Q&A: Robert Allender, Energy Resources Management
19 February 2010
Founded in 1992, Energy Resources Management is a provider of energy management practices in Asia. The company provides management and consulting services to a wide range of corporations, including hospitality owners and operators. Its client list includes Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Hyatt International, and InterContinental Hotels Group.
HMA finds out more from managing director Robert Allender.
What services do you provide to hotel operators?
When I set up the company in 1992 my objective was to help hotel owners and operators to get maximum value from every dollar they spent on energy, and to ensure that they didn’t spend one dollar more than they needed to. That has not changed. So every service that will contribute to optimising a hotel’s energy spend – improving any of the financial, technical, behavioural, operational, contractual, or managerial factors that combine to shape annual energy spend – is within our domain.
When I set up the company in 1992 my objective was to help hotel owners and operators to get maximum value from every dollar they spent on energy, and to ensure that they didn’t spend one dollar more than they needed to. That has not changed. So every service that will contribute to optimising a hotel’s energy spend – improving any of the financial, technical, behavioural, operational, contractual, or managerial factors that combine to shape annual energy spend – is within our domain.
Which hotels have you worked with and in what way?
Our clients include the very large (for example, the 3,000 room Venetian Resort in Macau) and the very small (the 43 bungalow Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives) and all sizes, classes, and ages of hotel in between. Some clients have retained us for 10-15 years or more, and got great value out of this ongoing relationship. Others commission a one-time energy audit, then take it from there themselves.
Our clients include the very large (for example, the 3,000 room Venetian Resort in Macau) and the very small (the 43 bungalow Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives) and all sizes, classes, and ages of hotel in between. Some clients have retained us for 10-15 years or more, and got great value out of this ongoing relationship. Others commission a one-time energy audit, then take it from there themselves.
What are the major mistakes that hotels make in terms of wasting energy?
Without any question the two biggest reasons that hotels waste 30%, 50%, even 80% of the energy they pay for each month is that they don’t know how much energy is actually needed, and they don’t have sufficiently granular measurement and accountability to close the ‘wastage gap’.
Without any question the two biggest reasons that hotels waste 30%, 50%, even 80% of the energy they pay for each month is that they don’t know how much energy is actually needed, and they don’t have sufficiently granular measurement and accountability to close the ‘wastage gap’.
How soon can a hotel be expected to get a return on investment in terms of cost savings by implementing or upgrading an energy management programme?
Over the past 17 years our clients have seen between a 30% and a 300% return on their investment in our services, so we are able to guarantee at least that 30% minimum. Considering that the cost of money is less than 10%, wasted energy is like leaving cash on the table.
Over the past 17 years our clients have seen between a 30% and a 300% return on their investment in our services, so we are able to guarantee at least that 30% minimum. Considering that the cost of money is less than 10%, wasted energy is like leaving cash on the table.
What legislation currently exists in Asia regarding energy management? Is there a local adaptation of the US LEED certification?
LEED and similar green building schemes have very little to do with energy management. That’s the reason so many LEED certified buildings, and other green-labelled properties, have received bad press for being energy-inefficient. But there is useful legislation emerging that addresses energy performance of existing buildings, and behind that performance lies good or poor energy management. Much of the legislation now only deals with standard office buildings, but it will doubtless extend to include hotels at some point. So it would be wise to prepare.
LEED and similar green building schemes have very little to do with energy management. That’s the reason so many LEED certified buildings, and other green-labelled properties, have received bad press for being energy-inefficient. But there is useful legislation emerging that addresses energy performance of existing buildings, and behind that performance lies good or poor energy management. Much of the legislation now only deals with standard office buildings, but it will doubtless extend to include hotels at some point. So it would be wise to prepare.
Well, we definitely need to think of ways on how to conserve energy and the use of renewable energy is one way to stop climate change these days.