3 million - Gallons of water expected to be saved annually by installing low-flush toilets788,729 - Gallons of water saved with low-flow bathroom faucets1 million - Killowatts of electricity saved through use of key card HVAC room controls1.4 million - Estimated impact of efficiencies in pounds of carbon dioxide emissions$88,000 - Annual estimated savings resulting from key-card control systemThe Holiday Inn at World's Fair Park could provide energy to 45 homes a year with the projected energy savings from a new key-card system that manages lights, heating and air conditioning as guests enter and leave their rooms.When the Holiday Inn completes the five-phase renovation of its 293 rooms in August, the key-card system is expected to reduce carbon emissions by 1.4 million pounds per year and result in energy savings of more than 1 million kilowatt hours, according to Ryan Cazana, development director for the Holiday Inn's management group, Commercial and Investment Properties Co."We project a savings of about $88,000 a year just for our mechanical system," Cazana says. "If we are efficient with our utilities and water, we are going to get a substantial payback, as well."The hotelis among, if not the first, in Knoxville to use the key-card system for energy control, a system more prevalent at European hotels. As guests enter their room, they place the card in an illuminated slot that turns on lights and heating or air conditioning. Guests control the thermostat. As they take the card and leave, lights turn off after 15 seconds and the heating or air defaults to a predetermined temperature.The key card itself opens the door without contact. The guest holds the card eight inches from the door, and a wireless proximity reader releases the lock.Low-flow toilets and faucets, as well as energy-efficient lighting, also contribute to the hotel's reduced environmental impact."We will save about $100 per year per toilet, because of the new one-gallon-per-flush model," Cazana says. Water savings from faucets and toilets is projected at about 3.79 million gallons per year.Though upfront costs are higher for installing energy conserving systems and controls, the investment is quickly recovered, he added.Market pressure is also leadinghotels tomake changes, says Jill Thompson, Knoxville Tourism Alliance executive director. The U.S. Government Services Administration is requesting that government employees stay in green hotels, and Thompson expects that request to become a requirement."We, as an association and as a state, have got sustainable tourism in the forefront," says Thompson, whose group recently hosted a seminar on green certification for lodging, restaurants and attractions.Alec Blaine is area director for the Perfection Group, a facilities management services provider that identified and installed the key-card system for the Holiday Inn on behalf of 10-year client Commercial and Investment Properties.Energy-efficient improvements, particularly in lighting and HVAC systems, increasingly make business sense in the new normal economic environment, he says."When the economy was roaring nobody really cared about spending money on energy," Blaine says. "Not that it's contracted, everyone is looking to cut their expenses any where they can. So it's becoming more and more important, and I think it's here to stay."With tax incentives that Perfection Group can help clients identify "it really makes sense," Blaine adds.The Tennessee Hospitality Association recently developed a Tennessee Green Hospitality certification program, requiring inspection by an independent auditor. The program requires six core activities - including optional linen service, recycling, water and energy conservation and a green events package - to receive certification and lists another 150 optional activities.The DoubleTree Hotel in Oak Ridge was the firsthotel in theKnoxville area to receive the state certification about five months ago."Being in a government town, we wanted to be eligible for any government listings of green hotels," DoubleTree general manager Gretchen Julius says.The DoubleTree brand is also advocating green and sustainability measures, and a sister property in Murfreesboro, Tenn., helped guide the Oak Ridge hotel in the certification process. Low-flow toilets, aerators for faucets, an intense recycling program, energy efficient lighting, and green practices in the restaurant kitchen are among energy-saving activities.The hotel even recycles soap through the Global Soap Project in Atlanta, which sterilizes what's leftover from guests, forms it into bars and sends it to refugee camps in Africa, where soap is scarce.Julius also hopes to be the first hotel in Oak Ridge with an electric car charging station.Tourism mecca Gatlinburg has long encouraged its hospitality industry to adopt environmentally-friendly practices through its chamber's Gatlinburg Goes Green program. The Hilton Garden Inn in Gatlinburg, opened in 2009, is among the firsthotels in thestate to pursue Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The 118-room hotel was built using sustainable techniques, such as sourcing materials locally, and boasts a chemical-free saltwater pool, a permeable hand-laid brick parking lot and in-room recycling.The Inn at Christmas Place in Pigeon Forge, rated among the top 25hotels inAmerica by TripAdvisor.com, trumpets its environmental stewardship and seeks more suggestions from guests on its website. The hotel incorporated a stormwater detention system into its landscape, a first for commercial property in Pigeon Forge, and uses a thermostat system that controls temperatures for unoccupied rooms. Its laundry system is energy efficient, and the Christmas trees are lit with LEDs.