The Environment
/Travelodge Green Programme
The Travelodge green programme has been running for a number of years. We’re trying to reduce our carbon footprint, by changing the way we:
- Build new hotels,
- Run our hotels day to day
And by working with our partners & suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint as well.
Listed below are details of some of the green technology currently used in Travelodge hotels:
Aerated shower heads and taps - which reduces water consumption by 50% and reduces utility consumption as less water is being heated in the bathrooms
Lighting - all refurbished and new build Travelodge hotels have energy efficient lighting. Existing hotels are using energy efficient light bulbs.
Smart meters - help manage the hotel’s green performance by monitoring energy usage each hour throughout the day.
Environmental thermostat controls in rooms - ensure the heating is switched off when the room is unoccupied. This system gives an energy reduction in excess of 40%.
Ving card systems - All new hotels will have ving card powered rooms, so that power in the rooms can only be used when occupied. This ensures energy is not being used whilst the room is unoccupied.
Rain water - is collected from the drain pipes at the hotel which is then recycled and used by the hotel as irrigation water for external green spaces.
'Switching on to Switching off’ programme - In February 2010, Travelodge launched a company wide ‘Switching on to Switching off’ programme company-wide in a bid to encourage staff at hotels and at head office to be more energy efficient. To date thousands of pounds has been saved as a result of this programme.
Listed below are examples of green technology currently being trialled and used in new hotel developments
Bio mass boilers - are more efficient than traditional boilers as they use wood chip pellets to heat the hotel. A bio mass boiler has been trialled at Heathrow Central and London Waterloo Travelodge hotels.
Ground source heat pumps - are installed under the hotel’s foundations and keep the hotel’s water at a constant temperature, so that it takes less energy to re-heat the water from a traditional boiler. This system is currently being trialled at Euston, Devizes, and Porthmadog Travelodge hotels.
Central Heating Plant System (CHP) - this is an on-site central heating plant which takes any unused energy and sells it back to the national grid. A usage level is agreed in advance with the utility company and a rebate is sent for any unused energy. The Covent Garden extension is the UK’s first budget hotel to use this technology. There are plans to install the system in future new Travelodge hotels.
Photovoltaics - are solar panels which are used on the roof of a hotel to generate electricity for the hotel. Market Harborough and Twickenham Travelodge hotels are currently trialling this technology.
Green / brown roofing – are self-sustaining areas of grass or mud planted on hotel roofs in urban locations in order to be more environmentally friendly. The green spaces are planted with grass and Sedum plant to soak up carbon dioxide emissions and produce oxygen. They also act as good insulators for the roof space. Euston Travelodge hotel has a green roof and the roof above the Bar Café in the Covent Garden extension hotel has a brown roof.
Modular buildings - ‘Pod Bedrooms’ are increasingly becoming popular. These are pre-fabricated hotel rooms which are built in a factory in Wales. Using modular units to construct hotels reduces construction time on site, energy usage and impact on the surrounding environment. Cambridge Orchard Park is the first hotel in 2011 to be built using ‘Pod Bedrooms’ from Wales with Stratford and Bethnal Green to follow from a factory based in Stroud, Gloucestershire.
Uxbridge Travelodge was the company’s first modular build hotel. The rooms were built in China and exported by ship. The hotel was opened in August 2008.
Every new build Travelodge hotel has the following green features:
- Low energy lighting
- Aerated showers
- Full insulation
- Windows and external fixtures fitted accurately for minimum energy leakage
- Stipulated sites will have a BREEAM Rating and green travel plans
- Smart meters installed
- Radiator timers in the rooms
Travelodge would like to encourage its customers to support its Green programme. Listed below are three eco-friendly tips that can help make a difference:
- Switch off lights when leaving a room
- Close windows and doors to preserve the warmth inside – only turn up the heat when necessary
- Take a shower rather than a bath and don’t leave tap water running