Kempinski Hotels has become the first hotel group worldwide to create its own energy consultancy, which caters specifically to the hotel industry’s needs: KREEN, standing for Kempinski Renewable Energies. Hotel owners and management companies can benefit from KREEN’s advice, planning and project management in the field of renewable energies. The newly created consultancy’s priority is to optimise energy consumption management at Kempinski hotels and also other hotel brands by establishing concrete environmental protection standards, and to see operating costs decrease long-term as a result.
During hotels’ pre-opening periods, KREEN will assist in establishing and implementing the appropriate policies for the property’s efficient energy use and renewable energies.

Kreen is a joint venture between Kempinski Hotels, based in Geneva, Marshfield Energy Switzerland, and Stadtwerke Mainz AG’s wholly-owned subsidiary ÜWG Engineering GmbH - three competent partners who complement each other perfectly.

While Kempinski will provide fundamental hotel planning and operations know-how as well as access to the hotels and hotel owners, its partners will provide their technical know-how in the field of renewable energies and networking possibilities. They will contact the appropriate systems and technology suppliers and will assist with the implementation of comprehensive energy management standards. This ensures that in the future, Kempinski’s high quality standards are also implemented where environmentally friendly energy sources are concerned.

KREEN’s CEO is Horst Kreuter, a seasoned specialist in the field of geological engineering and geotechnics. Kreuter is a founder and chairman of GeoThermal Engineering GmbH, Karlsruhe, and Marshfield Energy, and will continue to perform his ongoing duties in addition to his new role as KREEN CEO.

“The conscious approach to the issue of sustainability is increasingly important. Not only because of the ecological and social responsibility that we have as a global company, but also because of economic considerations,” says Reto Wittwer, President and CEO of Kempinski Hotels. “KREEN brings us one major step forward, and it also makes us an even more attractive management company for future hotel projects and in the eyes of potential investors.”

“A hotel’s geographic location, local energy costs and the availability of renewable energies all play a role in defining the individual solutions we may offer,” said Horst Kreuter. “According to these parameters, we create bespoke concepts and planning, and assist in the implementation according to the property’s situation - whether it is an existing hotel, or a project under construction. This way, the hotels benefit from a tailored and more energy-efficient solution, which includes cost reduction and environmental protection. That’s our business model.”

Both Marshfield Energy and Stadtwerke Mainz have an impressive track record in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa - regions where Kempinski Hotels is already successfully represented and will also continue to expand. In these circumstances, the three companies that make up KREEN complement each other perfectly.

Detlev Höhne, Stadtwerke Mainz AG’s Member of the Board of Management, sees KREEN as another important step towards the energy policy emphatically followed by Stadtwerke since 2009: “This energy policy is for us a regional, national and especially international task. There is enormous potential for environmental protection in the hospitality and gastronomy industries.”

Initially, KREEN’s services will be available exclusively to Kempinski hotels. This way, existing hotels will benefit from KREEN’s expertise in optimising their energy management and reducing energy costs. Consulting to other hotel groups or chains is part of a long-term plan, said Reto Wittwer.