Silicon Valley hotels shed new light

Businesses in Santa Clara, Calif., are attacking electricity costs by taking part in Silicon Valley Power's Optimal Power Use Service campaign.

Business owners save money

Silicon Valley Power's OPUS program starts with a free energy audit. The in-depth analysis identifies problem areas and helps businesses make simple adjustments to conserve energy and save money. The OPUS team also assists with every phase of a full retrofit or new installation, from project financing and inspections to physically changing light bulbs.

CFLs save big bucks

Hotels, motels, and other businesses in Santa Clara are taking advantage of the city-owned utility's campaign to replace energy-wasting incandescent and obsolete lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs and more efficient fluorescent tubes.

SVP's Colin Paterson said, Santa Clara's municipal electric utility is on a mission to help its business customers cut their energy bills through the award-winning OPUS program. Among the most eager participants are the Santa Clara hotels and motels that serve Silicon Valley. Energy waste is a major cost factor for the hospitality industry. Due to current economic conditions, business owners are looking for more ways to cut expenses.

"By making a few strategic changes, Westin Hotel's Chief Engineer Ernie Campos saved the hotel more than $70,000 in energy costs in 2001," Paterson explained.

Westin officials decided to use the OPUS program after looking at ways to cut expenses without sacrificing the hotel's high standards. "The economy has hit us hard, and we had to find ways to cope with reduced profits. SVP's OPUS has been a valuable tool in helping us cut costs while maintaining Westin quality," Campos said.

Phantom guests

Hotel guests who leave on lights, air conditioning, and heating while not using their rooms can drive electricity bills through the roof. Major hotels, including Santa Clara's Biltmore, Westin, and Plaza Suites, have embraced the utility's program by replacing incandescent lighting with CFLs and by switching fluorescent tubes from T12s to the more energy-efficient T8 variety.

"Hotel and motel owners have been able to achieve enough savings to pay back the initial cost of bulb replacement in a matter of months," Paterson said. "Other energy-saving devices quickly gaining popularity are electronic EnergyMisers for vending machines and automatic sensors that regulate air conditioning or heating when a guest room is not in use," he added.

SVP has helped more than 40 hotels and motels and 140 local businesses through its OPUS program.

For more information on the OPUS program, contact SVP's Sean Mooney at 408-615-5694.