group 8_scenario report

23
The Hospitality Industry: Global Renewable Energy Investment and Governance Albany Jacobson Eckert (SNRE), Chase Stone (SNRE), Nalin Bhatia (SNRE) NRE 513 – Scenario Planning 10/13/16 Liberation Shore Twitch

Upload: nalin-bhatia

Post on 07-Feb-2017

203 views

Category:

Documents


3 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Group 8_Scenario Report

The Hospitality Industry: Global Renewable Energy Investment and Governance

Albany Jacobson Eckert (SNRE), Chase Stone (SNRE), Nalin Bhatia (SNRE)

NRE 513 – Scenario Planning

10/13/16

Liberation

Shore

Twitch

Page 2: Group 8_Scenario Report

1

Introduction:

Among the largest global hotel chains, the top-5 most valuable brands, Hilton, Marriot,

Hyatt, Sheraton, and the Holiday Inn are worth between $2 billion and over $7 billion dollars in

20151. The most valuable firms in the industry seek to broaden sustainability commitments to

offset potential financial losses in the short and long-term from unsound investments in the face

of environmental uncertainty. As Stephen P. Holms, CEO of Wyndham Worldwide (see

Appendix D) stated in last year’s Wyndham Sustainability Report, “recognizing the emerging

global challenges such as climate change, water and natural resources scarcity, our future

sustainability focus will be aimed at reducing our carbon footprint and water usage by 20 percent

by 2020.” In terms of Holms’ and industry-wide interest in reducing carbon footprint in

particular, switching to renewable energy is a priority for the hospitality industry, as the average

annual carbon emissions for a single floor of a hotel is 160 to 200kg per square meter2. The

majority of energy used in hotels is typically for space heating, hot water production, air

conditioning, and lighting (see Appendix E for “Barbados”) – however, the hospitality industry

itself is significant holder of land area, making space available for potential renewable solutions,

where solar appears as both a popular investment technology and future financial strategy.

Imagining the amount of land area that could be utilized by the hospitality industry in the

U.S. lodging industry alone is vast and immeasurable – in 2015, U.S. hotels occupied 52,432

properties and 4.9 million rooms3. The increasing amount of resources needed to maintain a

growing hospitality industry, both domestically and globally, therefore demand the following

three scenarios based on key factors below: Scenario 1: “Shore “, Scenario 2: “Liberation “,

Scenario 3: “Twitch.” The following scenarios imagine how key factors, within an uncertain

political landscape shape, future investment in renewable energy in the hospitality industry.

Page 3: Group 8_Scenario Report

2

Key Factors:

The energy market of the hospitality sector is driven by multiple factors primarily

because this industry has a 24-hour energy consumption, is predominantly consumer-demand

driven, includes multiple technical installations and involves a variety of investor groups,

environmentalists, government agencies etc. Below are the identified key driving factors across

different domains:

Identification of Drivers:

Based on research and analysis of these “key factors,” the first driving factor identified is

renewable investments due to the cheap fossil fuel prices, high infrastructural costs of

renewable technology and high luxury demands of the hospitality industry, it cannot be said with

certainty that developers will be willing to invest in renewables in the near future. The second

driving factor identified is government involvement since government plays a key role policy

planning which in turn influences the subsidies. Since policies are quite volatile and depend on a

number of socio-economic, political as well as environmental factors, government’s role is also a

highly uncertain factor and the magnitude of its involvement could change drastically change

markets.

Key Factors

Technological:

Building energy management

High rise construction

Renewable investment

Technology financing.

Political:

Government Involvement

Environmental compliance codes

Social:

Urbanization

Population densities

Travel frequencies

Customer segment transformatitons

Environmental:

Climate change,

Coastal conditions

Forest cover

Ground water levels

GHG levels

Page 4: Group 8_Scenario Report

3

Matrix:

More Govt.

Involvement

Less Govt.

