The sharing economy provides 15 hotel energy efficiency upgrades with no investment through Energy Efficiency as a Service.   

‘As-a-service’ has appeared everywhere; software-as-a-service (SaaS), ride-as-a-service, or office plants-as-a-service. But what can the as-a-service model do to deliver energy savings to the hospitality industry that is different than the standard CapEx model of today.

Economic Impact of a Sharing Economy

Let’s face it, every hotel owner wants to grow revenue and reduce expenses. Energy is now the top operating expense after employees. However, most energy reductions require capital and when the owners are faced with choices in capital expenditures or Cap Ex, the budget tends to choose in favor of improvements that will increase revenue and not energy savings.

Every year in preparation for the annual capital budget meeting, the various facility and energy saving upgrades are prepared for the budget presentation. Carpeting, LED televisions, linens and beds, wall coverings and of course at the end of the list are the energy efficiency improvements like new ptacs, room controls, laundry upgrades etc. The question is although energy efficiency upgrades pay for themselves out of savings, is this year another one of those years where energy savings are just not in the capital budget again? Perhaps the real question is, are we looking at energy savings as a capital improvement compared to a reduction in energy expenses with no debt and no investment? Although software-as-a-service started the trend, more and more services from Uber, iTunes to Airbnb are moving away from the capital ownership model to a model that allows you to use the system without purchasing it or assuming any debt.  Now, the option to get energy efficiency improvements with Energy Efficiency: As a Service is becoming a new option.

In fact, if you think about it, utilities are the original energy as a service. They require no investment from you. You don’t buy the power plant, you just buy the energy. However, the utilities pulled a fast one because they give you raw energy (electricity and natural gas). But you don’t want those forms of energy. You need them converted so they are amenities that your guests can use. You want lumens for light and BTUs for heating, cooling and hot water. But the utility requires you to buy, maintain and replace your own energy conversion devices onsite. So really, when you look at your CapEx budget relating to energy savings at your hotel, you are really only dealing with the energy conversion devices for your property.

Energy Savings Upgrades

We recognized what was needed was to fund and provide the investment capital to own and operate the energy saving conversion devices as an onsite utility as a service instead of a capital sale to hotels. OUS Capital, LLC. was created to deliver energy benefits with no debt and no investment for the customer- just savings. OUS Capital was the solution for delivering Energy Efficiency: As a Service. The as-a-service model removes the complications of ownership through high upfront capital costs, numerous vendors each pitching a different solution, and decision fatigue of too many choices, for an all-inclusive pay-as-you-go option that keeps capital in your pocket and debt off your books.

Just imagine if your local electric and gas utility came to you and said they will provide onsite upgrades of your lighting, HVAC controls, walk-in coolers and not require a single penny of your capital nor require you to borrow someone else’s. In fact, they will provide the capital for the upgrade along with savings off your current costs for converting the energy including the ongoing maintenance. You’d sign up wouldn’t you? You are already connected to gas and electric for as long as your hotel exists so why would you not take the next level of service with savings but no debt or investment? Unfortunately your utilities are not going to provide you with these onsite energy services. It just isn’t their business model and it requires too many small transactions compared to building a large power plant and transmission lines. But, OUS Capital will provide the onsite energy improvements debt and investment free while never placing a lien on your property or requiring a personal guarantee, and still deliver savings to you today.

CapEx Vs. Energy Efficiency: As a Service

Let’s look at an example of two hotel groups that each have 25 similar properties with 150 rooms each in similar weather markets. Hotel Group A continues on the path of annual energy upgrades being submitted into the capital budget along with all of the other budget needs from beds, carpet to furniture. Hotel Group B decides to contract for Energy Efficiency: As a Service providing upgrades with no debt and no investment for all of the properties now. Group B realizes this provides increased cash flow with no cost and allows the budget to be focused just on revenue enhancing facility upgrades to grow their business. It costs $200,000 for each hotel energy upgrade including lighting, room controls, ozone laundry, HVAC controls and more.

We will summarize many of the approved Energy Efficiency: As a Service systems later, but for now, we are focused on the cost of not doing something while we wait for energy improvements to get approved as part of the budget versus moving forward with Energy Efficiency: As a Service.

