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While already operating with minimal impact, the team was seeking new ways to strengthen their sustainability efforts, specifically by reducing their reliance on diesel-generated electricity, without compromising service quality.
The Challenge
Operating entirely off-grid, the lodge faces unique limitations. Electricity is diesel-powered, there is no mobile reception, and internet connectivity is limited. These conditions presented a challenge: how could guests be meaningfully engaged in resource conservation, without interfering with the experience of peace, privacy, and comfort?
The team recognised that one of the biggest opportunities lay in guest behaviour. If guests could be gently encouraged to use fewer resources, particularly hot water (which uses gas), cold water and electricity, it would help reduce both environmental impact and operational costs. However, success would rely on delivering this message in a way that felt natural, informative, and non-intrusive.
The Solution
WISE Sustainability implement the My Green Butler service at Daintree Wilderness Lodge with Griffith University. This service is designed to encourage guests to make more sustainable choices by giving them real-time feedback on their resource use and offering personalised suggestions based on local conditions.
To overcome connectivity limitations, an outdoor router was installed to enable wireless internet to reach each of the seven lodges. Smart devices were placed in every room, allowing for real-time monitoring of electricity, hot and cold water, indoor climate, and window sensors. A weather station was also installed onsite, providing live data that fed into the My Green Butler system.
In-room tablets (used in place of phones or Wi-Fi-based apps) displayed consumption and saving information to guests in a clear, easy-to-understand format. The service also included guidance on how to stay comfortable in the tropical climate, recommended low-impact activities that support the local economy, and suggestions for reducing resource use, all of which were tailored to daily weather conditions and room-specific consumption patterns.
On-site signage was also developed to create deeper connections between guests and their surroundings and to highlight how small behavioural changes could help preserve the rainforest they came to enjoy. WISE Sustainability also delivered in-person training for staff, equipping them to introduce the system to guests and answer questions confidently.
The Results
The implementation of My Green Butler led to significant and measurable reductions in resource use, all driven by guest behaviour alone:
Cold water use reduced by 19.2%
Hot water use reduced by 22.7%
400 kg of CO₂ emissions avoided annually
Total resource savings of $582, which were donated to Daintree Rainforest Regeneration through the Noble Cause Programme
Importantly the service also identified a significant variation in guest water consumption by country of origin. By applying more focused marketing the owners could make additional 36% water savings by targeting guests from countries with nationalities that used less water (as Griffith University findings identified https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14616688.2025.2516098) .
No additional infrastructure upgrades or efficiency interventions were made during this period. These results were entirely due to how guests responded when given relevant information and personalised advice. The project also highlighted the value of individual metering, allowing the lodge to monitor consumption per room and tailor communications accordingly. The My Green Butler service from WISE Sustainability contributed to management operational changes which saved 34% of electricity.
Key Takeaways
Off-grid properties can still lead in resource efficiency by focusing on guest engagement.
Behaviour change doesn’t require compromise, it can be integrated into a high-end guest experience.
Reliable, room-level data enables meaningful interventions and clear measurement of impact.
Staff involvement is crucial to support guest understanding and participation.
Examples of the guest communications used are:
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