Involvement

Less Renewable

Investment

• Loose compliance

• Cheaper energy prices

• No incentives and subsidies

• Policy inconsistency

• Policy uncertainty

• Governments less influenced by large companies.

• Less arcane taxes

• Less red tape

More Renewable

Investment

• Relatively cheaper prices of fossil fuels and availability

• Lack of available renewable energy technology for implementation within the 10-year period

• Lack of available financing and capital to acquire scalable renewable energy technologies (i.e. solar)

• Fundamental changes in the traditional customer segment causing market transformations over the 50-year period.

• More active government

• Concerns about tourism

• Climate change and geography

• Climate change severity

• Safety of constituents

• Tourists' concerns about

environment

Liberation Shore

Twitch

Page 5: Group 8_Scenario Report

4

Scenario 1: “Shore” – More renewable investment, more government involvement.

For this scenario, we have to step back and consider whether government regulations

cause firms to build sustainable hotels or the other way around. It is true that social attitudes push

lawmakers to draft environmental legislation, but the consequences for not writing

environmentally friendly laws in response to growing concerns are much less harsh than the

penalties hotels would face if they disregarded legal obligations. Therefore, in this scenario, the

pressure would flow one way from the government to the hotels.

We have to take another step back and wonder why the government is now heavily

involved in creating green laws. Could it be due to the higher number of environmentally

conscious lawmakers? Even though that is possible, pumping out environmentally friendly

regulation does not seem like a priority for lawmaking bodies as much as economic/tax-related

laws. A quick look on www.Govtrack.us4 shows that in the current congressional session, 300

bills related to “Environmental Protection” have been introduced in Congress. For “Taxation”

alone, just over 1,000 bills have been introduced. In other categories like “Finance and Financial

Sector” and “Foreign Trade and International Finance,” 451 and 135 bills, respectively, have

been introduced. Therefore, it does not seem reasonable that lawmaking bodies would be

motivated by concern for the environment in passing strict laws.

However, there is one case where lawmakers would prioritize environmental protection:

if their constituents have already been feeling the effects of climate change. For widespread and

serious damage caused by climate change, lawmakers would jump to cut the cord on

irresponsible projects and make way for greener laws. It’s true that there are other reasons to opt

for sustainable choices, such as investing in American-made energy to improve the local

Page 6: Group 8_Scenario Report

5

economy or to sanction a political rival. But, we feel that the first option is much more realistic,

seeing that some regions are actually starting to see the effects of climate change56.

Therefore, government officials would be drafting environmental laws for safety reasons

– for the need to build climate-resilient communities and invest in cleaner energy for the sake of

future generations. The communities that would be most affected by climate change in the near

future are coastal communities. In fact, severe storms and rising sea levels are already a

challenge and governments are scrambling to ensure that their coastal cities are well protected

through laws7.

Another thing to consider about coastal cities is that while they are starting to see severe

effects of climate change, they also tend to be popular vacation destinations. Hotels in coastal

cities are under exceptional pressure to become climate-ready and sustainable at the same time.

Therefore, in this scenario, we will look through the lens of a coastal city, which has already

started to see rising sea levels and stronger storms. Not wanting to deter tourists with images of

irresponsibility, city officials unanimously pass a law demanding 100% renewable energy within

15 years8.

To attract tourists, hotels advertise themselves as environmentally friendly and begin

using renewable energy if they have not already. Wise energy choices for coastal hotels include

solar panels, windmills, and water-driven pumps. Some windmills may be located offshore to

maximize energy intake. Another crucial consideration is energy usage and conservation for

power outages. Since climate change-caused weather is real and unstoppable, power outages are

a certainty. Heavy storms sometimes keep the lights off for days. Hotels, especially coastal

hotels, need storage space for emergency energy. How far down the road is the right technology

and laws needed to protect coastal hotels?