Hotel Group A finally had the capital budgeted and upgraded one building. Everyone loved it.  They got 35% return on their capital with a corresponding 35% savings in energy and maintenance for their lighting, HVAC, etc. Success! So now, every year the facility manager goes in for a budget approval to do more, and every other year he gets a little bit of what he asked for, and now after five years, Group A’s Hotels had $400,000 in capital expenditures ($200,000 initial and $50,000 per year for 4 years) which is the equivalent upgrade of only 2 complete hotels.  At the current working speed and deployment of capital of $400,000 every 5 years, they will take 62 and a half years to full retrofit all of their facilities. So, five years later they have saved $525,000 but spent $400,000 for a net savings of $125,000.

Group B with the same size hotels, chose to retrofit all 25 properties through Energy Efficiency: As a Service. This meant they used no capital and assumed no debt for their energy upgrades. Group B received 20% of the savings generated with no capital required. With no added debt on the books, it didn’t negatively impact their balance sheet. The $5,000,000 retrofit generated $1.75 million in savings over 5 years, which meant Group B made $350,000 per year with no use of their own capital. So the strategy of using their own constrained capital and delaying energy improvements meant Group A netted $125,000 over 5 years and still had 23 hotels not upgraded. Of course, Group A is also spending millions of dollars in utility charges every year on energy costs for all the facilities they didn’t upgrade.

Hotel Group B upgraded all 25 buildings with no investment and profited $1.75 million at the end of five years. It’s that simple. The Energy Efficiency: As a Service solution is a five to ten year financial agreement, and the customer, the contractor and the people that are investing the money are all happy.

Group B started to see an immediate impact on the reduction of their carbon footprint. If Group A and B both needed to borrow money to grow their business, Group B would find it easier to borrow the money.  And Group B increased their annual net income by $350,000. So yes, customers can meet environmental goals while keeping their capital focused on their operations.

Upgrade Method	CapEx	Energy Efficiency: As a Serice
Capital Investment	$400,000	$0
Net Energy Savings	$125,000	$1,750,000
# of Hotels Upgrades	2	25

The real question is would you rather be Hotel Group A with $125,000 net gain or Hotel Group B with $1.75 million? This as-a-service model spreads the total cost of product ownership over time into predictable payments with worry-free upkeep with guarantees of savings and maintenance. The sharing economy is transforming how we purchase goods or contract for the benefits without the investment cost up front.

Hospitality Energy Efficient Upgrades

The following systems and technologies can be implemented without debt and requiring no investment. You get savings from day one when taking Energy Efficiency: As a Service or onsite generation through a Power Purchase Agreement or PPA. You can become the Hotel Group B.

Start the process and increase your profits through Energy Efficiency: As a Service today!

AUS Energy Master Plans

The following services can provide savings with no upfront investment or fees. In fact, most services are contingency fee based so any fees are paid out of savings or refunds. This shifts the risk of the consulting from the client to the consultant.

Gas/Electric Procurement and Management

We competitively bid and manage gas and electricity in almost 40 states. Our team continues to monitor the futures market looking for opportunities in the future market. You manage your business while we manage your energy procurement. Do you just pay utility bills when they come in or do you review and recalculate the bills to verify they are correct?

Energy Bill Audit and Rate/ Tariff Review

Has a meter been changed, wrong meter multiplier used, are there savings moving to a time of use rate?

Telecom, Data, Cellular Audit

With access to over 110 carriers for voice and data, we find the best solutions or keep you with your current carrier at a lower rate. Knowledge is power and our telecom/data people do this every day.

Water/Sewer Audit

Are rates and billings correct? Are there new processes that could be put in place to save?

Waste and Recycling Audit

According to your contract, are your bins full or only 50% full. Are there recyclables that can reduce waste costs and benefit the environment?

Engineered Cost Segregation

While hotels are typically depreciated over a 39.5 year straight line schedule, an Engineered Cost Segregation Study (approved by the IRS) categorizes into 5, 7, 15 and 39.5 year depreciation buckets to accelerate the tax benefits for the owner. Even if you bought the building 5 years ago.