Cornell University study shows LEED-certified hotels draw more revenue

Cornell University has completed the first study to track the financial performance of LEED-certified hotels across the United States. The research concludes that LEED-certified hotels are currently generating more revenue than their less energy-efficient counterparts. The certification serves as an acknowledgement of a structure's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), according to the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). 

The raw data of the study indicates that there is "a general trend toward superior financial performance" for LEED-certified hotels, which is noteworthy because the occupancy rate of LEED-certified hotels trails their non-certified competitors by 4 percent. Conversely, LEED-certified hotels have seen increases in their individual occupancy rates after certification, despite the cost of staying in the hotels rising to an average of $9 more per night than hotels without certification. 

In response to these developments, the Cornell report says that "considering these challenges, it is remarkable that LEED certified hotels match competitors' occupancy levels within a year of certification." 

Another interesting finding was that just a year ago, there was no significant revenue impact for LEED-certified hotels. But the study suggests that the income increases have resulted in renewable energy initiatives becoming a more common element of travel and American life. As people become more experienced and comfortable with the option, they tend to select LEED-certified hotels more frequently. 

A 2013 Navigant Research survey shows that 72 percent of Americans were unfamiliar with LEED certification, but 80 percent of those surveyed approved of the concept once it was explained to them. In addition to increasing revenue, the energy conservation practices required to attain LEED certification have also raised the property values of the hotels and overall customer satisfaction. 

If you live in the Maryland area and would like an energy audit to evaluate the power consumption of your home, schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

At the turn of the 2010s, the term "deep energy retrofit" was widely unheard of with little media fanfare, academic discussion or financial investments boosting its profile. There were also very few examples of the process for someone to reference. 

But 2014 has seen deep energy retrofits blossom into a growing industry with companies mired in a heated competition to establish themselves as leading providers of the service, each trying to prove an ability to save more power and money for potential customers. One of the most significant examples of this procedure, which has garnered much of the new media attention, inspired new financial investments and launched widespread academic discussion, is the Empire State Building. 

Superficially, the Empire State Building seems like an unappealing candidate to show off the possibilities and benefits of energy conservation, but an intricate assortment of conservation measures applied to the iconic structure have managed to reduce its power consumption by more than 38 percent. This outcome has validated the case that deep energy retrofits can make a difference in how any building consumes energy, offering possibilities for more efficient remodeling. 

Iain Campbell is vice president of Global Energy and WorkPlace Solutions for Johnson Controls Building Efficiency, the company which won the Empire State Building contract. He tells GreenBiz that, "The success from the Empire State Building retrofit project further demonstrates that thoughtfully applied energy-efficiency investments can deliver unparalleled returns through a combination of lower energy, lower operating costs, and increased building valuation." 

With renewable energy initiatives ever growing in popularity, the success of the Empire State Building is serving as a model for building retrofits throughout the country.

If you live in the Virginia or Washington, D.C., area and are interested in assessing your home or property's power consumption needs, schedule an energy audit with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

Making our houses more energy-efficient without sacrificing the comforts of home is becoming more important by the day. Not only are traditional energy sources like fossil fuels becoming less popular due to their environmental harm, they are also becoming more expensive because of the political unrest and extraction challenges that surround them. Improving energy efficiency at home is a double-edge sword that is both environmentally friendly and economically prudent. 

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2009 saw more than $229 billion spent to power American homes. Even households with an annual income that fell beneath $20,000 spent more than $1500 on energy costs. Along with saving money, the renewable energy field contributed greatly almost a million new jobs to our economy in 2010, according to a report by the Alliance to save energy. 

This is why a common question among many homeowners is not why they should make their homes energy-efficient but how to begin in the first place? The validity of this question lies in the fact that no two houses are truly alike, with factors like architecture and location contributing to the multiple ways a structure can either lose or conserve energy.  

A comprehensive understanding of the way your home uses energy and how you can improve upon that utilization can be best gained through a professional home energy audit. Everything from air leakage to water heating, lighting, HVAC system efficiency and more are considered when compiling an energy profile for your home. Many of the solutions provided can be as simple as installing insulation in walls and attics, planting new trees to increase the amount of shade on the property or replacing outdated windows. 

If you live in the Maryland area and want an energy audit to evaluate your home's power consumption, schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!

