First solar hotel in San Francisco. Wednesday, 16th April 2008 Source : Joie de Vivre’s Hotel Carlton

Green business certification to be celebrated with activation of solar power system at February event.

The Hotel Carlton in San Francisco, certified as an official Green Business due to several initiatives over the past year to implement sustainable business operations, is celebrating its newest green achievement – the adoption of solar power to offset the hotel’s energy use. 

Managed by Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Hotel Carlton is the first hotel in San Francisco to install solar panels and the first of the boutique hotel company’s properties to receive the City’s Green Business certification.

In honor of this leap to a greener future Hotel Carlton will host a reception event on leap day, February 29 at 2:00pm, featuring an official ‘flip of the switch’ to solar power.

 “The operational changes we’ve made along with the new solar array will lessen the environmental impact of the hotel,” said Pamela Flank, General Manager of the Hotel Carlton. “We are proud to have met the strict San Francisco Green Business certification standards so that we can offer an environmentally-sustainable experience to our guests, our employees and the community.”

The 161-room boutique hotel located on lower Nob Hill has adopted a wide variety of environmentally-responsible practices, and the hotel’s operations comply with all voluntary environmental regulations that conserve natural resources, prevent pollution and reduce waste.

The hotel uses environmentally-friendly non-chemical cleaning products, recycled paper, and soy-based inks, plus a comprehensive recycling program in guest rooms and hotel operations. Motion light detectors in guest room closets along with low-flow shower heads and toilets conserve energy and water.

Organic products are featured in Saha, the hotel’s Arabic-fusion restaurant, and the soda machine has been replaced with a complementary filtered water machine that also helps cut down on bottled water use.

Hotel Carlton partnered with San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric to install 105 solar panels covering 1,332 square feet on the hotel’s roof.  The solar array is expected to reduce hotel’s electricity usage by 12%, reduce the release of carbon into the environment by 33,000 lbs. per year and save 4.5 acres of trees per year. 

The solar panels alone prevent pollution equivalent to driving three cars, powering three homes or using 185 100-watt lightbulbs.  Through a computer monitor stationed at the hotel’s front desk, guests will be able to monitor the total kilowatt energy generated by the solar power system.

The balance of the energy used is being offset through the hotel’s participation with Carbonfund.org, making Hotel Carlton’s entire operation carbon-neutral.

An event to be held on February 29 at 2pm in the Hotel Carlton’s Saha Restaurant will feature guided tours of the solar panel array, information about solar power and green hotel operations, as well as an official ribbon cutting and ‘flip of the switch’ that will launch the Hotel’s leap to a greener future.  Local wines and cheeses that were produced using solar power will be served and attendees will have the chance to ask questions of solar and environmental experts.  The Hotel Carlton is located at 1075 Sutter Street in San Francisco.