Home Energy Management Concord Hospitality Sold on the Value of LEED Certification, Going Green

Concord Hospitality Sold on the Value of LEED Certification, Going Green

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SpringHill Suites Pittsburgh Bakery Square–a property managed by Concord Hospitality

RALEIGH, N.C.—Thirty-two years after its founding in 1985, Concord Hospitality has staked its claim as one of the lodging industry’s leading proponents of green building and design. The Raleigh, N.C.-based company manages 41 of its owned hotels and also manages 47 additional properties. Fourteen of its hotels are LEED certified and there are 15 more in the pipeline that will also obtain LEED certification. All new construction projects are designed, constructed, operated and maintained to meet LEED guidelines.

Concord Hospitality’s commitment to LEED makes good business and environmental sense. According to Carl Hren, Vice President of Architecture & Construction for Concord Hospitality, the company’s LEED certified hotels run 30 to 40 percent more efficient than comparable properties. “It is a huge value to the asset,” Hren says.

Most of Concord Hospitality’s hotels meet either the basic LEED certification guidelines or LEED Silver. Hren says properties at those levels are about as efficient as they can be. “We have yet to come across a group that has stayed away because of a hotel not being LEED Gold or higher,” Hren says.

When asked what advice he would offer to any developer pursuing LEED, he said, “You have got to make the decision right from the start and you have to manage the process from start to finish in order to get the points. Keep reminding the contractor. Keep it top of mind. It is just a matter of doing the process consistently.”

Effective Technology Tested Over & Over

Concord Hospitality invests in energy-saving technology that works. A vertical VRP (Variable Refrigerant Packaged) system from one supplier has kept heating and air-conditioning costs down. “We are using it in a ton of our hotels,” Hren says. “We also use heat recovery systems.” An energy management system that incorporates both occupancy and infrared sensors is also in guestrooms. “It is wireless and ties all the stats together online,” Hren adds. “You can adjust the setback. That system has been effective.”

Several of Concord’s properties are members of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that assists organizations with procuring electricity generated from renewable sources. All Concord hotels are registered with Green Hotels Global, a metric-based system that focuses on collecting information about the environmental footprint of hotels. This information is populated into an interactive software system that allows each property to quantify, reduce and report on its economic impact.

To reduce water consumption, low-flow fixtures such as 2 gpm showerheads are used. Waterless urinals are also in place in public restrooms. Green cleaning products are used in Concord Hospitality hotels and most other purchasing is done with companies that have sustainability programs. Recycling is practiced, per brand standards, at Concord Hospitality managed properties.

Concord Hospitality has been a supporter of Clean the World since 2009. Today, more than 96 percent of Concord’s portfolio participates in the Clean the World program and together they have diverted more than 60 tons of waste away from landfills and created an estimated 500,000 bars of soap.

Overseeing Concord Hospitality’s green initiatives is a Sustainability Committee.

Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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