Page 7: Group 8_Scenario Report

6

Shore: 10-year period (2016 – 2026)

Between 2026 and 2065, climate change-related weather is expected to affect coastal

cities heavily. Flooding will be more frequent and billions of dollars will be spent on fixing

infrastructure. The world population will hit 9 billion by 2050. Over a billion people today are

living near coasts and that number will increase in the coming years, yielding dramatic impact

from storms and flooding.

In a world with increased government regulations, the effects are predicted to be more

severe and more directly affecting the global economy. Governments put pressure on energy

firms to produce 100% renewable products within five years of signing. In addition, presidents

and prime ministers mandate that their countries be “climate-ready,” meaning building

flood/storm/weather-resistant infrastructure. These projects cost billions of dollars and hundreds

of hours of manual labor.

Would it be worth it to take a trip to the Bahamas if they still haven’t recovered from

their last storm? Governments recognize the value of improved infrastructure and energy on

tourism, especially for countries where most of the income is from tourism. The sooner the better

when it comes to climate-ready buildings and the only way to make it sooner is to pass laws with

heavy penalties.

Shore: 50-year period (2016 -2026)

In contrast to the ten-year prognostication, 50 years down the road looks optimistic. With

heavy penalties in place and new energy discoveries established, there is no time to waste with

implementing sustainable structures. Hotels and cities are climate-ready and resilient with flood

protection and energy storage in case of blackouts. Admittedly, floods and storms are still severe,

but cities are more prepared than ever.

Page 8: Group 8_Scenario Report

7

What happens to the tourism industry in coastal cities? In spite of a rough first 50 years,

hotels have bounced back with ready-made storm protection and renewables integrated into their

system. Tourists on open ocean trips find themselves gazing in awe at the power of the giant

windmills. Old-fashioned hotels and taverns in New Orleans power themselves with watermills

on the side. Spring breakers in Miami Beach can no longer access the solar panel-inundated

roofs. Instead, they find solace in the geothermal-heated hot tubs.

Scenario 2: Liberation – More renewable investment, less government involvement.

“Liberation” which literally means freedom from limits or liabilities refers to the freedom

from or relaxation of compliances on developers and companies in the context of the hospitality

industry due to less government involvement. This scenario involves a situation where there is an

increased trend of renewable investment but less or mild government control. Such a scenario

could have both positive as well as negative implications on the market as well as the

environment. Since government is a key player in implementing policies, levying taxes and

providing subsidies, the amount and type of government influence in renewable energy

investment could considerably impact the hotel/hospitality energy sector. Here we look at how

the above driving factors could impact our sector at 10 and then 50 years into the future.

Liberation: 10-year period (2016-2026)

Except for a few European countries, renewable energy investment is still in a dormant

stage and is mostly focused on solar energy9. Except for a few large chains, most hotel

developers currently are still not fully motivated to make initial investment accompanying

renewable power primarily due to concerns about the payback time and fear of compromising on

luxury, thereby, losing guests. Loose government control in the upcoming decade could result in

the abandonment of renewables altogether as the existent dominant trend still lies with fossil

Page 9: Group 8_Scenario Report

8

fuels. As renewable investment depreciates over time due to loose government check, fossil fuels

share will rise incrementally and we could witness a return to the traditional paradigm. With

fossil fuels becoming scarce over time, rise in fuel and energy costs are inevitable. These rising

costs plus the costs to curb the environmental damage cause would shoot up hotel tariffs thereby

considerably flattening the demand curve and affecting businesses.

The next important factor to consider here is the role of government policy in renewable

energy development. The GlobalData report, Europe Renewable Energy Policy Handbook

201510 defines the importance of role played by the government policies in shaping the

renewable technology infrastructure. Policy consistency also plays an important role here.

