The 58-panel system will provide the Hilton Asheville with more than 2,300 gallons of hot water daily, comprising some 60% of the hotel's hot water needs, including heating the pool. The system should eliminate 25 tons of carbon dioxide and save about $10,000 per year in fuel costs, about 30% of utility costs. There is redundancy, so guests will have hot water on overcast days.

The solar system will have less water to heat, as well, as usage will be reduced by 30% through the installation of low-flow toilets, showerheads and sink fixtures. Other sustainable technologies at the hotel include the use of chlorofluorocarbon light bulbs, and a recycling program for guests and staff. Select staff will even wear uniforms made out of regenerated plastic bottles.

Chemicals have also been addressed. Emissions of toxins will be reduced by the use of low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) during construction, and ongoing utilization of environmentally friendly cleaning products and chemicals.

Guests may accept shuttle service in an alternative fuel shuttle, which reduces the burning of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and particulate matter. The hotel will offer preferred parking for energy efficient hybrid vehicles. Additionally, guests may choose to bicycle as an alternative to driving, ultimately reducing the use of gasoline and the production of carbon monoxide.

Balancing green with guest comfort was another challenge, particularly when some of the technology is new. The standard toilet, for example, uses two gallons per flush. The Hilton's equipment will use 1.28 gallons per flush. Storto even installed one of the showerheads in his own home bath to check the water flow. "You're taking a leap of faith this technology would work," Storto says.

Traditionally, hotels don't stabilize until their third year of operation, so getting hard results will take some time. The return on some aspects of the green building will be hard to quantify, though Storto says that company research indicated that guests are more likely to stay in a sustainable hotel. Meeting planners also are more likely now to book such facilities.

"We'll get a feel from our surveys, which will ask if [going green] helped," he says. Even so, the company will maintain its commitment to environmentalism beyond the Hilton. "We're local owners and operators. You have to walk the walk. All of our managers are incentivized to make their hotels more green every year."