Following the successful restart, the Austrian hotel industry also has a positive outlook for the summer. What was already apparent before the coronavirus lockdown is now a certainty - sustainability and responsible use of energy and water resources are a must for future success. Prime examples of this way of thinking include the Naturhotel Forsthofgut in Leogang and the Hotel Zeitgeist Vienna. Both hotels have equipped their rooms with environmental technology from Austria and are now saving water, energy and operating costs thanks to the Rabmer Group's Ecoturbino system.
Altenberg, June 15, 2021: With the long-awaited opening of hotels and guesthouses, the hotel industry is once again focusing on long-term goals. The challenge of creating a lasting incentive for customers while keeping costs as low as possible is well known. What is new, however, is sustainability as the perfect intersection of these requirements. "Guests are increasingly opting for hotels that focus on sustainable management and renewable energies," says the Austrian Hotel Association[1]. Those who reduce their operating costs in a climate-friendly way can therefore expect more guests - a classic win-win situation that also benefits the environment.
"We identified a need for optimization above all in the showers in the guest accommodation, which naturally consume enormous amounts of water with over 200 rooms," explains Christoph Schmuck, owner and managing director of the Naturhotel Forsthofgut, a five-star hotel in Leogang. "We looked for ways to save water and therefore also energy and operating costs, but without restricting the showering comfort of our guests. We came across the Ecoturbino from Rabmer."
Less water, lower costs, good for the environment
The Ecoturbino, certified with the Austrian Ecolabel, is installed directly in the shower as a connecting piece between the tap and the shower hose. The Ecoturbino reduces the water flow by around 40 percent, mixes it with air and creates a strong turbulence. This massively increases the flow rate, which means that the shower user does not notice the reduced water volume and the showering comfort is maintained to the full extent. Hotels also benefit from the extremely short amortization period of the Ecoturbinos, which is only a few months. The environment also benefits, as less hot water consumption means lowerCO2 emissions!
The technology from Upper Austria has been extremely well received at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut - both by the guests and the owner: "Even in the low season, we reduce our operating costs enormously with the Ecoturbinos. I am particularly pleased that we are not only saving money, but also protecting the environment," says Christoph Schmuck. Around 220 Ecoturbinos are in use at the Naturhotel Forsthofgut, which save around 1.2 million liters of water and 50,000 kWh of energy every year, resulting in a cost reduction of around 7,500 euros.
Test runs show individual potential
The Zeitgeist Vienna hotel has now also retrofitted 84 overhead showers with the Ecoturbino system. Every year, the hotel saves around one million liters of water, around 40,000 kWh of energy and 6,500 euros in operating costs.
"Conventional low-flow shower heads have the problem that the reduction in water is always associated with a loss of comfort, which we cannot and do not want to impose on our guests. That's why we were very interested in Rabmer's concept right from the start. We tested the Ecoturbino in ten rooms for several weeks and received no negative feedback from guests. This, combined with the huge savings, convinced us, as did the great support from Rabmer," says Maintenance Manager Christian Janda.
"We offer the hotels free test runs so that they can see the benefits of our technology for themselves," explains Ulrike Rabmer-Koller, Managing Director of the Rabmer Group. "This not only allows us to check on site how much water, energy and costs the respective hotel can save by using the Ecoturbino across the board - the operators can also see straight away that their guests' satisfaction does not suffer in any way as a result of the water-saving measures."
[1] Sustainability in the hotel industry (oehv.at)
Press release
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