Aussie hotel saves planet from roof

One flip of the switch changed the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs and upped the ante for hotels around the world. The Australia hotel now uses the largest building-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system in the Southern Hemisphere. This $3.3 million installation will cut the property's energy consumption by 40 percent to 80 percent (depending on the time of year), and a broader energy efficiency program could trim the energy the hotel uses by an additional 18 percent.

The hotel's new green initiative involves the installation of "Energy Eye," new technology that manages temperatures in guest rooms and minimizes consumption when a room is empty. Further, the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs is replacing more than 3,000 light bulbs with energy efficient alternatives. Jemflo showerheads are expected to save 11,580 kiloliters of water every year. Translation: that's enough to fill more than 30 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The Crowne Plaza Alice Springs' energy program includes the use of live data from the rooftop solar panels to show guests how much hotel is saving at any particular point in the day ... on their in-room televisions.

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