For a hotel, lighting matters. Rooms have to be sufficiently well lit so that businesspeople can get their work done, but not so bright that they don’t feel cozy. And especially for a hotel like the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, Rhode Island—which hosts conferences, conventions, and events—function spaces and meeting rooms need the right lighting to provide the right ambience.
So when General Manager John Kokot and Facilities Manager Deirdre Tart proposed replacing all lighting in the hotel with high-efficiency compact fluorescent lights (CFL) and LEDs (light emitting diodes), not everyone thought it was a great idea. But the duo prevailed, and the project was a big success.
“We learned through the experts at National Grid about different efficiency measures, and retrofitting equipment to reduce our kilowatt usage,” Kokot said. “Our hotel is 23 years old, and we have to find creative ways to stay fresh and competitive in the hotel market. Since we operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, a lighting upgrade was a simple change that saved real money.”
National Grid rebates helped pay for changing all the interior common space and guest rooms lights to screw-in LED lamps (Par and MR16). All of the linear fluorescent common space, including 34,000 square feet of banquet facilities, was changed to super T8. Parking lot lights were changed to new induction fixtures from HID. Outside cathode sign lighting and exit signs were changed to LED. The hotel installed vendor misers, an energy management system, timers on external lights, and occupancy sensors in each of its 266 guest rooms.
The results: Each year, the Crowne Plaza saves over 3 million kilowatt hours and more than $200,000. “The level of efficiency we have accomplished has helped us reduce our operating costs by quite a bit,” says Tart. “We can spend those savings on improving amenities, and on otherwise providing the best possible experience for our Crowne Plaza guests.”
Tart now is evaluating additional energy efficiency measures. She’s considering replacing boilers, heat pumps and air conditioning units in the hotel; installing variable speed devices on electrical equipment; and increasing monitoring system capabilities. She sees Building Operators Certification, LEED Certification, and other certifications and benchmarks on the horizon. Using less energy while making sure guests still get a good night’s sleep— it’s working well for the Crowne Plaza.