Jurys Boston Hotel’s Offsetting Just One of Many Initiatives

On September 1, the Jurys Boston Hotel will do what few other properties have done—offset 100 percent of its electricity consumption. The hotel will pay a premium of 6 percent for its electric power to Constellation NewEnergy, which in turn will purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from renewable generation sources in the United States. According [...]

On September 1, the Jurys Boston Hotel will do what few other properties have done—offset 100 percent of its electricity consumption. The hotel will pay a premium of 6 percent for its electric power to Constellation NewEnergy, which in turn will purchase Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) from renewable generation sources in the United States. According to Stephen Johnston, general manager of the 225-room hotel, the step was taken because he and the hotel’s ownership team believed it was the right thing to do.

Is paying 6 percent more for electricity an acceptable cost? If one considers the amount of savings the Jurys Boston Hotel has accumulated from its numerous energy saving measures, it most definitely is. The property stands to benefit significantly from the positive marketing buzz created by such a progressive step.

The Jurys Boston Hotel, located in the heart of Boston’s Back Bay, opened just a little more than three years ago. The hotel is a 1920s architectural landmark and the former home of Boston’s police headquarters. A total of $64 million was invested in the building to convert it to a hotel. Part of the investment included a state-of-the-art heating and cooling system, as well as an energy management system that monitors temperature readings throughout the building.

When the hotel opened, about 80 to 90 percent of the lighting was either incandescent or halogen. The property has since transitioned to compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) in seven of the nine fixtures in each of the 225 guestrooms. Each room’s power draw dropped from 420 watts to 91 watts as a result of the retrofit. The Jurys Boston received a subsidy from NSTAR, the property’s local electricity provider, which took care of $6 of every $9 spent on the CFLs.

Read the full article