The Opportunity
Sam Patel, owner and operator of the Comfort Inn, a 92-room hotel located near the Roanoke Civic Center downtown, is always on the lookout for new ways to lower his day-to-day overhead costs. Like many in the area, he is particularly interested in reducing his energy usage to reduce his bill, while also lowering the hotel’s environmental impact.
The Project
After successfully saving an estimated $11,085 annually and receiving
over $8,000 in incentives, or 30 percent of the total project costs, from
the Non-Lighting Program, he was able to make improvements to his hotel. This included installing a complete guest room occupancy sensor system in every room. Eager to start his next efficiency improvements, Patel set his sights on replacing 50 outdated packaged terminal air conditioner (PTAC) units, which worked but were not energy efficient.
Patel then had the opportunity to upgrade his aging PTAC units. The program team was happy to see Patel return and assisted him with submitting a rebate application and verifying that the units he planned to purchase would qualify for a rebate.
"Working with Appalachian Power was easy, and the rebates made upgrading affordable. I would do it a third time!”
Sam Patel, OM Management
The Results
Being able to make energy-saving improvements early, thanks to the incentives from Appalachian Power, has been a real win for the hotel during a particularly challenging year. When both efficiency projects were complete, Patel’s hotel was set up to save over $16,400 each year through lower energy use and received nearly $15,000 worth of rebates to bring his estimated payback period down to just five years. The additional comfort provided to guests, especially in the summer months, is just the icing on the cake for the Roanoke hotel. “We’re really living up to our name by keeping our guests comfortable all year,” said Patel, “and that’s what’s most important.”