Benefits of leed certification in terms of water efficiency in hotel industry: a literature review

Abstract

Water is the world's most precious resource, vital for humanity and the remainder of the world. Due to the incredible water consumption in the hotel industry, hoteliers are required to pay more concern on water saving. The water consumption of the hotel is directly influenced by existing water efficiency practices. Green Building Rating Systems (GBRS) provides a structure or collections of metrics to determine the level of water efficiency achievable by a building. Therefore, the purpose of the study is to identify how LEED certification guide hoteliers to achieve water efficiency. The literature synthesis highlights the water efficiency practices, which should be followed by the hoteliers in order to obtain LEED certification. Accordingly, it guides hoteliers to achieve water efficiency under four categories such as outdoor water usage reduction, indoor water usage reduction, cooling tower water usage reduction and water metring. Further, the study identifies the performance gaps between LEED certified hotels and non-LEED certified hotels by highlighting the water efficiency practices adapted by worldwide LEED certified hotels. Moreover, the study revealed that LEED is the most adaptable system used in Sri Lanka among other green rating systems due to its glob-al recognition. The findings of this study could be used by hoteliers as a basis in understanding the available water efficiency practices and measures for the hotels that could be utilised in achieving water efficiency.