Innovation hotel

Rainwater harvesting

Harvesting systems collect rainwater in tanks either on the roof or underground.

In regions where there's plenty of regular rain, it's an effective and low-cost way of reducing demand on local water supplies. With filtering, hotels can use the harvested water to flush toilets and water grounds, as well as in dishwashers and washing machines.

Green roofs & solar shading

Roofs planted with low-maintenance plants such as sedums improve the thermal performance of buildings, helping to keep them cool in warm weather and insulating them in winter. The plants and the thin layer of soil also work like a sound barrier, particularly when they're wet, helping to reduce noise pollution.

External solar shading systems prevent the sun’s rays entering the building and causing heat gain.

Solar power

Alternative sources of energy – like solar, geo-thermal and wind power – are now becoming increasingly available and reduce our dependency on non-renewable coal, oil and gas.

Installing solar panels helps hotels to cut back on the non-renewable energy that they use. The power that solar energy generates is often used for heating water.

Community projects & landscaping

Developing hotel landscaping that's in tune with the local environment gives hotels a great opportunity to engage with the community, and helps cut back on water consumption. Native species of trees, shrubs and flowers are well adapted to local climatic and soil conditions, and don't need the extra irrigation that imported ones do. They also help support local wildlife.

Local environmental groups support hotels' conservation efforts and may be interested in working on joint community projects also.

Green facades

Green facades, the use of a living cladding system for buildings in which climbing plants or trained shrubs cover the surface of the building, are long established in parts of Europe. Green facades can dramatically reduce the maximum temperatures of a building by shading walls from the sun. They can reduce the daily temperature fluctuation by as much as 50 per cent.

Modular building methods

The word ‘modular’ describes a construction method where individual modules, stand-alone or assembled together, make up larger structures. Modular buildings offer fast delivery, low-cost reconfiguration and enormous flexibility. These buildings are 60 to 100 per cent factory-built and designed. Because they are factory-constructed, consistent delivery of green building options is built in and can include use of environmentally friendly building products and energy-saving technologies. Modular buildings can also reduce material waste.

Green transport

Hotels should be providing greener options for how guests get around, from hybrid cars to electric bikes to local public transportation. Hotels should know which local taxis are green, how their guests might access public transport and offer bike racks where applicable.

Ground source heat pump

Ground source heat pumps are systems that use the earth's relatively constant temperature to more efficiently provide heating, cooling and hot water. Ground source heat pumps can be categorised as having closed or open loops, and those loops can be installed in several ways: horizontally, vertically or in a pond/lake. The type chosen depends on the available land areas and the soil and rock type at the installation site.