Sudden changes in policy could have severe consequences on the market such as the closure and

restructuring of a biodiesel plant in Norway due to a major bioenergy policy change causing a

huge blow to investments11. Loosening government control would mean less policy consistency

which could again damage the renewable investment market. Since the big industry players are

primarily driven by luxury and aesthetics, it will be all the more challenging with loose policies

to persuade developers into investing into renewables initially as their sole concern is the well-

being of the guests which they fear would be compromised or become costlier if they opt for

renewables. Less policy control would initially see a hike in the demand curve but will flatten

overtime as the energy prices rise.

Since the renewable energy trend as well as the technology development is still in its

dormancy, the sector is still dependent on generous government support12. Government

incentives in the coming decade are crucial to renewable energy development since renewable

energy is expensive because of high infrastructural investments involved in tapping the energy,

thereby, demotivating developers into investing in renewables. In the United States, renewables

Page 10: Group 8_Scenario Report

9

like solar and wind are not as subsidized as fossil fuels which is the biggest obstacle to

investment in renewables as compared to Europe where has led to major breakthroughs in

renewable technology development13. In China, the enactment of the Renewable Energy Act

(REA) has led to a rapid development both in installed capacity and generating capacity in the

past few years14.

Therefore, less government involvement in the upcoming decade doesn’t point towards a

very favorable scenario due to inconsistency in policies and lack of subsidies ultimately breaking

apart the trend towards growth in renewable investment which could severely impact the demand

levels in hospitality business.

Liberation: 50-year period (2016-2066)

If renewable investments continue to grow at the current rate, it could very likely be the

status quo in the next 50 years. Solar power in the US grew by 6.2 gigawatts in 2014, a 30

percent increase over the previous year and representing nearly $18 billion in new investment15.

This growth could be further fueled by reduction in costs, technology development and

innovative business models.

Around 50 years into the future, renewable energy will be the trend and with majority of

the investments and markets associated with renewables, fossil fuels would have lost their

popularity with the developers. Green certification of buildings and increased popularity of

renewables could in a way become pretexts for brand imaging, with big players associated with

more renewables investment. As a result, most hotel chains will compete in terms of renewable

investments to market themselves as well as alter premiums.

Page 11: Group 8_Scenario Report

10

An important factor to consider here is that government control on energy markets

although has benefits such as policy consistency and provision of incentives, it also has its own

cons. Prolonged funding can sometimes increase company’s dependency on subsidies and start

influencing the government to perpetuate their support when they are powerful enough. Also, the

government sometimes has a tendency to manage supply rather than create demand by investing

directly in private companies16. Less government involvement would although reduce subsidies,

it would not become much of a concern due to reduction in costs from innovation as well as the

popularity of renewables. As a result, renewable investments could in fact benefit from the perks

of reduced government involvement such as less arcane taxes, reduced energy prices, less red

tape and faster implementation. This would tremendously benefit the hotel real estate market by

boosting demand for new projects and also reducing premiums.

Scenario 3: Twitch – Less Government Involvement, Less Renewable Investment.

A “twitch” is a sudden, unexpected movement. In the context of the hospitality industry,

“twitch” is a response to “less governance” and “less renewable investment” over the course of

10 to 50 years, and beyond. The defining assumptions underlying “twitch” include the reversal of

contemporary regulatory approaches to renewables (i.e. Recovery Act of 2009), which allows for

the development of renewables, and secondly, the lack of long-term financial incentives for the

hospitality industry to invest in renewable energy. Since the ‘twitch’ is somewhat unexpected in

light of climate change, the hospitality industry’s viable options are within the status quo. The

four driving factors in “twitch” include: 1. Relatively cheaper prices of fossil fuels and

availability in comparison to renewable energy, 2. Lack of available renewable energy

technology for implementation within the 10-year period, 3. Lack of available financing and

Page 12: Group 8_Scenario Report

11

capital to acquire scalable renewable energy technologies (i.e. solar) and 4. Fundamental changes

in the traditional customer segment causing market transformations over the 50-year period.