In an earlier post, we talked about different ways you can weatherproof your home. Not only is weatherproofing helpful in keeping you and your family warm, but it is also a great way to save money. According to the Department of Energy, every degree that you raise your thermostat by is roughly 1 percent added to your energy bill.

Here are four other ways to save money as it gets colder out:

Aluminum storm windows: Installing storm windows is only an effective cost-improvement measure if you presently have single-pane windows. The Department of Energy reports that almost half of all American homes have single-pane windows, but a low-e storm window can cut heat loss by up to 50 percent.

Interior caulking: Exterior caulking is often praised as the best way to keep heat in the house. But the interior caulking practices of sealing air leaks in the attics and using expanding foam on leaks in the basement are far more effective in making your home energy-efficient.

Quilted curtains: Another way to limit the energy loss of drafty windows is through quilted curtains. Coming in various patterns, colors and sizes, the 10-minute installation time makes for one of the simplest ways to keep your house feeling comfortable without having to burn more energy.

Space heating: Space heaters cut heating bills only if you turn down the temperature by at least five degrees throughout the entire house. The heaters work best in smaller rooms where the heat can be contained. Baseboard and fan-forced air units consume approximately the same amount of energy. Oil-filled electric heaters are also comparable with regard to energy consumption but they are known for being the quietest heaters as well.

If you live in the Virginia or Washington, D.C, area and have an interest in finding out what changes you can make to your home's energy consumption levels, an energy audit from leading home inspection company Alban Inspections can provide you with all of the information you need.

With the summer days growing cooler and fall approaching quickly, reacquainting ourselves with weatherproofing techniques seems like a good idea. Not only will these tips help you stay warm, but they'll keep the energy you use to stay warm, and the bills your pay for that usage, as low as possible.

Here are three ways you can limit your energy costs this fall: 

Attic insulation: If your attic lacks the requisite amount of insulation, you're missing out on an easy opportunity to cut heating costs. Typically, homes should have insulation that falls between six to 13 inches of loose fill or seven to 19 inches of fiberglass. However, you can also contact your local building department and find the most appropriate standards with regard to your area's climate.

Cold spots: Knowing where your house is leaking air is vital to planning out your approach to weatherproofing your home. If your home usually has air drafts, a thermal leak detector or an infrared thermometer can identify where your house is releasing energy. These devices are hand-held and battery-operated, simple enough for anyone to use and effective in locating areas of your house that may need caulking or additional insulation.

Fireplace maintenance: The catch-22 about fireplaces is that they can temporarily warm a room but they also release a lot of energy though its chimneys. Equipping a modern fireplace with an airtight door will keep the heat in the home. However, if you have an older fireplace that uses the room's air to feed the flames, install a door that comes with operable vents. Keep the vents closed after the fire has been smothered and you'll keep the heat in as well. 

If you live in the Virginia or Washington, D.C., area and are also looking to adjust your approach to energy consumption, an energy audit from leading home inspection company Alban Inspections is just what you need!

The field of renewable energy has seen more growth over the last few years than many other industries. Investing in sustainable initiatives was once primarily a way of acting on behalf of the environment. But the financial incentives have become a reality that both large corporations and private homeowners are no longer able to ignore.

Here are a couple of other reasons why renewable energy provides several smart investment opportunities:

Solar energy is affordable:

There still exists the assumption that renewable energy items are prohibitively expensive. 

However, an article by The Guardian quotes Jenny Chase, of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, exclaiming that "this stuff is really cheap."

Along with the demand for green energy products rising over the years, so has the supply which has led to large drops in prices. Solar panels in particular become increasingly versatile and affordable in recent years for potential consumers. Based on this trend, Bloomberg predicts that solar energy will quadruple in use throughout the world by the year 2020. 

Wind energy is growing: 

As of 2010, wind turbines have been generating at least 2 percent of America's electricity, equivalent to 8.7 million homes. Wind turbines not only don't release any fumes and keep energy bills lower, but they also serve as protection against the volatility of fossil fuel prices for larger properties. One of the conditions that makes wind energy a slower growing trend is that it's a more appropriate form of clean energy for homes with at least an acre of yard space for maximum effect, on account of zoning requisites and a need for adequate wind speeds.

If you live in the Virginia or Washington, D.C., area and are looking to have an energy audit evaluate your own power consumption needs, schedule an appointment with leading home inspection company Alban Inspections!