The Hospitable Climates management team of the Hotel and Catering International Management Association (HCIMA) has added three new Fact-Files - ‘Renewable Energy’; ‘Heat Recovery’; and ‘Making the Most of Your Hospitable Climates Membership’ - to its portfolio of free information documents.

“With escalating energy costs and the need to reduce demand wherever possible for fossil-based fuels, there has never been a better time for UK hospitality businesses to consider ‘renewable energy’,” said HCIMA Programmes Director responsible for Hospitable Climates, Linda Martin. “This is energy generated naturally and continuously in the environment, in contrast to conventional fuels such as oil, gas or coal, which are extracted from finite reserves.”

In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, there are many good reasons for a hospitality operation to consider using renewable energy:

1.    It is not subject to the Climate Change Levy

2.    Renewable energy helps to ‘future proof’ energy supplies because it is not subject to the price fluctuations of globally traded commodities such as oil
    and gas

3.    Using renewable energy can reduce the environmental impact of a business

4.    Employing renewable energy can enhance social and environmental credentials which can be promoted to customers and guests

The Fact File on ‘Renewable Energy’ has been designed to help managers understand the various technologies available, particularly those most appropriate to hospitality operations. For such businesses, there are three practical ways of harnessing renewable energy: using the design and construction of buildings to take advantage of the natural energy of the sun and wind to provide heating, lighting and natural ventilation; investing in small scale renewable technologies on site that harness the power of the sun, wind, water or biomass; and purchasing ‘green’ energy from a utility company that uses renewable natural resources to produce their supply.

The new fact file on ‘Heat Recovery’ has been designed to help managers understand ‘heat recovery’ technology and its important role in reducing energy consumption and costs in the hospitality sector. “A growing area of heat recovery in the hospitality industry is Combined Heat and Power (CHP),” said Linda Martin. “A CHP unit generates electricity on-site, often using a gas-fired generator. It saves energy and money by making the engine’s heat, which would normally be wasted, available as hot water or steam.”

The third new Fact-File - ‘Making the Most of Your Hospitable Climates Membership’ -
has been written to help Hospitable Climates users improve their profile with customers and key stakeholders, by demonstrating how to successfully publicise membership of the programme. It also provides advice on reporting on carbon emissions and ways to use Hospitable Climates membership to contribute to a business’ overall Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives.

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