Santa Monica’s Shore Hotel celebrated Earth Week by launching a state-of-the-art energy storage system Monday, alongside new fast electric vehicle (EV) charging facilities.
The launch event saw the hotel and Green Charge Networks unveil the system alongside Kia Motors and Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment.
The services see Shore Hotel become the first hotel in the U.S. to install an intelligent energy storage system coupled with a fast DC EV charging, according to the hotel.
“Being located in a City so highly regarded for its sustainable practices and constant innovation, we are thrilled to be recognized for our contribution to building a more sustainable future,” said Jon Farzam, Vice President of Shore Hotel.
The installation of the intelligent energy storage system is expected to save Shore 50 percent in electricity demand charges.
Energy storage systems reduce demand charges through counteracting the peaks and valleys of a building’s variable energy use by discharging from and charging up the system’s batteries at key moments, according to Green Charge Networks, the provider of Shore’s new system.
The technology flattens the spikes in power usage, which reduces demand charges by up to 50 percent.
“This is an easy way to save on your electric bill without turning off any equipment or changing building occupant behavior,” Green Charge Networks stated.
Every time an electric vehicle is plugged in to a charging station, the electricity demand for a building spikes, which can leave businesses with high demand charges at the end of the month, according to launch event organizers.
“Demand charges are part of every commercial electricity bill and are determined by the highest 15 minutes of use during a billing cycle. Even one sudden spike in energy usage can send monthly electric bills skyrocketing,” organizers said.
Shore Hotel’s new system was demonstrated at the launch event featuring a Kia Soul EV.
“Kia Motors is proud to shine the spotlight on Shore Hotel today as they continue to add innovation and promote clean transportation by coupling energy storage with EV charging,” said Stephen Kosowski, Kia Motors America Manager, Long Range Planning and Strategy, Kia Motors America.
The recent addition has bolstered Shore Hotel as a leader in sustainability among Santa Monica’s luxury hotels as it is the only newly-built LEED-Gold certified hotel in the city, according to event organizers.
The hotel recently received the City’s 2015 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) Grand Prize and prides itself on its eco-friendly accommodation.
“Energy is an important resource that we must all do our part to conserve,” Farzam said.
“We hope to set an example for other hotels around the world to continue the momentum of sustainability.”
The electric vehicle charging station is open to the public.
Shore Hotel is located at 1515 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica. Visit www.shorehotel.com or call 310.458.1515.
