Asheville's Grove Park Inn looks to cut carbon footprint
ASHEVILLE — The Grove Park Inn is going solar — and more.
The historic inn and spa installed solar water heaters at its sports complex and is considering larger solar projects, all part of an effort to reduce the famed resort's carbon footprint.
The inn worked with Asheville-based FLS Energy, which has worked on several large solar water-heater solar projects in Western North Carolina. Rather than using electricity from the solar energy, solar hot water directly warms the water with thermal energy.
“We are excited about this latest improvement at our sports complex,” said Ronald Morin, vice president and managing director of the Grove Park Inn.
The 12 solar panels produce about 600 gallons of hot water a day, which is used in the locker room.
FLS Energy and the Grove Park have been in discussions for years about installing solar water heaters at the inn. Morin said the company wanted to pursue a solar hot water program, but the financial limits were always a barrier.
FLS approached Grove Park Inn with a different business model. The company would construct the system at no cost and then sell the inn energy to heat the water at a cost 20 percent less than standard fossil fuels.
It was something the Grove Park took advantage of.
“This project demonstrates how businesses can access clean, renewable energy, reduce their operating costs and lock in low energy prices — all with no upfront cost,” said Brownie Newman, FLS Energy project finance director.
The project is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 7 tons annually — equal to planting 22 trees or taking three cars off the road.
The solar hot water system is part of larger effort by Grove Park to reduce its carbon footprint. The effort earned the inn a green award from the International Restaurant and Hotel Association in 2008.
“We do try more and more to be sustainable,” Morin said. “You really have to work hard to do sustainability on an existing building.”
The company started a recycling program about 25 years ago. Morin said many hotels have a recycling bin outside the rooms where everyone can place recyclables. At the Grove Park, the recycle bins are in individual rooms, and the material is collected by the housekeeping staff, then sorted and sent to a recycling facility.
Author: Haining SunSurf New Energy Technology Co., Ltd
website:www.sunsurf.com.cn
main product: solar heater,solar energy 
