Beijing's hotels have been told to adopt new energy-conservation measures to make them more eco-friendly.

Hotel managers have been asked to maintain temperatures of no cooler than 26 C in summer and no warmer than 20 C in the winter.

And all hotels with more than three stars that have been in business for two years or more should clean out their air-conditioning systems before May.

Beijing Vice-Mayor Ding Xiangyang said at a conference yesterday that the moves are mandatory, unlike previous efforts to encourage energy conservation.

"Enforcement officials will be sent around to make sure these measures have been implemented," he said.

Hotels that have service contracts with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) were told to clean their air-conditioning and ventilation systems before the end of the year, and hotels receiving guests for the "Good Luck Beijing" sporting events must do so by August 31.

"This is to ensure the health of visitors and spectators during the 2008 Summer Olympics," Du Jiang, head of the Beijing tourism administration, said.

Beijing's consumption of power is increasing every year, placing a heavy burden on the electricity grid.

Ding said the municipal government would not allow any blackouts in Beijing.

The hotel industry is one of the major consumers of electricity in Beijing, using one fifth of the total power consumed by the service sector.

Though hotels on average consumed less energy last year than in the year before, experts said there is still room for further savings.

All hotels with BOCOG contracts were urged to meet State standards for "green hotels" before the end of this year.

The standards require hotels to use water-saving equipment, install power-saving light bulbs and wash their linens less frequently. By the end of last year, only 192 hotels, including some non-rated hotels, had been approved as eco-friendly.

Beijing has about 700 starred hotels and is expected to have 800 by the time the 2008 Olympic Games is held.

(China Daily 07/13/2007 page3)