Twitch: 10-Year period (2016-2026)

In the United States, governance on

renewables energy coupled with low cost of oil and

gas presents an uncertain challenge to the

hospitality industry to maintain sustainability

commitments (see Appendix A, D). The

uncertainty is illustrated by a recent International

Energy Outlook (IEO2016) released by the U.S.

Energy Information Administration, which

describes how global energy consumption will drive demand for more energy types (more

diverse portfolio) in emerging markets17, but require reliance on fossil fuels, which will account

for 78% of global energy use through 2040. Although the international properties held by

Marriot are far fewer outside of the United States, China is the third largest in terms of total

properties owned (2% of total) and second largest in terms of total rooms (28,256).

Internationally, hotel decision-makers want to maximize profit by reducing their investment in

expensive renewable energies, specifically in emerging markets where natural gas and other

fossil fuels (including coal) will still be the main source of energy (e.g. India, China). In terms of

investment, however, regardless of the location, practical barriers prevent hotel managers and

operators from integrating renewable energy: the main business is to fill rooms, physical

constraints exist, and large up-front capital is required to install equipment.

In the United States, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 20091819

generated investments in $31 billion projects ranging from modernization of the electric grid,

Percent (%) of

Total Properties

NUMBER OF

PROPERTIES

TOTAL

ROOMSCOUNTRY

88.0% 3358 537,225 U.S.

2.0% 76 28,256 China

2.3% 86 16,741 Canada

1.7% 64 12,203United

Kingdom

1.9% 74 9,391 Spain

2.0% 76 8,029 South Africa

0.8% 29 6,717 Germany

0.7% 26 6,250 India

0.7% 25 5,984 Mexico

Total 3814 630,796 -

MARRIOT TOP MARKETS, 2014

1 Marriot, 2014 (see Appendix C)

Page 13: Group 8_Scenario Report

12

matching funding from the electric sector, and the creation of smart grids in the U.S. However,

enthusiasm from the Act was relatively short-lived. In late 2015, Patricia A. Hoffman (Assistant

Secretary, Office of Electricity Deliver and Energy Reliability) announced that The Act’s

program to spurt investment was complete. For the hospitality industry, the Act was one of the

only principle efforts to incentivize investment in renewable energy over the last 10-years

between 2005 and 2015 in the U.S.; without federal regulations in place, the hospitality industry

sees no path to invest in renewables – the lack of certainty in future regulation encourages

reliance on fossil fuels. The conservative the “wait-and-see” of lawmakers weighs considerably

on the minds of maverick executives who want to build renewable energy into the hospitality

industry today, with the promise of seeing returns tomorrow. The lack of ability to know makes

executives embrace conventional energy sources, keeping them in play during the 10 years and

beyond, both domestically and globally.

Twitch: The 50-Year Period (2016-2066)

Lacking momentum from regulatory incentives in the short-term, the renewable energy

investment within the U.S. lacks the ability to trulyy gain traction within the hospitality industry.

The time-lag between implementing technology for renewable energy and the benefit of

using it, is dependent on the investment today. Globally, investment in renewables is part-and-

parcel to the trends within emerging markets, such as Brazil, India, and China. These markets

will continue reliance on fossil fuels due to their affordability and lack of infrastructure. The

industry needs technologies built early in the beginning stages of new construction of hotels, if

renewable resources can be utilized in the long-term. The lack of investment in the shorter-term

has a “snowball effect” – the hospitality industry will only adapt itself marginally to the portfolio

of energy sources, which will be primarily comprised of fossil fuels. The “twitch” is elongated,

Page 14: Group 8_Scenario Report

13

no longer a compulsive movement away from progressive climate friendly investments, but sets

the industry into a non-renewable strategy altogether. This “twitch” is encouraged by shifts from

the current customer segment (primarily leisure and business) to a new paradigm.

