risk investment that generate significant benefits.
Potential energy savings associated with use of electrical appliances: up to 50%

Reduced CO2 emissions
• For a hotel of 1,000 m² that uses 40 kWh/m² of electricity for appliances annually, and applying emission factors for France, a 50% savings in energy consumption represents:
1.69 t CO2 eq of avoided emissions each year
Emission factors for electricity in France: 84.3 g CO2 / kWh.
Emission factors for natural gas in France: 331 g CO2 / kWh (Source: ADEME).

Constraints

Implementation:
• Ease of implementation: Easy (*).
• Best time for implementation: when electrical appliances are replaced.
• Relevant initial situation: certain electrical devices in use at the hotel (in restaurant, laundry, offices, etc.) are not sufficiently energy-efficient.