You can do many things at your property to reduce associated CO2 emissions. Incorporating products and technologies that help you avoid energy consumption in the first place is a great way to start. There are hundreds of best practice examples on Green Lodging News, especially in the Energy Management section of the website.
One unique technology that Minnesota’s Radisson Blu Mall of America (MOA) has incorporated for the last couple of years in its mechanical room is CarbinX. Made by CleanO2, CarbinX is a small-scale carbon capture device that sequesters CO2 emissions from hotel water boilers, reducing carbon emissions by six to eight tons per year and cutting natural gas consumption by up to 20 percent. The CarbinX unit, about the size of two refrigerators, is charged with potassium hydroxide. This compound reacts with the carbon dioxide, producing potassium carbonate (pearl ash). This byproduct is used by Clean02 to produce soaps and other detergents that can be used in a hotel.
CarbinX also works as an economizer, recapturing waste heat for use in the building. It reclaims heat from two sources and recycles it. The first source is the heating-appliance flue gas. It contains heat which would normally escape to the atmosphere through the chimney. The second source is the carbon-capture reaction. It is an exothermic reaction, meaning it naturally generates heat of its own. CarbinX uses the heat from the flue gas as well as from the carbon-capture reaction to heat domestic water for the building.
Captures, Reclaims More Energy Than It Uses
An independent, third-party lifecycle analysis by the University of British Columbia found that CarbinX actually captures and reclaims more energy than it uses. This analysis not only included the carbon balance of daily use (carbon capture and heat reclamation) but also factored in the impact of device manufacture and upstream feedstock production.
Currently, CarbinX machines capture 25 percent of the CO2 in flue exhaust, but the company’s CEO and founder, Jaeson Cardiff, said his company is working on new models that would capture 50 percent of CO2 emissions and possibly even 100 percent.
What about cost? The installation was part of a program by CenterPoint Energy, Minnesota’s largest natural gas utility, to explore the potential of new, cleaner energy technologies. CenterPoint Energy deployed the CarbinX technology in a pilot program with 10 of its commercial customers in Minnesota, including Radisson Blu MOA. Houston-based CenterPoint, Minnesota’s largest gas utility, paid for the $25,000 machines. The $300,000 cost of CenterPoint’s CarbinX pilot project in Minnesota is covered by the utility’s state-mandated and ratepayer-funded Conservation Improvement Program. That program is aimed at energy efficiency projects.
Units Themselves are Mostly Recyclable
Each CarbinX unit can reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by 6 to 8 tons each year.
The CarbinX carbon capture units themselves are over 95 percent recyclable.
Jaeson Cardiff, CEO of CleanO2, said, at the time of the installation, “Moving carbon capture technology to the mainstream takes vision and commitment. At some point, we hope people will take it for granted. But right now, we need leadership and collaboration. That’s exactly what we’ve experienced from CenterPoint Energy and Radisson Blu Mall of America. We’re proud to collaborate with them for this installation.”
The Radisson Blu MOA is the first hotel in the world to use this system that captures greenhouse gas emissions from heating equipment. For this technology, Choice Hotels International was awarded the inaugural 2024 World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Award in the Leading Sustainable Technology category.
Green Lodging News Adds T2 Site Amenities to Product & Service Directory
Green Lodging News has added T2 Site Amenities to the Carts/Housekeeping/Laundry/Luggage category of its Green Product & Service Directory. T2 Site Amenities now offers new commercial-grade luggage carts for hotels, condos and facilities. Choose from various styles and finishes from matte black to brushed stainless steel. Custom logo carpets are also available. For more information, complete this form and a customer service manager will be in contact with you shortly. For a limited time, there is free shipping on luggage cart orders shipping to the lower 48 states. Free shipping is not applicable to orders shipping to Hawaii or Alaska, some exclusions may apply. For more information, call (847) 579-9003 or e-mail sara@t2-sa.com.
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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 greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
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Green Lodging News, lodging’s leading environmental news source, publishes the Wednesday Green Supplier Spotlight and Thursday Green Suppliers Spotlight. Green Supplier Spotlight features just one vendor and Green Suppliers Spotlight features multiple vendors. Click here for a Green Supplier Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Click here for a Green Suppliers Spotlight sample and rate sheet. Both e-blasts that reach 19,690 subscribers have been built to generate quick leads. A report is sent a week after each e-blast that includes the number of e-mails sent, number of opens, and number of click-throughs. Contact Glenn Hasek at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com for more information.
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