Shift to Customer Segment

The current market segment for hotel guests breaks down to roughly 40% traveling for

business and 60% traveling for leisure. Leisure travelers account for nearly triple the amount of

spending overall, at roughly $660.3 billion. On the international scale, the U.S. share of all hotel

stays accounts for 14.2% of the world’s market, followed by Spain and France. The fundamental

shift to the hospitality industry in terms of market segment likely happens due to decreasing

business traveler customers and shifting practices in the traditional work environment. Today,

telecommuting and working remotely is now a component of 37% of US workdays20 and given

the ability to work effectively from remote locations, much of the business travel necessary for

operations will no longer occur. Instead, travel for leisure will become the majority of the market

segment within 10 years, as perhaps the “greenest” business traveler is one that does not travel at

all.

Within 50 years, given the significant rise of the leisure customer segment, the hospitality

industry appears more uncertain. Individuals with greater income will continue to travel,

particularly for longer-duration stays, rather than single night. The greatest threat is the rise of

substitute services. Morgan Stanley observes how AirBnB, Inc., a global hospitality application,

claims greater market share for leisure travelers from the hospitality industry and greater levels

of satisfaction (90% satisfaction with AirBnb in 2015)21. Fewer traditional customers will

reduce the need for physical structures, and within 50 years, the industry’s primary market could

be aimed at luxury hotels.

Page 15: Group 8_Scenario Report

14

Investment in renewables is entirely different than reducing consumption22 or utilizing

techniques to conserve energy (e.g. physical layout, shading, grey-water). The hospitality

industry already utilizes numerous examples of successful, commonplace consumption reducing

behaviors within rooms as cost-saving measures. In contrast, the reduced consumption of fossil-

fuel energy through renewable technologies is only common to luxury and boutique hotels that

can afford to offset costs. Indeed, attracting guests that find LEED certification as influential in

their preference23 can create successful marketing, however, the space-limitations needed for true

offsets are not feasible in most cases, such as where solar ground-mounted arrays are installed on

up to 4 acres of space.

Low Cost of Oil and Gas

According to One Caribbean, the Caribbean Tourism Organization, “hotels are among the

top five types of buildings in the service sector for energy consumption”24. However, investment

in renewables is dependent on the fluctuating prices of oil and gas25, as renewable energy is a

substitute for conventional fossil fuels. Given the lack of availability, renewables remain costly

2 Source: World Bank

Page 16: Group 8_Scenario Report

15

from an investment perspective when the price of oil will remain under $100/barrel for the

foreseeable future. The hospitality industry, like other potential industries, recognizes that newer

forms of renewable power remain “a technology, not a fuel.”

Conclusion

Governments have a responsibility to draft laws that are environmentally sound in order

for their citizens to live safely. Moreover, hotels leave a lasting impression on international

guests, determining their opinions of different countries’ energy policies. Sustainable hotels

reflect positively on local governments, boosting tourism and fostering local economies. Ideally,

governments would take control and advocate for sustainable investments, following the

footsteps of Shore. Realistically, Liberation captures what happens when regulations are lagging

behind social and corporate attitudes on sustainability, and Twitch describes what occurs if

investment in renewable energy is not embraced whatsoever.

Page 17: Group 8_Scenario Report

16

Page 18: Group 8_Scenario Report

17

Appendices

Appendix A.

Page 19: Group 8_Scenario Report

18

Appendix B.

CURRENTTRENDSANDOPPORTUNITIESINHOTELSUSTAINABILITY| PAGE5

TABLE1, SELECTEDENVIRONMENTALPROGRAMS RELEVANTTO THEHOSPITALITYSECTOR*

* Please note that there are over 300 cer tification programs targeted towards all aspects of the hospitality and tourism sector on a global basis.

The above programs represent only a small fraction of all existing certification programs.

Type of Progr am Name Or gan ization Br ief Descr ip tion Website

Green Key Global Green Key Global, Hotel

Association of Canada,

LRAWorldwide, Inc.

Environmental certification program for hotels.

