Hotel RIU Plaza Toronto

At a Glance
• System Configuration: 2 × C65 Capstone ICHP Microturbines with controls
• Repeat Customer Trust: Follow-on deployment for RIU Hotels & Resorts, leveraging proven microturbine performance across their expanding global portfolio
• Financial Impact: ~$100,000 CAD / year in direct utility expense reductions
• Thermal Recovery: Reclaims 860,000 BTU/hr of waste heat to supply high-volume domestic hot water loops
• Ultra-Quiet Urban Footprint: Outdoor rooftop installation operating at <65 dBA, delivering zero guest disturbance in a high-density downtown tower


The Challenge
As repeat customer RIU Hotels & Resorts built its landmark 352-room, 48-story Hotel RIU Plaza Toronto, management faced significant energy demands driven by continuous lighting, HVAC, and intensive domestic hot water needs. Having previously experienced the financial and operational advantages of microturbine technology, RIU sought to replicate that success in its flagship Canadian development. Operating in a dense urban core, the hotel needed a clean, compact generation system that could reduce steep city power tariffs and protect bottom-line margins without creating noise, vibration, or visual pollution for high-paying guests.


The Solution
Building on a trusted partnership, RIU once again partnered with Veristar Energy to engineer and deploy a 130 kW outdoor rooftop Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system featuring two Capstone Energy+ C65 ICHP microturbines.
• Proven Technology Deployment: Leveraged RIU’s confidence as a repeat customer to seamlessly integrate on-site microturbine generation into the initial architectural design.
• Compact Outdoor Rooftop Array: Mounted discreetly on the roof to preserve valuable indoor commercial floor space while serving baseload facility power.
• Quiet Operation: Operates at sound levels below 65 dBA, ensuring zero acoustic impact on guest rooms.
• Domestic Hot Water Recovery: Captures microturbine exhaust heat to produce 860,000 BTU/hr of continuous hot water, eliminating substantial natural gas boiler fuel costs.


The Results
• $100,000 Annual Utility Offset: Slashes overall facility operational costs through efficient, dual-fuel on-site energy generation.
• Validated Repeat Success: Reaffirms RIU’s brand-wide strategy of deploying clean, decentralized energy to safeguard margins in premium metropolitan hotels.
• Flawless Guest Experience: Delivers ultra-reliable heat and power seamlessly behind the scenes with zero noise or vibration issues.
• Hedged Power Security: Protects flagship property operations against urban grid volatility and rising electricity prices.