Once an Ikea office block, a New Haven, Connecticut building is now Hotel Marcel — a 165-room Hilton that runs entirely on renewable electricity, using two-thirds less energy per guest than the regional average.
More than 1,000 solar panels are installed on parking canopies and rooftops. The rest of the energy is sourced from clean-energy contracts signed with local utilities. Renewable electricity powers every major system in the building, including air conditioning and heating, as well as hot water and restaurant kitchens.
There are many misconceptions regarding the costs of developing something of this nature. Bruce Becker, developer and investor stated that he believes it is not expensive to do this correctly.
Design Decisions Behind Energy Savings
The project was designed in order to meet Passive House Standards, an energy efficiency certification that requires building to maintain a tight envelop and use minimal energy to heat and cool.
The project was designed in order to meet Passive House Standards, a certification for energy efficiency that requires buildings be airtight with minimal energy used to heat and cool.
To reduce energy loss and leaks, triple-glazed windows, high-performance doors and heavy roof insulation have been installed.
These upgrades were more expensive initially, but allowed the hotel to install cheaper and smaller equipment.
