BOSTON GREEN TOURISM
CREATING A GREENER WELCOME FOR GREATER BOSTON'S VISITORS
Certification Programs for Lodging Facilities
In this document, I describe five programs and make recommendations for which ones the Lodging Committee should use to designate green facilities.
1.
The Energy Star program for members of the hospitality industry helps facility managers compare the energy efficiency of their buildings with similar facilities, provides “guidelines for superior energy management built on the practices of industry leaders,” and helps managers find resources for making cost-effective improvements.
Criteria for Certification
“Rate the performance of your buildings on a scale of 1-100 relative to similar buildings nationwide using EPA's national energy performance rating system. The rating system accounts for the impacts of year-to-year weather variations, as well as building size, location, and several operating characteristics. Buildings rating 75 or higher and professionally verified to meet current indoor environment standards are eligible to apply for the ENERGY STAR.”
Click here for the guidelines for applying for the Energy Star label.
Certification Process
“A Professional Engineer must verify the Statement of Energy Performance (stamped/embossed and signed) that each of the indoor environment criteria requirements has been met. This Professional Engineer must be licensed in the state where the building is located.”
The Energy Star label is awarded for a specific year. A building that has earned the ENERGY STAR becomes eligible to reapply annually.
How many lodging facilities are certified in the
169 lodging facilities in the
Certification fees
There are no fees paid to the EPA.
2. GREEN SEAL’S CERTIFICATION FOR LODGING PROPERTIES
Green Seal has been certifying hotels for 11 years. Over that period, they have modified their system frequently to meet the needs and unique circumstances of the hotel industry. They focus on hotel operations, rather than building structure. For example, they want to assure that properties use energy-efficient lighting, but they don’t inspect insulation levels. Green Seal has set standards for lodging facilities, but they allow a range of solutions for many of those standards.
Typically, facilities are not certified on the first visit. Most often they need to make changes to the products they purchase (cleaning supplies, paper products, etc.). Green Seal’s auditor reports identify deficiencies. Usually, the facilities can make the required changes, send documentation to Green Seal, and achieve the certification without a second visit, or additional expense.
Criteria for Certification
Click here for Green Seal’s Environmental Standards for Lodging Properties.
Certification Process
Click here for information on the certification process. Information must be submitted and then an audit is scheduled. Green Seal monitors each certified hotel annually.
How many facilities are certified in the
There are 41 certified hotels in the
Certification fees
The fees are $1400 for hotels with 75 or fewer rooms, $1750 for hotels with 75-299 rooms, and $1950 for hotels with 300 or more rooms. They will consider a price break if more than one hotel wants a survey in a contiguous time period—so they don’t have to fly out twice.
Certification lasts for one year. To remain certified, facilities must be re-audited annually.
3.
LEED is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. LEED gives building owners and operators the tools they need to have an immediate and measurable impact on their buildings’ performance. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in five key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality.
The USGBC’s LEED Certification “distinguishes building projects that have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability by meeting the highest performance standards.”
Originally, the certification was for new buildings only (LEED Green Building Rating System for New Construction (LEED-NC)), The USGBC has added the LEED Green Building Rating System for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB), the LEED Green Building Rating System for Commercial Interiors (LEED-CI) and the LEED Green Building Rating System for Core and Shell (LEED-CS); still others remain in the pilot stage. For more information, visit LEED rating systems.
Criteria for Certification
“To earn LEED certification, the applicant project must satisfy all of the prerequisites and a minimum number of points to attain a LEED rating level.” Out of 69 possible points, a facility must receive 26 to be certified, 33 to be silver, 39 to be gold, and 52 to be platinum. Click here for a picture of how the rating system is applied—in this case to the Genzyme facility in
Certification Process
Click here for a description of the certification process. “The first step toward earning LEED certification is project registration…Once a project is registered, the project team begins to prepare documentation and calculations to satisfy the prerequisite and credit submittal requirements. It is helpful to have a LEED Accredited Professional as the project contact and team member responsible for coordinating the LEED process...To streamline the application process, required documentation should be gathered throughout the project phases.” The certification review process includes application submittal and technical review.
How many lodging facilities are certified in
The USGBC listing does not separately identify lodging facilities. In Boston, there are more than 50 buildings that are LEED (LEED-E, LEED-NC, LEED-CI and LEED-CS) certified.
Certification fees
The size of the fees is based on the size of the building and the whether the applicant is a USGBC member. The range is from $2,250 to $11,250.
4. AUDUBON GREEN LEAF ECO-RATING PROGRAM
This program is managed by TerraChoice Environmental Marketing and Audubon International. Audubon International is different from the Audubon Society.
They offer a rating program—which is different than a certification. Hotels are given one to five green leafs. A hotel that does not incorporate any best practices would get one leaf.
Criteria for Certification
They use a checklist.
Certification Process
Typically, hotels in the first year of the program are considered “members.” They take a survey and are taught green hotel stewardship. Then facilities enter the second level, in which they are provided with a rating, a report that details how to get to the next level of performance, and an audit that verifies each property’s “eco-efficiency functioning.”
How many facilities are certified in the
Eleven
Certification fees
The annual fee is $600 plus $1/room.
5. GREEN GLOBE 21
Green Globe 21 is a program of the World Travel & Tourism Council. They are based in
They have standards in 25 sectors—one of them being “Accommodations.”
Criteria for Certification
Facilities must meet Green Globe 21’s standards, including exceeding industry benchmarks and incorporating an Environmental Management System.
Certification Process
Participating companies are assigned to one of three stages called “Awareness,” “Benchmarking,” and “Certification”. They are asked to show improvement each year and progress through three stages, Green Globe 21 “requires operations and communities to be independently assessed and certified in order to demonstrate their conformity with the GREEN GLOBE 21 Standard.” The organization trains others to conduct their assessments.
How many facilities are certified in the
They have only one participating accommodation in the
Certification fees
Green Globe 21 does note list its fees on their website. They indicated that fees are based on the number of staff, number of rooms, and the entry level of the company (Awareness, Benchmarking, or Certification).
