We'll leave the light on for you? No thanks

I’m writing this column from a hotel room in Galway, Ireland. To enter my room, I slid a thin electronic key in and out of the receptacle above the handle; the mechanism read the magnetized strip, and the lock clicked open. The key system is familiar to anyone who has stayed at a hotel in the past decade.

Once in the room, I placed the key in a vertical slot at eye level, just inside the door. This time, the key remained in the slot; its presence there allowed me to turn on lights in the room. Without the key, the lights won’t stay on, which means that when I leave the room I won’t accidentally leave a light on.

When I go downstairs this evening for a pint (and, despite jet lag, I will), the hallway will likely be dark. I can touch the illuminated light switch next to my door, and the hall lights will stay on for two minutes, long enough for me to catch the elevator downstairs. If I dally and the lights go dark, I’ll just tap another of those tiny illuminated switches and the lights will be on again. The hallways are bright when I need them to be, and they are dark for those long stretches when they are unoccupied.

It’s all quite easy. And, of equal interest to me, it’s all quite visible. These kinds of devices are a visible reminder that this isn’t my dear Grandma Fallon’s Galway. They give me a sense that the Irish are getting smarter about their energy use. They give me a sense that there may be more cleantech innovations hidden behind the varied facades here in Galway, and the brick facades in Georgian Dublin.

These kinds of energy-saving technologies are fairly common in Europe and Asia. My impression of a hotel, or the client who might select the hotel, is often shaped by innovations like these. They also shape my impression of the country or region I’m visiting. There are many steps hotel managers can take to reduce their environmental impact, but these customer-facing innovations can make an important projection. They can suggest, to companies and investors, that the community is, at the very least, tech-savvy.

Last June, San Francisco’s Orchard Garden Hotel became the third American hotel (and fourth globally) to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The award is highlighted in promotional materials, but the most elegant presentation occurs subtly in the guest rooms: The Orchard Garden is the city’s first hotel to use a key-controlled electrical system. Guests don’t need to read about the innovations, because they experience them. That’s what all visitors to the region should experience.

The West Coast already has a geographic advantage in the surge toward cleantech. The region was the center of gravity for the information and biotech revolutions, and many of the same leaders from such movements can lead the way on cleantech and renewable energy. Cleantech will rely, in part, on silicon and microbes; on the West Coast, we can say we’ve been there and done that. Venture Capital firms are highlighting this notion, stressing the value of geographic concentration.

Cities and states along the West Coast should do everything possible to reinforce this image. Every visitor to the region should get a sense that these communities are ahead of the curve and would be likely centers for clean tech innovation. A subtle technical story—even with a bit of the hey-look-over-here-at-this factor—can be revealed when visitors settle into their hotel rooms. It’s the first impression; if done well, it can be a lasting one.

It’s great when a few hotels take these steps, but why can’t all of them? Cities and states should consider mandating these changes, as a means of projecting a visionary image. Cities and states need to manage their brands as well. Business leaders should help them understand this—with pressure, if necessary, or advice, if welcomed. Elected officials can make a strong case that such energy-saving brand enhancements will not be costly. In fact, they will save money, and quickly.

The Westin Convention Center Hotel in Pittsburgh installed a keycard energy management system in 2003, at a cost of $120,000. Energy costs were cut so dramatically that the investment paid for itself in 10 months.

It is ironic that the most familiar slogan in the hospitality industry is, “We’ll leave the light on for you.” Once used to convey a warm invitation to a traveling friend, it is now used as a marketing ploy by a hotel chain that leaves hall lights on—all the time, and for everyone. But things do change. Motel 6, the company that registered the phrase as a trademark, has begun to see the light. The company has installed occupancy sensors, to adjust thermostats in unoccupied rooms, at 49 of their California locations. (The company has 850 locations in the U.S. and Canada.) It’s a start.

The customer-facing energy management devices do more than save energy and project a smart image. They serve as a means of education. Whenever I’ve traveled to Europe, I’ve noticed these small devices and wondered why we don’t use them in the US. Lately, as I see my country’s hesitancy in embracing global climate agreements, I’ve wondered why it is that Europeans are ahead of us on this issue.

They know what the rest of us should know: Some of the steps in addressing the climate crisis are quite easy. They’ve seen those steps, on vacations and business trips, for years.

Kevin Sweeney is a consultant helping companies develop responsible products and practices. He also teaches at the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Sweeney’s "Executive Strategy" column appears exclusively in Sustainable Industries.