IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) announced a new renewable energy offering for IHG hotels in select markets across the United States in collaboration with Ampion, a provider of community solar solutions. IHG is the first hotel company to provide hotels a community solar offering that includes Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), helping hotels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by accessing renewable energy through solar panel projects built near a hotel’s community.

The electricity generated by solar panel projects is fed into the local power grid, and hotels can subscribe to a portion of the projects and will receive both Green-e certified RECs and a discount on their regular electricity bill for the clean energy produced. Through this model, enrolled hotels can credibly claim to be powered by renewable energy while supporting the development of new local solar projects that create jobs and improve the air quality in their communities.

This offering is available in states with legislation supporting community solar, contingent on available capacity. IHG’s community solar offer is currently active for hotels across Illinois, Maine and Maryland, with more states to follow soon. Hotels that have signed up or engaged in the enrollment process represent nearly 30% of IHG’s hotels’ energy footprint in those three states.

“We are excited to offer IHG-branded hotel owners an innovative solution to help them reduce their carbon emissions at the property level,” said Catherine Dolton, SVP of corporate responsibility & chief sustainability officer for IHG Hotels & Resorts. “IHG’s community solar offering, in collaboration with Ampion, is a win-win for hotel owners due to its cost savings, zero capital expenditure and environmental benefits. This offering is just one of the many ways we’re driving progress toward IHG’s sustainability commitments, which includes reducing our energy use and carbon emissions in line with climate science.”

News item from IHG