Provides technical guidance. Participating facilities

are awarded between 1 and 5 Green Keys depending

on adherence to criteria.

www.greenkeyglobal.com

Sustainable Tourism

Eco-Certification

Program (STEP)

Sustainable Travel

International

Environmental certification program for tour

operators, hotels, attractions, transportation, and the

cruise industry. Provides guidance, self-assessment

tool, and 2 to 5 star eco-logo rating sys tem. Separate

certification offered for luxury accommodations.

www.sustainabletravelinter

national.org

Green Globe

Certification Standards

Green Globe

International

Environmental certification program for all aspects

of hospitality and travel industry. Membership

required for access to standards . Standards include

337 compliance indicators applied to 41 individual

sus tainability criteria. Adherence to >51% standards

required for certification. Third-party verification

required prior to certification.

www.greenglobe.com

Earthcheck Assessed

and Earthcheck

Certified

Earthcheck Consultancy with clients in the travel and tourism

sector. Provides benchmarking, reporting, technical

guidance, and environmental certification services.

www.earthcheck.org

Ecotel HVS Environmental certification program developed

specifically for hotels. Provides benchmarking,

auditing, technical guidance, and staff training.

Recommendations are classified according to

financial viability. Onsite inspection required prior

to certification.

www.ecotelhotels.com

Global Sustainable

Tourism Criteria

Global Sustainable

Tourism Council

Global coalition of organizations working to develop

increased understanding of sustainable tourism

principles . Provides certification of tourism

certification programs against global sustainable

tourism standards.

www.gstcouncil.org

Leadership in Enerrgy

and Environmental

Design (LEED)

U.S. Green Building

Council

Internationally-recognized green building

certification system. Provides third-party verification

that a building was designed and built using

strategies aimed at achieving high performance in

human and environmental health.

www.usgbc.org

BRE Environmental

Assessment Method

Building Research

Establishment (BRE)

BRE is an independent research-based consultancy,

tes ting and training organization. Provides

certification (environmental and safety), R&D, and

consultancy services for the built environment.

www.bre.co.uk

Green Globes Green Buildings

Initiative (U.S.) and

BOMABESt / ECD Jones

Lang Lasalle ( Canada)

Building environmental des ign and management tool.

Provides online assessment protocol, rating system

and guidance for green building design, operation and

management.

www.greenglobes.com

Energy Star U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency

Voluntary governmental program that provides free

benchmarking services to a variety of building types.

Also rates appliances and provides resources for

owners/ operators.

www.energystar.gov

Green Seal Green Seal Develops life-cycle based certification of products

and services. Provides green building guidance for

public housing facilities and environmental

certification for hotels and lodging properties .

www.greenseal.org

Green Tag Ecospecifier Database of vetted products in infrastructure,

residential, commercial, industrial, and other

construction. Subscription based service.

www.ecospecifer.com.au

Greenguard Greenguard

Environmental Institute

Evaluates emissions from interior products and

building materials.

www.greenguard.org

Env ironmental

Cert ificat ion Programs

Specific to Hospit alit y

Green Bu ilding

Cert ificat ion Programs

Product -Specific

Standards and

Cert ificat ion Programs

Page 20: Group 8_Scenario Report

19

Appendix C.

Page 21: Group 8_Scenario Report

20

Appendix D.

Page 22: Group 8_Scenario Report

21

Appendix E.

Page 23: Group 8_Scenario Report

22

Works Cited

1 Hospitality Net - World's Top 50 Hotel Brands by Value: Inaugural Report by Brand Finance. (n.d.). Retrieved

October 12, 2016, from http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4075683.html 2 Analysis of Energy use by European Hotels. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://hes.unwto.org/sites/all/files/docpdf/analysisonenergyusebyeuropeanhotelsonlinesurveyanddeskresearch23820

