Page 24 - The 10 Most Innovative Green Energy Startups 2019

estled in the Garhwal Himalayas at an altitude of around
7,700 feet, a small off-grid eco resort is using solar power
Nto meet its minimal power requirements. The Goat Village,
located in Nag Tibba, Uttarakhand, uses a small solar plant for
powering its kitchen and heating water. The living spaces are
unelectrified and guests use solar lamps, providing a truly sustainable
living experience. CGH Earth’s Spice Village in Thekkady, Kerala,
is another such eco retreat. The large luxurious property located in
the Periyar National Park has 52 cottages and meets 75 per cent of its
power requirements through an on-site solar power plant. It is not just
small resorts that are going green, but large hotel conglomerates, also
are increasingly turning to renewables to supplement grid electricity
and meet their power needs. This is helping them lower their power
bills while creating a greener image for the hospitality industry.
Growing potential and applications
With domestic travel growing, both for business and leisure, and
India becoming an attractive international tourist destination,
there is a spurt in the number of hotels being set up. Moreover, the
hospitality business is no more a seasonal business; hotels receive
normal to heavy traffic throughout the year. Thus, they have to keep
their power-consuming apparatus switched on even if there is lower
occupancy. As a result, power consumption by the hospitality industry
is on the rise. Air conditioners account for the majority of the power
requirements as Indian hotels need round-the-year air conditioning
due to a subtropical climate. Water heating and lighting needs
followed by cooking, office equipment and refrigeration are the other
major power-consuming applications in a hotel. In fact, power costs
account for 8-10 per cent of the operating expenses of an average
Indian hotel. These costs are only expected to increase in the future.
To safeguard their revenues and profit margins from these high
operating expenses, several hotels have switched to renewables-
based applications in order to meet part or most of their energy
requirements. A 2018 study by Cox & Kings, a popular travel
agency, shows a rising demand for eco-friendly accommodation
by young Indian travellers, another reason why hotel companies
are increasingly deploying renewable energy systems on premises.
As per the study, 89 per cent of the respondents agreed to have
chosen their accommodation after researching its sustainable
practices. These travellers prefer hotels that use renewable
energy, have waste and water treatment facilities, conserve energy
and make efforts towards minimising their carbon footprint.
Hospitality Similar studies have found a demand for an eco-friendly
or sustainability filter on booking sites. Thus, the growing
consciousness among urban youth regarding the global climate
Industry change problem has made many hotels adopt energy conservation
practices so as to attract guests. The concept of ecotourism has
emerged in recent years, and new resorts with renewable power
Becomes set-ups, waste management facilities, biofuel production systems
and solar water heating units are coming up rapidly.

Renewable Most large hotels depend on solar thermal systems for meeting
their water heating requirements as hot water is required not only in
bathrooms but also for kitchen and laundry purposes, which has huge
Energy energy implications. For instance, ITC Maurya in New Delhi has
installed solar thermal systems, Arun Dishes, for cooking, generating
steam for laundry, and other heating requirements. Other hotels like
Trident in Jaipur, Apple Country Resort in Manali and Gateway Hotel
Friendly! in Bengaluru have set up large solar flat plate collector-based water
heaters with a capacity of 2,200, 10,000 and 15,000 litres per day