Assessment of the Implementation of Energy Conservation Opportunities Arising From Energy Audits; a Study of Four-star and Five-star Hotels in Nairobi Kenya

Abstract

Hospitality Industry suffered heavily from the effects of Covid-19 pandemic. Despite of this, there is increased desire to provide high quality and sustainable services to the guests in an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly manner. It can cost more to operate 4-star and 5-star Hotels unsustainably especially in developing countries where such hotels pay huge amount of energy bills to ensure high quality services. There is urgent need to significantly reduce energy consumption, operating costs and energy bills. Harnessing Energy Conservation Opportunities (ECOs) is important way to reduce energy costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially during such times of high energy prices and volatility. Energy Management Regulation 2012 established that every facility that consumes more than one hundred and eighty thousand kilo-Watt hours annually should conduct energy audit after every 3 years. This study aimed to assess the implementation of the Energy Conservation opportunities arising from Energy Audits conducted in 4-star and 5-star hotels of Nairobi Kenya. The existing utility data records and audit reports were reviewed. Digital questionnaire forms were shared with hotels’ staff members to establish the degree of understanding and participation of hotel staff in matters relating to energy management and environmental sustainability. This study considered all types of energy audits both done by in-house personnel within the hotels and external audit firms contracted by the hotels. Walkthrough surveys were carried accompanied by respective engineering managers of the hotels under the case study to assess the implemented initiatives. From the ten hotels studied it was noted that all the hotels had ECOs originating from energy Audits. Further analysis of the data indicated 55.83% as an average rate of implementation of the suggested ECOs for the last three years against a desired rate of 100%. The study also established that Hotel staff are actively involved in energy management initiatives to keep the cost of operation at minimum.