11-1.pdf 3 https://www.ahla.com/uploadedFiles/_Common/pdf/Lodging_Industry_Trends_2015.pdf 4 GovTrack.us. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.govtrack.us/ 5 Climate Impacts on Coastal Areas. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from https://www.epa.gov/climate-

impacts/climate-impacts-coastal-areas 6 Gillis, J. (2016). Flooding of Coast, Caused by Global Warming, Has Already Begun. Retrieved October 12, 2016,

from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/04/science/flooding-of-coast-caused-by-global-warming-has-already-

begun.html 7 Chapman, D. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 15 Apr. 2016. http://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--

politics/tybee-island-acts-against-rising-seas-and-warming-climate/9RSm0YO0u0JKog4LzT1OtK/ 8 Ramsey, L. 12 Aug. 2016. Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/the-greenest-american-cities-

renewable-energy-2016-8?op=1 9 Elliot, E.D. 2013. Why the United States Does Not Have a Renewable Energy Policy. 43 Environmental Law

Reporter 10095, Yale Law School, New Haven, CT. 10 Europe Renewable Energy Policy Handbook 2015; http://store.globaldata.com/market-reports/power/europe-

renewable-energy-policy-handbook-2015; retrieved October 12, 2016 11 White, W., Anders L., Erland N., Biljana K. The role of governments in renewable energy: The importance of

policy consistency. Biomass and Bioenergy. Elsevier. 2013. 12Birr, S. Without Government Backing, Solar Power Can’t Compete. http://dailycaller.com/2015/11/19/without-

government-backing-solar-power-cant-compete/. Retrieved October 12, 2016. 13 Elliot, E.D. 2013. Why the United States Does Not Have a Renewable Energy Policy. 43 Environmental Law

Reporter 10095, Yale Law School, New Haven, CT. 14 Zhao, H., Sen, G., Fu, L. Review on the costs and benefits of renewable energy power subsidy in China.

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. Elsevier. 2014: 538–549. 15 Cusick, Daniel. "Solar Power Sees Unprecedented Boom in U.S." Climatewire, 2015. 16 Nahi, P. Government Subsidies: Silent Killer Of Renewable Energy. Forbes. February 14, 2013.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ciocentral/2013/02/14/government-subsidies-silent-killer-of-renewable-

energy/#7cf51da52114. Retrieved October 12, 2016 17 https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/fossil-fuels-may-not-dwindle-anytime-soon/ 18 Recovery Act. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://energy.gov/recovery-act 19 Recovery Act Investment Wraps Up, Delivering Major Benefits to the Nation. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016,

from http://energy.gov/oe/articles/recovery-act-investment-wraps-delivering-major-benefits-nation 20 Gallup, I. (2015). In U.S., Telecommuting for Work Climbs to 37%. Retrieved October 12, 2016, from

http://www.gallup.com/poll/184649/telecommuting-work-climbs.aspx 21 http://linkback.morganstanley.com/web/sendlink/webapp/f/9lf3j168-3pcc-g01h-b8bf-

005056013100?store=0&d=UwBSZXNlYXJjaF9NUwBiNjVjYzAyNi04NGQ2LTExZTUtYjFlMi03YzhmYTAzZ

WU4ZjQ%3D&user=bdvpwh9kcvqs-49&__gda__=1573813969_cf5a3761794d8651f8618fc7a544cb82 22 Worrall, E. Renewables: The Big Investment Opportunity which Needs Generous Government Support.

https://wattsupwiththat.com/2015/11/25/renewables-the-big-investment-opportunity-which-needs-generous-

government-

support/http://hotelenergysolutions.net/sites/all/files/docpdf/factorsandinitiativesaffectingrenewableenergytechnolog

iesuseinthehotelindustrypublicationfinalfinal.pdf. November 2015. Retrieved October 12 2016. 23 https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/Solar-PV-Decision-Guide-For-

Hospitality.pdf 24 http://www.onecaribbean.org/content/files/WTD2012GHENRYEnergizingCaribbeanTourismIndustry.pdf 25 Wind and Solar Are Crushing Fossil Fuels. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-06/wind-and-solar-are-crushing-fossil-fuels