Climate Action in the Alps: Establishing Energy Management in Hotels

Tourism represents one of the most important elements of the economy in the Alpine region. Every year, more than 150M guests spend their free time and holiday in the Alps, which thus belong to one of the most prominent tourist destinations worldwide. This is connected with a corresponding additional consumption of energy, meaning that Alpine tourism is not only affected by climate change, but also contributes to it. The hospitality and gastronomy sectors thus represent a promising starting point for promoting climate action in Alpine tourism.   

With this goal in mind, a new project was begun within the framework of the German Environment Ministry’s export initiative on environmental technologies to establish energy management systems in hotels in the Alpine region. A pilot project has thus been launched in an Alpine hotel introducing an energy management system that has previously proven itself in the framework of the “Spitzenausgleich-Effizienzsystemverordnung” (SpaEfV), i.e. the peak balancing efficiency system regulation. For the pilot project, an energy survey [ALI1] is to take place, which includes both the analysis of energy sources used, the logging of all systems and appliances that use energy, and the assessment of the hotel’s energy-saving potential. The hotel operators receive not only detailed information on the energy consumption of a diversity of appliance, but also specially-tailored recommendations for behavioural changes and reductions in energy consumption.

The introduction of the energy management system within the project is being carried out by adelphi in cooperation with an energy expert from the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA). This allows experience gained in the DEHOGA energy campaign, supported by the German Environment Ministry, to be shared across Germany’s borders. A practical guideline offered in all four Alpine languages is intended to offer further hotels in the Alpine region the possibility to begin to engage in systemic energy saving, thus reducing costs and the emission of harmful greenhouse gases. The project relates back to the “Climate Action and Energy Efficiency in the Alpine Region” initiative carried out within the context of the German presidency of the Alpine Convention.