Home Publisher's Point of View Santa Claus, the Chimney Effect & Christmas Trees Greener Than Most

Santa Claus, the Chimney Effect & Christmas Trees Greener Than Most

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I have got Santa Claus on my mind. My son, who turned four in August, has me twisted in knots trying to explain why there are so many Santa Claus look-alikes walking around. When I posed the idea that they were “Santa’s helpers,” he was skeptical. He is a smart kid; he knows Santa’s real helpers are the elves. It is only a matter of time before he figures out the real truth. Arrrgh.

Santa also came to mind this past week as I was trying to explain “the chimney effect” in my article about open vents at the top of elevator shafts. I was inspired to write the article by a report entitled, “Spending Through the Roof.” It was prepared by Urban Green Council for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Buildings of at least 10 stories in height have the most potential to suffer from the chimney effect if rooftop vents are left open at the top of elevator shafts. The chimney effect occurs when heated air is given an opportunity to escape through rooftop vents. Colder air is pulled into the lobby and up the elevator shaft and out the roof. Meanwhile, incoming air has to be heated. The taller the building, the greater the impact. Temperature differential, “tight” buildings and exposure to wind can also accelerate the effect. The end result: higher energy costs and decreased energy efficiency.

In some cities, New York for example, elevator shaft vents have been required to remain open to improve fire safety. According to the Spending Through the Roof report, however, a 2014 change to the New York City Building Code allows new solutions. One solution is to cover two-thirds of the vent with annealed glass, and leave the rest open. The second solution is to install a motorized set of louvers that will remain completely closed until there is a fire, when the alarm system or a smoke detector will open them. Interestingly, a reverse chimney effect can occur in warmer climates when cold air falls to the bottom floor, pulling in hot air through the rooftop vent. Be sure to read my article.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

Finally, in the spirit of Santa, two very green Christmas tree initiatives. First, the Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte (N.C.) has constructed a 17-foot Christmas tree out of recycled green plastic soft drink bottles. The tree is located in the lobby of the hotel. A total of 789 bottles make up the tree. Second, the Langham Hospitality Group recently asked all of its hotels around the world to create a completely sustainable Christmas tree for public display. The initiative was the idea of Carmen Ng, the company’s Corporate Director of Sustainability. All of the company’s hotels got very creative with the task, with some of the highlights including:

•    An entire tree of oyster shells sourced from the hotel’s buffet restaurant at The Langham, Auckland;
•    A Langham Pink table-top tree constructed entirely out of old branded collateral (stationary, brochures) that was set to be recycled at The Langham, Boston;
•    A sculptural tree made of discarded water pipes, with some of them spelling out Happy Holidays, from the Eaton, Hong Kong;
•    A tree that gives back, literally—made out of layers of Soap Aid soap, which in turn is made from discarded hotel soap—at The Langham, Melbourne;
•    A tree with wine and Champagne bottles as branches, a wine cork star on top and even garland made from old hotel bedding, at Langham Place, New York, Fifth Avenue;
•    A festive green, gold and glittery life-sized Christmas tree made entirely out of discarded water bottles, beer and soda cans and plastic utensils at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena;
•    A tree constructed from broken light bulbs gathered throughout the year from guestrooms, each hand painted by a member of the staff, at The Langham, Shenzhen;
•    A potted tree decorated with edible ornaments—including bird seed covered gingerbread figures and cranberry and popcorn strings—specifically for the feathered friends of the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto.

Got your own Santa story to tell? I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (813) 510-3868. Have a very safe and happy holiday season.

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