Bellstar Alberta to go 100 per cent carbon neutral

CANMORE, AB—As part of its sustainability plan, Calgary-based Bellstar Hotels & Resorts is offsetting 100 per cent of its energy usage at its Alberta resorts through a Direct Energy offering of carbon-neutral natural gas and certified renewable power, an EcoLogo-recognized product.

“Bellstar is Direct Energy’s first major hospitality customer in North America to take such a significant step in reducing their carbon footprint through the purchase of 100 per cent carbon-neutral energy,” said Graham Leith, senior director of sales, Direct Energy.
Here’s how it works.

‘Certified renewable power’ is power generated from a renewable supplier. While it is impossible to separate the renewable power out from all the power in the electrical power grid, it is possible for Direct Energy to go to a renewable power supplier and have them inject the power into the system on Bellstar’s behalf. The key is that this power allocation cannot be resold. Renewable energy sources include wind, solar and low-impact or small-scale hydroelectric power.

“Bellstar is supporting development of new power generation and encouraging low-emission plants instead of fossil fuel plants,” Leith explained.

There are no renewable sources of natural gas—Bellstar  can offset the impact of any natural gas it consumes by purchasing carbon credits. “Basically they are getting green credits associated with environmentally responsible projects,” said Leith.  These carbon credits are specifically measured and verified.

PriceWaterhouseCoopers, an independent accounting firm, has been retained to verify that Direct Energy’s annual carbon offset purchases match the carbon offsets sold to participating customers and that those offsets are retired.

Through this initiative, Bellstar will offset the same amount of carbon sequestered by over 365,000 tree seedlings over 10 years or the carbon emissions of more than 2,600 passenger vehicles for a year.

Although Bellstar pays a premium for both certified renewable power and carbon offsets, the plans make sense financially when energy conservation measures are brought into the equation.

“In reality the program will save us money because it helps support a culture and mind set of conserving energy and resources rather than consumption,” Bellstar president Ed Romanowski told CLN.

Many of the company’s employees (called Bellstars) young, and through their education have come to understand about the larger concern for the environment, Romanowski said.
Bellstar is looking at energy management programs such as programmable thermostats and temperature setback.  They have an energy eye experiment where monitors are tied in with all external doorways.  When people open the door, it shuts off extremes of heating and air conditioning. For example, this helps when people relax on the balcony but keep the air conditioning on.

But responsible actions on the part of the company’s Bellstars also help.

“At our [personal] household, we do make quite an effort, recycling goods or items and reducing packaging by buying food items in bulk where practical,” said Romanowski. “It’s the same thing with the resort. We purchase in bulk.  For example, wherever it’s available we use 100 per cent recycled paper for our photocopiers.  And after we’ve used it, we recycle it again.”

All Bellstar Resorts have implemented standards of conservation including, among others, in-room recycling, the use of AVEDA bathroom amenities which use organic matter and pride themselves on an ethical and traceable soil to bottle process, controlling temperature extremes in common areas and suites, increasing purchases of locally produced food and beverages, and using environmentally-friendly acid, phosphate and butyl free cleaning products.

The Direct Energy program is available in Alberta, but Bellstar is looking for something similar in British Columbia, where half of its properties are now located.

“Bellstar as a corporate entity, along with our Bellstars, always keep an open eye and an open ear. We examine opportunities as they come up and apply them to our resorts.  Change is a given,” Romanowski said.

Bellstar manages and develops destination resorts and boutique hotels in Alberta’s Rocky Mountains and in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley and Coastal Regions.

Hyatt uses Bullfrog power

CALGARY—Hyatt Regency Calgary is the first large hotel in Canada to support renewable electricity with Bullfrog Power. The luxury hotel has signed on to ensure its facilities use 100 per cent green power.

Bullfrog Power, the only 100 per cent renewable electricity provider in Alberta, recently announced that Calgary’s newest luxury hotel, Hyatt Regency Calgary, is the first large hotel in Canada to support renewable electricity with Bullfrog Power.

The Hyatt’s 13,500-square-foot ballroom, StayFit Gym and 22 meeting rooms are Bullfrog powered with Alberta-made wind power.

Bullfrog Power is a leading Canadian provider of 100 per cent green electricity.
All of Bullfrog Power’s renewable electricity in Alberta is sourced from EcoLogo-certified wind generators located near Pincher Creek.

“Partnering with Bullfrog Power to lower the electricity-related emissions footprint of these facilities is consistent with our long-term environmental strategy,” said Keith Butz, general manager, Hyatt Regency Calgary.

“Both Hyatt Regency and Bullfrog Power are known for innovation and responsiveness to customer expectations, and our company, as well as our customers, will benefit from this environmental partnership.”

Bullfrog powering these facilities is the next step in a series of sustainability measures the hotel chain has already implemented to minimize its environmental impact, including the installation of energy efficient lighting, low flow toilets and Energy Star appliances, and the introduction of a guest room recycling program.

“Hyatt Regency Calgary has a reputation for excellence and is showing through its sustainability initiatives that its commitment to excellence extends beyond the realm of customer experience and into that of environmental stewardship,” said Theresa Howland, vice president, Western Region, Bullfrog Power.

“We’re honoured that the Hyatt Regency Calgary is Bullfrog powering part of its facilities as a part of its green strategy.”

Providing green power for Hyatt Regency Calgary’s facilities will not require any special equipment or wiring.

Bullfrog Power will simply inject clean, emissions free EcoLogo-certified electricity onto the Alberta electricity grid to match the amount of power used by the facilities, just as it does for thousands of homes and hundreds of organizations in Alberta and Ontario.