MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—Cambean Hospitality, a Miami Beach-based hospitality group that owns and manages four boutique hotel properties in the historic South Beach area, announced that it plans to install solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof of the Clifton South Beach Hotel. Cambean also announced that it will purchase carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs) from Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy to offset its fuel and electricity consumption.
“While many hospitality companies have embraced being ‘green,’ their involvement, and the involvement of their guests, is purely a voluntary or opportunistic approach and is not mandated by corporate guidelines,” stated Brian Scheinblum, president of Cambean Hospitality. “Cambean Hospitality, on the other hand, has quantified the carbon footprint for our entire portfolio of properties, and is mandating that we become carbon neutral. To that end, we’ve invested in the most progressive accounting, offsetting and renewable credit purchase program anywhere.”
In order to quantify energy consumption, Cambean Hospitality hired HVS in Miami to perform an Operations Sustainability Analysis (OSA). The OSA analyzes opportunities within a hotel for saving money through physical retrofits and changes in operational procedures, all of which contribute to conservation and sustainability. The cost of these changes is calculated and compared against the forecasted savings in operating expenses, allowing a clear understanding of the cost/benefit and anticipated payback period for investing in these changes.
Carbon Emissions Quantified
The HVS OSA also includes a quantification of the carbon emissions footprint relative to the hotel, as prepared by EnviRelation. The EnviRelation carbon emissions report is the only one of its kind that calculates the full carbon footprint of a hotel property inclusive of all scopes—electric, gas, water consumption, as well as employee transportation to the property, trash removal, linen services, etc. Next, Cambean Hospitality reached out to Renewable Choice Energy to design an offset and renewable energy credit program based on the carbon footprint of the entire portfolio.
“In order to become carbon neutral, a company must address all three scopes of energy consumption and emissions, and Cambean Hospitality has done that,” stated Scheinblum. “Through our aggressive offsetting and credit investments, we are addressing the direct emissions from company-owned assets (Scope 1), indirect emissions from purchased electricity (Scope 2), and indirect emissions from outsourced activities (Scope 3).”
It is the ability to address all three scopes that allows Cambean to be a leader in green hospitality.
“Cambean Hotels is leading by example as it demonstrates a comprehensive vision for corporate environmental responsibility,” said Quayle Hodek, CEO of Renewable Choice Energy. “Cambean is immersing itself in sustainability practices and setting itself apart in the hospitality industry. Through its investments in both renewable energy and carbon reduction projects, Cambean is showcasing the importance of evaluating and reducing carbon emissions on a corporate level. Their commitment supports the development of the renewable energy infrastructure that is a vital component of increasing the clean energy produced in the United States.”
Go to Cambean.
