The Hanoi Hotel, located near to the city's Giang Vo Lake, has won accolades for it's energy saving construction.
The twin 20-storey complex consumes more than 4.87 million kWh of electricity, 287,765 liters of diesel oil (DO) and 92,425kg of gas annually.
At the recent Ministry of Industry and Trade competition on energy saving buildings, the Hanoi Hotel was highly praised for its energy saving solutions since its revised construction.
Glass is the most used material in the hotel; however, glass transmits heat. That's why most of glass used is heat resistant glass, capable of transmitting 80 percent of light but reducing heat penetration by between 50-55 percent. The large heat resistant glass and aluminum windows are curtained, and can allow natural air flows.
All the outside walls are made of 20cm-thick perforated bricks and 1.5cm-thick mortar, reducing the burden on the ground and the heat from outside.
The roof is obviously the most exposed part of the structure, and in order to minimize the heat of the sun, a 5cm-thick reinforced concrete protection layer, an 8cm-thick heat resistant layer, and a mixed layer of stone powder and concrete have been combined.
Trees and brushes act as natural air conditioners around the hotel. Therefore, about 50 percent of the hotel's land is reserved for green trees and bushes which help reduce the temperature around the hotel by one or two degree Celsius compared. Its lakeside location also helps to cool the air.
Since its refit, the hotel has also concentrated on energy savings. One thousand 40W light emitting fibered bulbs have been replaced with 7W compact fluorescent bulbs in combination with more than 2,000 light emitting diode (LED) lamps installed. The result is that the hotel has saved 167,000kWh of electricity annually.
All living room doors are integrated into key card systems so room lights will automatically turn off following removal of the lock.
Some 218 air conditioners have been installed, with preset temperatures suitable for use in different places. With all electric appliances networked with a Building Automated System (BAS), the hotel can save, manage and regulate its electric use.
With these solutions, the hotel can save nearly VND216.03 million annually and is one of the most energy efficient buildings in Hanoi.
