Heritance Hotels first resort chain to be ISO 50001 certified

Heritance Hotels, Sri Lanka’s leading chain of resorts, owned and managed by Aitken Spence Hotels is the first resort chain in Sri Lanka to be awarded the ISO 50001 certification for energy management systems which have been effectively implemented at each resort.

The International Organisation for Standardisation has introduced ISO 50001 with the aim of helping organisations establish systems and processes to improve their energy performance. The standard specifies the requirements for establishing, implementing, maintaining and improving an energy management system, whose purpose is to enable an organisation to follow a systematic approach in achieving continual improvement of energy performance, including energy efficiency, energy security, energy use and consumption. The standard aims to help organisations continually reduce their energy use, and therefore their energy costs and their greenhouse gas emissions.

Heritance Hotels, a pioneer in practicing and promoting sustainable tourism in Sri Lanka, has taken numerous initiatives in ensuring that energy consuming assets have been managed effectively and energy conserving technology has been implemented at each resort. Heritance Ahungalla, one of Sri Lanka’s leading beach resorts, was the first hotel in Sri Lanka to receive the ISO 50001:2011 certification. Heritance Ayurveda Maha Gedara, was the first net metered hotel in Sri Lanka and Heritance Tea Factory and Heritance Kandalama were the first in the hospitality industry to utilise a biomass gasifier as a renewable energy source. Apart from the significant systems implemented at the resorts, all resorts use Sewage Treated Plant (STP) water for irrigation and have replaced incandescent lighting with CFL and LED lights.

It is believed that energy conservation is the foundation of energy independence; although a single effort may seem minuscule a collective effort will make a difference. “We at Aitken Spence Hotels have been setting trends for energy reductions. We always strive to establish best practices and set examples for the industry” said Aitken Spence Hotels Vice President – Engineering Rohitha Rajaratne.

Aitken Spence Hotels Managing Director Malin Hapugoda, shared the following views: “Sustainable tourism is about re-focusing and adapting. A balance must be found between limits and usage so that continuous changing, monitoring and planning ensure that tourism can be managed. This requires thinking long-term and realising that change is often cumulative, gradual and irreversible. Having identified the growing need to ensure sustainable tourism, Aitken Spence Hotels, will continue our pioneering efforts in this field. Our continuous dedication in implementing initiatives that promote sustainable practices has enabled Heritance to achieve global recognition such as the ISO 50001, for its efforts. “

With the ever increasing energy cost and limitations of supplies especially in Sri Lanka, this step by Heritance Hotels is expected to bring in a significant saving of energy consumption as well as reduce cost of operations. The improved energy efficiency of the operations is expected to drive the company towards greater productivity and this will enable the hotels to be competitive while reducing its dependence on the national energy supply.