Premier Inn has opened the first of a new generation of new-build properties that will operate with 100% renewable energy.
The first learnings of the hotel in Swindon Town Centre will inform an emissions-reducing strategy for the budget chain’s entire hotel estate across the UK and Ireland.
Its parent company, Whitbread, is aiming to remove mains gas connections across its estate by 2040 wherever possible.
The Swindon hotel uses an energy-efficient air-to-water heat pump to heat water, along with low energy LED lighting with lighting controls and metering connected to a battery monitoring system with auto monitoring and targeting of energy use.
In addition, mechanical ventilation with passive heat recovery and an air source heat pump are designed to keep the building at an optimal temperature in all seasons.
Richard Aldread, Head of Construction in the UK regions and Ireland for Whitbread, said: “Swindon’s 100% renewably-powered Premier Inn shows that sustainability and affordability can be two sides of the same coin and is part of a string of investments in innovative, sustainable properties at Whitbread.
“We have ambitious plans to expand the number of Premier Inn bedrooms towards our long-term potential of 125,000 rooms in the UK and Ireland, up from 83,500 currently, and this should not happen at the expense of net zero commitments.
“Premier Inn Swindon Town Centre is our first all-electric hotel without connection to a mains gas supply and is the culmination of years of hard work and commitment to designing and operating lower-carbon hotels – which has helped us reduce direct operational emissions by over 50% since 2016. It represents a significant milestone as we endeavour to bring our operational emissions to zero by 2040.”
