Hotel energy efficiency project cuts bills in Thailand

PEEK Project gets up to 25 percent savings forecast plus training and capacity building

UNWTO and the Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand have officially concluded a project to help hotels along the Thai Andaman coast significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and energy costs through energy-saving technologies.

Participating hotels have successfully reduced their carbon footprint and cut their energy costs by implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy (EE/RE) technologies as part of the UNWTO/Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand joint Program for Energy Efficiency in Kho Khao and Kho Lak (PEEK).

Initial estimations indicate that the measures undertaken as a result of the project will bring in savings of around 385,000 kWh/year in energy consumption, as well as leading to a reduction in CO2 emissions of around 192 CO2 tons/year. This reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is estimated at between 10-25% per year, depending on the technology used and the individual hotel characteristics.

Over the past two years, the energy consumption of participating hotels was mapped through energy audits which also made individual energy-saving recommendations. Based on these recommendations, hotels installed EE/RE technologies such as heat pumps, solar hybrid power systems and efficient pool pumps, to significantly reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. These technologies were sourced locally, thus contributing to regional value added, and installed during off-season.

The Program for Energy Efficiency in Kho Khao and Kho Lak (PEEK) is financed by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under the International Climate Initiative. This initiative supports climate protection projects worldwide in developing, newly industrializing and transition countries in order to contribute effectively to emission reductions and mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

The PEEK project also provided hotels and local communities with training courses and capacity building on EE/RE technologies, not only in Kho Khao and Khao Lak, but all along the Andaman Coast. It is expected that the project will serve as a model for similar efforts in other regions of Thailand and an Energy Efficiency Handbook for Thai Hotels has been produced.

Valere Tjolle
  Valere Tjolle is editor of the Sustainable Tourism Report Suite. Get FREE contents guide to Sustainable Destination Report CLICK HERE: Special Offer on Sustainable Tourism Marketing Guide CLICK HERE Special Offer on Sustainable Tourism Ministers Briefing CLICK HERE