Solar panels on top of the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, NC heat 60% of the water. The showers were hot and the water flow excellent!
While at a 20-year college reunion in Greensboro, NC (yes, I’m an alum of Guilford College!) I had the chance to stay at one of the few LEED Certified hotels in the United States. Overall it was a FANTASTIC experience! The Proximity Hotel manages to retain the creature comforts of an upper-end home away from home, but does so in some really amazing ways – all hotels should be created like Proximity!
The Proximity folks have embraced over 70 green practices in creating their hotel experience – next time you’re staying out of town in a hotel, ask the staff and management HOW they use sustainable practices that add to the green economy!
Here is a sampling of the 70+ sustainable practices at Proximity Hotel:
* The building uses 41% less energy than a conventional hotel/restaurant by using ultra efficient materials and the latest construction technology.
* The sun’s energy heats hot water with 100 solar panels covering the 4,000 square feet of rooftop (enough hot water for a hundred homes). This heats around 60% of the water for both the hotel and restaurant.
* 700 linear feet of stream was restored by reducing erosion, planting local, adaptable plant species and rebuilding the buffers and banks. Approximately 700 cubic yards of soil was removed to create a floodplain bench. And 376 tons of boulders and 18 logs were used to maintain grade control, dissipate energy and assist in the creation and maintenance of riffles and pools.
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The bistro bar is made of salvaged, solid walnut trees that came down through sickness or storm and room service trays made of Plyboo (bamboo plywood).
* Newly-engineered variable speed hoods in the restaurant uses a series of sensors to set the power according to the kitchen’s needs and adjusts to a lower level of operation (typically 25% of their full capacity). The sensors also detect heat, smoke or other effluents and increase the fan speed to keep the air fresh.
* Geothermal energy is used for the restaurant’s refrigeration equipment, instead of a standard water-cooled system, saving significant amounts of water.
* North America’s first Regenerative Drive model of the Otis’ Gen2 elevator reduces net energy usage by capturing the system’s energy and feeds it back into the building’s internal electrical grid.
* Abundant natural lighting, including large energy-efficient “operable” windows (7’4” square windows in guest rooms), connects guests to the outdoors by achieving a direct line of sight to the outdoor environment for more than 97% of all regularly occupied spaces.
* Building materials with recycled content include reinforced steel with 90% post consumer recycled content, National Gypsum Wallboard 100%, asphalt 25% and staircase steel 50%. Concrete contains 4% fly ash (224,000 pounds), the mineral residue left after the combustion of coal that is diverted from landfills.
* 87% of construction waste was recycled, diverting 1,535 tons of debris from landfills.
* Water usage has been reduced by 33% by installing high-efficiency Kohler plumbing fixtures, saving two million gallons of water the first year.
* Air quality improved by circulating large amounts of outside air into guestrooms (60 cubic feet per minute) and doing so in an energy efficient way by employing “energy recovery” technology where the outside air is tempered by the air being exhausted.
* Regional vendors and artists were used for materials to reduce transportation and packaging.
* Low-emitting volatile organic compound (VOC) paints, adhesives, carpets, etc reduces indoor air contamination.
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Guestroom shelving and the bistro’s tabletops are made of walnut veneer, over a substrate of SkyBlend, a particleboard made from 100% post-industrial recycled wood pulp with no added formaldehyde.
* A green, vegetated rooftop will be planted on the restaurant to reduce the “urban heat island effect.” In other words, the green roof reflects the heat, thus reducing the amount of energy needed for refrigeration and/or air conditioning. It also slows the rain runoff and insulates the rooftop, keeping the building cooler overall. Currently, we are trying out various plants on the roof in a test area.
* “Education Center” for sustainable practices includes tours of our “green” hotel for guests, sustainable practices symposia, and outreach programs for students of all ages.
* Bicycles are available for guests to ride on the nearby five-mile greenway.
* Read about our Electronics Recycling Drive
