System Upgrades Improve Efficiency and Decrease Utility Costs at The Historic
Oxford Hotel
-- Denver Hotel Improvements Reduce Average Monthly Electricity Costs 47
Percent --
DENVER, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Building on a long history of using the latest
infrastructure systems, the owners and operators of Denver's first hotel, The
Oxford Hotel, recently completed upgrades on the building that improve energy
efficiency while decreasing average monthly utility costs by 47 percent.
In addition to the utility cost savings the systems generated, Sage
Hospitality Resources -- which owns and operates The Oxford Hotel -- also
benefited from a $34,000 rebate from Xcel Energy, a leading combination
electric and natural gas company.
The improvements are part of an extensive energy efficiency, conservation and
sustainability program undertaken by Sage Hospitality Resources. Located in
the historic LoDo district (lower downtown) in Denver, the luxury boutique
hotel is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
First opened in 1891 and recently renovated, the 80-room Oxford Hotel needed
improvements to replace aging equipment and to maintain temperature and
humidity. Stable environmental conditions are required to preserve the hotel's
extensive collection of 19th and 20th century paintings of the American West.
The Oxford Hotel has always been on the forefront of new technologies. Even in
its earliest days, the hotel maintained its own power plant with an advanced
system of steam heating, electricity and gas lighting.
The infrastructure systems needed to be upgraded without compromising the
hotel's originality and charm while providing system redundancy and increasing
energy efficiency. In order to help stimulate the state's economy, ownership
at The Oxford Hotel insisted on collaborating with a Colorado manufacturer --
in this case, Trane -- to complete the improvements.
"Sage Hospitality Resources is dedicated to providing an excellent guest
experience and to preserving the integrity and historic charm of The Oxford
Hotel. We're pleased that these upgrades achieve all our goals while saving
significant costs and creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable
property," said Walter Isenberg, president and chief executive officer of Sage
Hospitality Resources.
In recognition of the importance of these upgrades and of the owners'
commitment to efficient and sustainable energy usage, to operational
efficiency and to environmental responsibility, The Oxford Hotel will receive
the "Trane Energy Efficiency Leader in Lodging Award."
Details of the award presentation:
-- Scott Krull, western territory vice president, Trane, will present the
award to Isenberg
-- The awards presentation will be at noon on Nov. 5 in the Sage
Conference
Room at The Oxford Hotel, 1600 17th St., Denver, Colo. 80202
Customized Upgrades Improve Bottom Line
After a thorough building assessment, Sage Hospitality Resources management
selected energy conservation measures that will best meet their business
objectives of improving energy efficiency and decreasing utility costs to
improve the bottom line. Their objectives also included improving indoor air
quality and maintaining consistent temperature and humidity. Improvements were
started in February 2009 and completed in April 2009.
New systems included two highly efficient chillers as well as a building
automation system to optimize operation of the overall heating, ventilation
and air conditioning (HVAC) system. Management used creativity and innovation
to install the chiller systems in a basement not originally designed to
accommodate such an advanced system: disassembling the entire system in
advance and reassembling it onsite. Throughout the process, great care was
taken to avoid guest inconvenience.
Two chilled water systems were included to ensure uninterrupted service, and
each includes dual compressors for added flexibility and system redundancy.
During high demand, the backup chiller and secondary compressors run as
needed. To boost efficiency, a plate-and-frame heat exchanger was installed in
the chilled water system to provide free cooling during winter months --
without the need to operate the new electric chillers.
About the Oxford Hotel
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Oxford Hotel is a
luxury boutique hotel located in the historic downtown Denver district known
as LoDo (Lower Downtown). This 80-room, historic hotel boasts rooms with the
finest amenities, as well as 24-hour room service, three on-site dining rooms
and a fitness center. The hotel's meeting and event spaces can accommodate
groups from six to 250.
About Sage Hospitality Resources
Founded in 1984, Sage Hospitality Resources has strategically grown into one
of the largest privately held hotel management and development companies in
the nation and is recognized as a leading innovator in the field. During the
past eight years, the Denver, Colo.-based firm has completed more than $600
million in acquisitions and development projects using some of the most
innovative financing structures in the industry. Sage Hospitality's
comprehensive management portfolio includes major international brands as well
as independent boutiques and hotels, including The Oxford Hotel. For more
information, please visit www.sagehospitality.com.
About Trane
Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand - the world leader in creating and
sustaining safe, comfortable and energy efficient environments - improves the
performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize
indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy efficient heating,
ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services,
parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings. For
more information, visit www.Trane.com.
.
SOURCE Trane
Joan Schimml of Trane, +1-651-407-3897, joan.schimml@trane.com
