The Hotel Association of New York City is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability’s NYC Retrofit Accelerator program that will connect member hotels to free, cost-saving sustainability resources that reduce electricity consumption and contribute to a cleaner, more energy efficient city.
The NYC Retrofit Accelerator is a program created and managed by the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability that offers one-on-one advisory services to help streamline the process of making energy efficiency improvements to physical buildings. About 5,000 buildings are currently enrolled in NYC Retrofit Accelerator and are undergoing efforts to pursue greater efficiencies, implement clean energy, and water conservation projects, with projects already completed in more than 1,800 buildings.
Fatou Jabbie of USL Technology, who is both an Efficiency Advisor on the NYC Retrofit Accelerator program and a HANYC Sustainability Committee member, will help lead this partnership by working with the HANYC to implement a comprehensive strategy that will connect members to available sustainable hospitality resources that support climate action, energy efficiency, sustainable water and waste management, renewable energy, and alternative resources.
“There are real, bottom line financial incentives for hotel owners and operators to enroll in these programs not only on the front end by avoiding fines but on the back end realizing big savings over the long term. We’re eager to connect members with these programs and help them achieve their sustainability goals,” Ms. Jabbie said.
Vijay Dandapani, President and CEO of Hotel Association of New York City, said: “We are encouraging all of our members to take advantage of these opportunities to lower costs while improving operational efficiency relating to water usage, energy consumption, waste management and more.”
Why Should Hotel Owners Make Sustainability Upgrades Now?
New York City hotel owners can save money today by implementing improvements that save energy and help ensure compliance with local laws over the long run. That money can be reinvested elsewhere to improve guest comfort and services. Additionally, NYC Retrofit Accelerator’s services are completely free and include:
- One-on-one, customized guidance to identify high-impact opportunities;
- Building system and utility usage analysis;
- Connections to incentives and financing to reduce the upfront cost of upgrades;
- Introductions to qualified contractors to install upgrades; and
- Ongoing support through every step of the retrofit process.
Con Edison, National Grid, and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) also have incentives available to help reduce initial costs.
Currently, hotel properties over 25,000 square feet in New York City are required to comply with annual water and energy benchmarking laws, and properties over 50,000 square feet must complete energy audits and retro-commissioning every ten years. To help hotel owners meet these requirements, New York City provides hospitality properties with information that can help them reduce utility costs while making guests more comfortable during their stay. The NYC Retrofit Accelerator will also provide recommendations to help properties increase their ENERGYSTAR® scores, which must be publicly posted by 2020.
In addition to reaping financial and environmental benefits associated with sustainability upgrades, participants in the NYC Retrofit Accelerator program have the opportunity to be recognized as leaders in the sustainability space. Hotels can also deepen their commitment to sustainability by participating in the NYC Carbon Challenge, a voluntary leadership program for private, institutional, and non-profit entities who have committed to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent or more over ten years.
Highlights from the new partnership include:
- Beginning immediately, member hotels will be provided with new opportunities to learn more about the NYC Retrofit Accelerator program, which serves as a one-stop free resource to reduce operating costs, increase asset value, and improve occupant comfort.
- Hotels that take steps to implement sustainability measures are encouraged to join the NYC Carbon Challenge for Hotels by voluntarily pledging to reduce their carbon emissions by 30 percent over ten years.
- HANYC has redesigned its Sustainable Hospitality website to serve as an end-to-end resource for everything sustainability.
- HANYC will create a sustainability platform for members to network and exchange ideas and best management practices including quarterly thought leadership events.
- Participating member hotels will be recognized as part of the HANYC Earth Day Annual Sustainability Awards.
General Managers, Hotel Managers and Directors of Engineering of member hotels will be instrumental in helping to make this partnership engaging and successful, so we urge hotels to become involved!
Hotels interested in taking steps towards a greener, more sustainable future should reach out to the NYC Retrofit Accelerator at fatou@nycretrofit.org or by phone at 866-761-0940.