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Green Hotel Utilizes Guestroom Key Card Energy Control System
Orchard Garden Hotel, the Golden State’s first hotel built to the nationally accepted standards for green buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The new construction, representing a new generation in hotels, followed the “Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design” (LEED®) Green Building Rating System in order to earn the coveted LEED certification. The hotel’s green practices also include chemical-free cleaning products, a 100% tobacco-free environment, recycled paper and soybased inks, and the San Francisco debut of a guestroom key card energy control system. In addition to the LEED certification, the Orchard Garden Hotel will be San Francisco’s first hotel to implement a guestroom key card that controls each room’s lighting and mechanical systems. After opening the guestroom door with the key card, the guest places the card in a discreet box in order to turn on the lights and other room systems. When exiting the room, the guest simply takes the key card with them, automatically ‘turning off’ the entire room, with the exception of an outlet that guests can use to charge laptops, cell phones and other battery-powered devices. This system, used widely throughout Europe and Asia, is expected to save nearly 20 percent in energy consumption. “We’re confident that this next generation of hotels will elevate the guest experience,” said General Manager Stefan Mühle. “For the first time travelers to San Francisco can select a hotel that offers a cleaner, healthier environment, from the guest room to the public spaces, combined with excellent service.”
LEED is a voluntary program that promotes integrated, whole-building design practices and provides a complete framework for assessing buildingperformance and meeting sustainability goals. It provides state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality. For example, more than 50 percent of the hotel’s wood-based products are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
“The hotel’s developer and owner, Mrs. S.C. Huang, pursued a LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC) certification for several important reasons,” said Graham L. Hershman, Chief Operating Officer, Portfolio Hotels and Resorts, managers of the hotel. “Studies prove that LEED certified buildings have lower operating costs, higher employee productivity, and happier, healthier occupants. We’re extremely proud to set a nation-wide example by being the first to open the next generation of hotels.”
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