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agree that switching off air conditioning when leaving the room is acceptable, <strong>and</strong> 65% agree on using air<br />
conditioning at a 1°C higher temperature than the set room temperature actually used during the stay.<br />
Further options to reduce energy use <strong>and</strong> emissions exist for businesses focusing on staff training. For<br />
instance, Hilton Worldwide saved energy <strong>and</strong> water costs in the order of US $16 million in the period 2005-<br />
2008, primarily through behavioural change of employees as a result of a training in resource-efficiency.<br />
These measures have to be discussed on the business level <strong>and</strong> are mostly relevant to accommodation <strong>and</strong><br />
activities managers. As about 15% of a typical Caribbean hotel’s operating cost may be attributable to<br />
energy usage (Pentelow <strong>and</strong> Scott, 2011), management-related reductions in energy use of 20% would<br />
correspond to savings of 3% on the overall economic baseline. This should represent a significant incentive<br />
to engage in energy management. For further details on energy management see Gössling (2010).<br />
With regard to adaptive capacity of the utility providers themselves, both electricity companies have high<br />
reserve capacity to ensure that the system can withst<strong>and</strong> unplanned outages during periods of peak<br />
dem<strong>and</strong> or in the event of failure of one or more generating units. PPC has invested in higher efficiency<br />
generation plant <strong>and</strong> is actively addressing the efficiency of its fuel supply by increasing its fuel storage<br />
capacity with new infrastructure. This is the most immediate action that can be taken to improve fuel<br />
supply since it can reduce frequency of shipments, decrease costs, <strong>and</strong> increase an isolated system‘s power<br />
reliability (Castalia, 2011). The consultants note that efficient h<strong>and</strong>ling of the planning <strong>and</strong> permitting<br />
process from public authorities can play a key role in ensuring this happens swiftly <strong>and</strong> effectively (see<br />
barriers to implementation in Section 5.2.1).<br />
Following the damage to distribution infrastructure experienced during Hurricane Ike in 2008, both<br />
companies made efforts to reduce their vulnerability to future events by upgrading the replaced<br />
infrastructure. TCU were to upgrade their poles, continue the practice of burying the pole by 10% of its<br />
length plus 2ft <strong>and</strong> go underground where finance permitted. PPC were to upgrade the poles (some were<br />
over 20 years old), upgrade conductors <strong>and</strong> ensure that the depth of pole embedment was adequate. It<br />
should be noted that PPC had managed to keep 25% of their capacity going throughout the storm because<br />
of underground feeders in some parts of Providenciales (ECLAC, 2008).<br />
5.2.3. Technology<br />
The potential for saving energy through technological innovation has been documented for a growing<br />
number of case studies. For instance, luxury resort chain Evason Phuket & Six Senses Spa, Thail<strong>and</strong>, reports<br />
payback times of between 6 months <strong>and</strong> ten years for measures saving hundreds of thous<strong>and</strong>s of Euros per<br />
year. Examples of the economics of resource-savings from the Caribbean include five case studies in<br />
Jamaica (Meade <strong>and</strong> Pringle, 2001). The results from this study are summarised in Table 5.2.3.<br />
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