Dr. Nyangon Awarded EDF Fellowship to Advance Sustainability at Starwood (Marriott Hotels)
Monitoring Energy, Water Use at Marriott Hotels
University of Delaware doctoral student develops tool to benefit hotel chain.
A University of Delaware graduate student, participating in a highly selective Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) program, has been recognized for his work in designing a tool to monitor and compare energy and water use at various hotel and resort properties.
Dr. Joseph Nyangon, a doctoral candidate in the University of Delaware’s School of Engineering (Energy and Environmental Policy Program), has been awarded a highly competitive Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) Climate Corps fellowship for his work helping Starwood Hotels and Resorts (now Marriott Hotel) accelerate sustainability across its global portfolio.
As an EDF fellow, Dr. Nyangon was embedded with Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, which operates more than 1,200 hotel and resort properties. His task was to design a data-driven tool to monitor, compare, and benchmark energy and water use across properties in real time. The tool enables Starwood to quickly identify inefficiencies—such as water leaks or HVAC issues—before they escalate, reducing both environmental impact and operational costs.
Drawing on his background in engineering and big-data analysis, Nyangon created a system that automatically integrates Starwood’s internal data with external energy-use databases, presenting insights in an accessible format for property managers worldwide. The project was developed in consultation with his advisor, Dr. John Byrne, Distinguished Professor of Energy and Climate Policy and director of UD’s Center for Energy and Environmental Policy.
The tool has received strong feedback from Starwood and EDF and is estimated to save the company more than $2.4 million annually in energy costs.