Courtyard Lancaster recently celebrated the completion of a 135,200-square-foot solar installation representing the beginning of a new chapter for this hotel. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the 133-room hotel is the first Marriott-branded property in the U.S. to become 100 percent solar-powered.
“We are excited to see High Hotels take the lead in such an impactful manner. The Courtyard Lancaster’s solar array installation is a concrete step forward to reduce our carbon footprint and minimize our impact on the environment,” said Denise Naguib, Vice President of Sustainability & Supplier Diversity for Marriott International. “Working in collaboration with our hotels, owners, guests and associates, we will Sustain Responsible Operations in order to meet the ambitious goals set as part of Marriott International’s sustainability and social impact platform, Serve360, and continue doing good in every direction.”
Hotel guests will be able to see the solar power produced on a new real-time meter located in the lobby. Due to its size, more than twice as big as a football field, the 2,700-panel array was placed on the roof of a warehouse about half a mile from the hotel. Both the hotel and the warehouse are in Greenfield Corporate Center, a mixed-use business campus with a strong track record of sustainable practices, owned by High Properties.
“Our guests now have the satisfaction of knowing that they are staying in a hotel that’s fully powered by the sun,” said Russ Urban, president of High Hotels. “We are strong believers in environmental stewardship and taking this step into renewables aligns with the interests of a growing segment of the traveling public.” Urban said that while guests can see the meter display and take pride in choosing this first-solar-powered Marriott in the U.S., they will notice no difference in the function of electrically-powered amenities at the hotel.
The solar array produces 1,239,000 kWh of power for the hotel, which consumes 1,177,000 kWh. Excess power is sold to the utility. High Hotels received a grant of $504,900 from the Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) through the Solar Energy Program to complete the project.
Lancaster is located about three hours from New York City and two and a half hours from Washington, D.C. positioning itself as a welcoming destination for travelers looking to experience the beautiful countryside, as well as downtown’s vibrant cultural scene and culinary offerings. Spend the day shopping, sightseeing and exploring Amish country.
