MADISON, Wis. — The Center for Technology Transfer, Inc. (CTT), soon to be renamed CleanTech Partners, Inc., announced that it provided a $130,000 lease of equipment to four WISCO Hotel Group hotels.
WISCO Hotel Group is a privately owned operator of nine hotels in the state of Wisconsin. The CTT lease financing of energy efficiency equipment commonly known as Guest Room Energy Management (GREM) systems has enabled four WISCO hotels to significantly reduce their energy costs. The GREM systems, provided by DBS Lodging Technologies Inc. (http://www.entergize.net ), manage heating, cooling and lighting via a sensor that reduces energy use in unoccupied guest rooms and then readjusts the system when the quest returns to meet their comfort requirements.
The GREM controls were installed at Comfort Suites in Appleton and Oak Creek as well as the Holiday Inn Express in Milwaukee and Oshkosh. Estimated annual energy savings are in excess of 4,600 therms and 700,000 kWh per year. Installation of this technology is considered by Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy program, to be a Best Practice for the lodging industry. Focus on Energy provided an incentive to help buy-down the cost of installation.
CTT provides financing for this type of project when financing from traditional sources are not available. In WISCO’s case, financing was not readily available from the financial institutions which funded the construction of the four hotels. The CTT lease financing is for five years.
“Without assistance from CTT and Focus on Energy, we would not have been able to install this technology at the four hotels. Initial energy savings results are better than the vendor predicted,” said Todd Winkler, WISCO’s Vice President of Operations. “It is vital that the state of Wisconsin continue to offer financing in those situations where commercial financing is not available. Because the projects pay for themselves, the financing enables companies to improve their financial situation while still repaying the loan or lease. Focus on Energy and CTT staff have been easy to work with and we were very impressed that Wisconsin offers such innovative programs.”
“We have been actively reaching out to the lodging industry to increase awareness of the benefits of GREM technologies and to connect them with the many vendors offering different variations of the technologies,” said Matthew Matennaer, an Energy Advisor with Focus on Energy. “CTT works closely with our program and their financing is an important capability to have when financing becomes a concern.”
Eric Postel, CTT Director — Venture Investments, remarked, “this project is just another example of the ways our CTT team is trying to support Wisconsin’s business sector.”
Center for Technology Transfer, Inc.
CTT is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that commercializes new technologies to improve the competitiveness of Wisconsin’s key industry clusters. Its mission is to accelerate the development and adoption of process improvements and innovations that are energy efficient and environmentally friendly.
This has the added benefit of keeping money in Wisconsin by reducing the amount of energy purchased from other states and nations. CTT is sponsored in part by Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative. (Additional information on CTT can be found at http://www.cttinc.org)
Focus on Energy Program
Focus on Energy is a public-private partnership offering energy information and services to energy utility customers throughout Wisconsin. The goals of this program are to encourage energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy, enhance the environment and ensure the future supply of energy for Wisconsin. Since July 2001, the program has helped Wisconsin’s businesses and residents cut their annual utility bills by more than $98 million — reducing their energy consumption by more than 811 million kilowatt-hours and more than 40 million therms of natural gas. For more information, call 800-762-7077 or visit http://www.focusonenergy.com.
The Focus on Energy program has a team dedicated to helping Wisconsin’s lodging industry save energy. Focus on Energy can assist your facility by: Providing guidance and technical information for improving your energy efficiency. Assisting in the estimation of a project’s energy and cost savings. Providing financial assistance for project implementation and feasibility studies. Helping develop a Practical Energy Management plan.
For more information about:
Center for Technology Transfer: call Eric G. Postel 608-203-0115 or visit http://www.cttinc.org
Focus on Energy Hotel and Lodging programs: call Mindy Guilfoyle or Matthew Matenaer at 1-888-598-4376 or visit http://www.focusonenergy.com
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