Home Publisher's Point of View USGBC’s New Hospitality Report Highlight’s LEED’s Dramatic Growth

USGBC’s New Hospitality Report Highlight’s LEED’s Dramatic Growth

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It is a success story that just is not getting the attention it deserves—our industry’s utilization and embracing of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating program. In case you missed it, USGBC recently released its LEED in Motion: Hospitality report which provides an update on our industry’s LEED participation. Compared to when I first launched Green Lodging News almost 10 years ago, the level of interest in LEED has grown tremendously.

According to the report, there are more than 400 LEED certified hotels globally, comprising nearly 133.9 million square feet. The number of LEED hotels is expected to increase significantly over the coming years: there are currently over 1,600 registered hotels totaling 986.6 million square feet in the pipeline, nearly four times the total number of LEED certified hotels. The report includes a map of the United States where one can find LEED hotels. The state with the most by far is California with 31. New York has 19, followed by Florida with 13, Virginia with 12, and Nevada with 11. Pennsylvania and Illinois both have 10. LEED certified hotels can now be found in 40 states, 31 countries and four continents. Outside the United States, China is leading the way in LEED certification for hotels with 32 LEED certified hotel projects. The Shanghai Tower, the tallest building in China and the second-tallest building in the world, received LEED Platinum certification for Core and Shell in 2015 and contains a hotel on site.

What is more challenging to get one’s arms around is the overall success of LEED—including sectors outside of the lodging industry. According to USGBC, every day, more than 1.85 million square feet of space in more than 155 countries and territories certifies with LEED. More than 74,500 commercial projects are currently participating in LEED, comprising over 14.4 billion square feet of construction space worldwide. Pretty amazing and certainly good news for workers, the environment, and business. USGBC says green construction is outpacing that of traditional construction and is poised to create more than 3.3 million U.S. jobs and $190.3 billion in labor earnings by 2018.

LEED in Motion: Hospitality includes snapshots of successful LEED hotel projects. Some of those highlighted include the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C., Virgin Hotels Chicago, The Nines in Portland, Ore., and the Tambo Del Inka Hotel, A Luxury Collection Resort & Spa in Urubamba, Peru. The snapshots highlight what makes each property unique from a green design and operations perspective. The report also includes quotes from representatives of our industry’s leading hotel companies. Sari Diller, Design Manager, Marriott International, says in the study that, “Marriott moved from two registered and certified properties in 2001 to 90 in 2010 and now over 140. We find that our owners, most of whom own multiple hotel brands, are driving the growth in LEED certified hotels across the globe.”

USGBC’s LEED in Motion: Hospitality report is well designed and offers a quick update on LEED’s progress in hospitality. It is a template worth replicating by other organizations that offer hotel certifications or rating systems.

Green Lodging News Adds ARVA, LLC as Directory Partner

Green Lodging News welcomes ARVA, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. HyLite LED Lighting Solutions offer high-performance, long-lasting, energy-efficient lighting products for the hospitality industry. HyLite Products can help owners and operates cut energy consumption by up to 90 percent while eliminating regular maintenance costs. HyLite LED provides solutions to create a brighter, safer parking lot and exterior and warm, welcoming lobbies, hallways, and rooms. HyLite LED Plug-in Lamps, HID retrofit lamps, and Energy Star rated series provide hotels lighting options for quick installation, lower initial investment, and quick payback. Call (803) 336-2230, e-mail info@arva.us, or click here for more information.

Earth Hour & Earth Day

Earth Hour is slated for March 19 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. local time. Earth Day is April 22. How will your organization be marking these occasions this year? I would love to know. Call me at (813) 510-3868, or e-mail editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Sustain 2016 Conference

I will be moderating a panel discussion at Sustain 2016, the Mid-Atlantic’s Annual Hospitality Conference. The event will take place March 14 to 15 at Dover Downs Hotel & Casino in Dover, Del. The title of my session: “Innovation All Stars: Case Studies of Three Companies Determined to Make Our World More Sustainable.” Panelists will include: William F. Kratzer, Chief Technology Officer, BioHitech; Justin Fishkin, Chief Strategy Officer, Local Motors; and Micah Green, CEO, Maidbot. I will look forward to seeing you at this event.

Who is Your Sustainability Champion?

Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Looking for Guest Columnists

Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Planning Advertising for 2016?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation

The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 4,799. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.

Green Lodging News & Social Media

Green Lodging News now has 1,652 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 732 Facebook followers.

As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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