Ten years ago while working for another publication I wrote my first fuel cells article. In that article I quoted author Joseph J. Romm who described the fuel cell as the “electric motor of the 21st century.” Fuel cells are more common than you might think and offer a clean alternative to conventional power generation. Fuel cells are a family of technologies that utilize the energy in a fuel electrochemically. The byproducts of a fuel cell reaction? Just water and heat. Fuel cells offer efficiencies exceeding 80 percent when waste heat is captured. They deliver up to 47 percent net electrical efficiency—well above the U.S. central station efficiency of 33 percent.
As has been proven numerous times at hotels in California, New York and New Jersey, fuel cells can be a great fit for generating electricity in the lodging industry—especially at larger hotels that can utilize the waste heat for water heating, guestroom heating, and even cooling. As described in the article I just posted on fuel cells, new systems are coming along that make them a logical fit for much smaller properties—even B&Bs up to boutique-size hotels. Be sure to read the article and consider fuel cells the next time you review your power needs. Fuel cells, unlike solar and wind, can generate power nonstop, even when grid power shuts down. Especially if you have coolers holding valuable foodstuffs for your restaurants, that is critical.
Like wind and solar, cost is certainly an issue with fuel cells but there are ways to finance them to minimize or even totally eliminate upfront costs. Especially in California, with its Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) rebate, fuel cells are very doable. As cost has decreased over time for wind and solar, so too will it come down for fuel cells.
Electricity generated by fuel cells is much cleaner than that produced through coal burning. Coal power plants are the biggest air polluter in the United States and generate more than half of our country’s electricity. Investing in clean energy creates good paying jobs and if you are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for your property, fuel cells can help you reach that goal.
According to the American Lung Association, more than 180 million Americans live in communities that suffer unhealthy levels of smog, soot, or both. As an industry, we need to do our part to help reverse that ongoing damage. Cleaner air starts with lower emissions—whether coming as a result of investments in solar, wind, fuel cells, or other clean technologies.
Last Week’s Column on In-House Newsletters
In last week’s column I wrote about the Grand Hyatt New York’s “Green Apple News” employee newsletter. It is an in-house newsletter that includes news about the property’s environmental programs and accomplishments. At the end of the column I asked readers to write and tell me about their own in-house green newsletters. I received two responses. Viv Smith, who is in marketing at Superior Uniform Group, wrote to say that her company has an e-newsletter called the “Eco Beacon.” Beth Pratt, director, Environmental Affairs for Xanterra Parks & Resorts in Yellowstone National Park, said her staff produces a daily e-newsletter called “The Daily Green.” “It’s worked well for communicating internal environmental information, but also for introducing employees to worldwide environmental news,” Pratt says. “One day we might talk about a company recycling policy that changed, while the next day I might send out an update on the energy bill, or Dell’s bamboo packaging, or a new species of frog that was discovered.”
In Search of Environmental Champions
I am looking for green team leaders and other environmental champions to feature in the Personnel Profile section on the Green Lodging News website. If you would like to suggest someone, call me at (440) 243-2055, or write to editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
New Online Video Sections on the Way
Green Lodging News will soon add “Vendor Videos” and “More Cool Videos” sections to its website. The Vendor Videos section will give suppliers an opportunity to post videos that describe how their products work and how they can help an owner or operator save money, reduce resource consumption, and create a more sustainable enterprise. The “More Cool Videos” section will be reserved for videos created by those owning and operating green lodging establishments, for properties that have been featured on news broadcasts, and for educational videos. Be sure to contact me at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com for more information.
There are many excellent Green Lodging News advertising opportunities available for 2010, including ad spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available throughout the year. If your company has a product or products it would like to feature in Green Lodging News in 2010, be sure to contact me. The 2010 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter
Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. The address for the blog is http://greenlodgingnews.blogspot.com. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 441 Twitter followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
