Energy management in the South African hotel industry

Abstract

In recent years, the South African hotel industry has experienced increasing demand for hotel's services. At the same time, mounting costs of energy affects energy performance and public image. Energy management is a new approach to address those widespread problems. This study aimed to suggest good management practices and develop a "self-help" approach, to reduce the demand and costs of energy for the South Africa hotel industry. This is expected to result in monetary savings and conservation of energy resources. This has been done by conducting survey within seven selected hotels in Cape Town, metropolitan of South Africa. In addition, through the "self-help" guide, approaches to energy management system are also described, showing the ways for hotels to achieve better energy performance. Potentials for savings from good housekeeping are estimated to 10 - 15%. The "self-help" guide is recommended to be improved through implementation in pilot hotels; and the proposal set of benchmarks need to be different for hotels in different provinces of South Africa considering the differences in climate conditions. The result of this study range from presenting the energy conservation awareness, barriers, method of conservation, financial and institution mechanisms, policy measures, status of energy use and propose strategy to develop a "Self-help" guide for energy management in South African Hotel industry. It has been found that energy monitoring has been done in the South African Cape Town hotels. From the total energy consumed by this industry, electricity accounts 80% of it of which air conditioning takes the biggest share (about 50%) and the remaining for Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), diesel and others fuels. In addition, through the "self-help" guide, approaches to energy management system are also described, showing the ways for hotels to achieve better energy performance. Potentials for savings from good housekeeping are estimated to 10 - 15%. The "self-help" guide is recommended to be improved through implementation in pilot hotels; and the proposal set of benchmarks need to be different for hotels in different provinces of South Africa considering the differences in climate conditions.