Project website: www.energie-cites.org/rest/ Project Start: 2001 Coordinator: Milton Keynes Energy Agency, UK Status: Ongoing

Project Results

1. For each Partner Agency to deliver 20 energy audits;
2. For 5 of these hotels to act upon the recommendations given;
3. To reduce the annual energy bill of each participating hotel by up to 40%;
4. To reduce the annual carbon dioxide emissions of each participating hotel by up to 100%;
5. To establish an Advisory Group at the beginning of the project;
6. To establish a "green" network for participating hotels on the internet;
7. To evaluate and monitor the energy performance of participating hotels;
8. To publish 3 newsletters during the project to disseminate findings;
9. Expected energy savings of 250,000 kWh/year (this assumes an average of 50 letting bedrooms, with a floor area of 50 metres squared per bedroom, which = 500 kWh per metre squared. This is a total energy consumption - average - of 1,250,000 kWh/year. Savings average are predicted at 20% = 250,000 kWh per year);
10. EU, national, regional and local promotion/marketing of the project's success by each Partner Agency

Project Abstract

1. To encourage the hotel industry to look at its energy performance and take action;
2. To provide an interpretative service to relevant organisations about the recently liberalised energy markets;
3. To increase the actors' knowledge of the opportunities that exist for the use of renewable energy, including the supply of green electricity;
4. To increase the awareness of the possibility of "zero carbon dioxide emission" or low carbon dioxide emission hotels;
5. To boost hotel visitor rates through PR activitities relating to the REST project, including job creation.
6. To develop a network of energy concious/ zero emission hotels within Europe.

Project Description

The central theme of REST is that it will integrate RUE and RES in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the project and thereby its impact. REST is primarily designed to lower the carbon dioxide emissions of buildings within the hotel and guesthouse sector. The ultimate goal is to encourage such organisations to become "carbon neutral" in their performance. Buildings that have already incorporated extensive energy saving programmes will be used as case studies to promote the replication of good practice. They will also be used to describe sustainable tourism, looking at the likely cost and carbon dioxide savings, and also eco-toursim in the shape of possible increases in visitor numbers. This will, it is intended, act as an awareness raising exercise to members of the public and influence their future decision-making. All participating actors will receive an Energy Audit of their site. Hotels will be expected to contribute to the cost of these audits. The audit will be followed up with a tailored Action Plan. This Action Plan will detail all possible actions that could be undertaken in order for the site to become entirely "carbon neutral".