Gaylord Entertainment
At a Glance
Industry
Hospitality
Project Types
Commercial Energy Efficiency, Clean and Renewable Energy
Year
2010
Location
Nashville, TN
Summary
Rob Powell focused on mechanical retrofits and rebuilding projects to find energy savings for Gaylord Entertainment.
Goals
Rob Powell spent his summer at Gaylord Entertainment, the owner and operator of four multi-million square foot resort and convention centers. These properties are among the largest non-gaming hospitality complexes in North America. An MBA student at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, Powell was charged with finding financially sound projects for reducing energy consumption. Gaylord's energy efficiency efforts were suddenly and rapidly accelerated at their flagship location, Opryland, after the devastated flooding that hit Middle Tennessee in early May 2010.
Solutions
The subsequent rebuild projects have allowed Gaylord to dramatically improve efficiency by investing in energy infrastructure. An overall target for reducing energy consumption was set between 10 to 20%. The associated savings for the company will net millions of dollars over the lifetime of the equipment. Projects of note include 1200+ ton chillers, lighting upgrades in all flood affected areas, high efficiency, industrial laundry equipment, and remediation of their combined heat and power (CHP) natural gas turbine. Additional energy efficiency opportunities were identified at the Gaylord Texan Resort. Lighting retrofits were recommended, representing the largest savings and quickest payback periods.
Potential Impact
The combined total of proposed initiatives will curtail over 20,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions.