RIU Hotels Expands Microturbine Energy Solutions with Capstone at Chicago Property
RIU Hotels and Resorts is extending its on-site power and energy resiliency relationship with Capstone Green Energy to include a fourth microturbine-powered project for the global lodging chain in North America.
Capstone has installed its combined heat and power (CHP) microturbine system at the Hotel RIU Plaza Chicago. The installation includes three Capstone C65 ICHP microturbines, three natural gas compressors, a Vergent Energy controller with remote monitoring and long-term contract.
The CHP system provides backup electricity and hot water generation on-site at the hotel premises.
“Capstone microturbines are a smart investment for hotels,” said Justin Rathke, president of Vergent, in a statement. “They provide clean, on-site power and heat, significantly cutting energy costs. This boosts profitability and asset value, appeals to environmentally conscious guests, and reinforces RIU's sustainability leadership.”
RIU Hotels sought an on-site power microturbine system to help reduce its financial bottom line in utility costs. The customer also is taking advantage of federal and utility incentives on the distributed energy project.
“This fourth project is an excellent example of how Capstone and its distribution partners transform customers into clients. RIU’s continued investment and trust in Capstone systems reflects our shared commitment to energy efficiency, emissions reduction, and long-term value creation,” said Vince Canino, president and CEO of Capstone Green Energy. “This is the kind of forward-thinking partnership we strive for, solving the energy trilemma of resiliency, affordability, and sustainability with proven, efficient, and adaptable technology.”
The relationship between Capstone and RIU began 11 years ago with the deployment of seven C65 microturbines at the Hotel RIU New York Times Square. Five years later, four more C65s were installed at the RIU Plaza Manhattan Times Square hotel.
Earlier this year, Hotel RIU Toronto connected two on-site microturbines from Capstone.
The C65 microturbine technology integrates aero-based turbine engines, a magnetic generator, electronics which can run on natural gas, propane, renewable natural gas, and hydrogen fuel blends.
RIU Hotels and Resorts owns and operates nearly 100 locations in 21 countries across the world. The chain hosts more than six million guests per year, according to the RIU website.
More coverage of hotel microgrids in Microgrid Knowledge
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Rod Walton, Microgrid Knowledge Managing Editor
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I’ve spent the last 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. I was an energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World before moving to business-to-business media at PennWell Publishing, which later became Clarion Events, where I covered the electric power industry. I joined Endeavor Business Media in November 2021 to help launch EnergyTech, one of the company’s newest media brands. I joined Microgrid Knowledge in July 2023.
I earned my Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. My career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World, all in Oklahoma . I have been married to Laura for the past 33-plus years and we have four children and one adorable granddaughter. We want the energy transition to make their lives better in the future.
Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech are focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.