Grand Hyatt Hotel

The Grand Hyatt Union Square, built in 1978, is a 40-story, 602,630 square foot hotel building located in the heart of downtown San Francisco, CA. The hotel has 685 guestrooms with services and offerings that cater to the business traveler. Previously, the hotel had been renovated and implemented some energy efficiency upgrades but wanted to take advantage of the latest trends and technologies emerging in environmentally sensitive design.  Ecology Action conducted an energy audit to explore opportunities for reducing the hotel’s energy consumption and costs, which would dramatically lower both its energy consumption and bottom line expenses.

The Challenge

By their nature, large hotel facilities provide some unique challenges and opportunities for energy efficiency. Hotels such as the Grand Hyatt generally operate 24 hours a day, with fluctuating loads and peak occupancy during the late afternoon and nighttime hours. Heating, cooling, and ventilation systems in each guest room must be individually controllable, as guests may have varying comfort requirements; and hallways, lobbies, and exterior areas need appropriate lighting around the clock to provide a comfortable and secure environment. On-site laundry operations also require substantial energy and water consumption.
The Grand Hyatt needed an integrated energy efficiency plan that would factor in all of these varied considerations, while taking advantage of the incentives the hotel had earned through PG&E programs over the last 15-20 years.

The Solution

Following an extensive facility audit, it was recommended that the Grand Hyatt pursue critical lighting and HVAC measures to take advantage of some of the market’s most efficient equipment – and the financing available through the PG&E Hospitality program, implemented by Ecology Action.

The combination of energy conservation measures implemented at the 603,000 square foot Grand Hyatt resulted in energy savings of more than 2.3 million kilowatt-hours per year, and a reduction in total electricity demand by more than 370 kilowatts. Ultimately, this resulted in an annual cost savings of over $275,000 for the hotel.
As the Grand Hyatt continues to move toward greener, cleaner energy use, Ecology Action will be there with programs and services that support their energy-saving goals.