Swedish hotels St. Clement in Visby and Stora Brännbo in Sigtuna have been selected as the pilot hotels for the EU funded project Nearly Zero Energy Hotels. These two hotels will implement large scale renovations to achieve a nearly zero energy status thus reducing their energy consumption by up to 76 percent.
The objective of the Nearly Zero Energy Hotel project is to accelerate the rate of large scale renovations and the construction of nearly zero energy buildings (nZEB) in the hotel industry. The project is an important response to the European Directive to reduce the energy performance of buildings to meet 2050 goals.
In most cases, energy efficiency measures are an extremely profitable business for hotels, both in financial and environmental terms, says Sara Sundquist, Head of Sustainability at Visita, the Branch organization for Swedish hotels and restaurants. The experience from working with very old properties such as St. Clemens Hotel, and properties built in the 1950's such as Stora Brännbo will more than cover any energy efficiency challenges facing Swedish hotels
The project comprises a total 15 pilot hotels, with ten partners from seven European countries. The project runs for three years ending 2016 and focuses on small and medium (SME) hotels, which represents 90 percent of the European hotel market.
- Participating in the project provides us with unique knowledge and enables us to reduce our energy consumption drastically, says Björn Jönzon, Owner of the Stora Brännbo Hotel in Sigtuna. For us it is important from an environmental perspective and also for attracting clients at the forefront of energy efficiency.
A nearly zero energy hotel is defined as a hotel that uses little or close to zero energy in their daily activities. The hotel's energy needs should to a large extent be supplied from renewable sources produced on-site or nearby. By participating in the neZEH project, the two selected Swedish pilots will reduce their energy consumption by 74 and 76 percent, which means an average CO2 emission reduction of 51%.
- Being part of the neZEH project is an vital catalyst in our efforts to achieve ambitious goals to reduce energy consumption, says Carl von Schulman, owner of the Hotel St Clemens in Visby.
The Swedish national definition of nearly zero energy buildings is expected to be approved at some stage during 2016. The hotels participation in the project starts with immediate effect.
For more information contact:
Janine of Klintberg on 0707996327 or janine.af.klintberg@sust.se.