LOS ANGELES—Energy and environmental enthusiasts are increasingly calling businesses to take green action and implement sustainable initiatives. Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City is continuing to make great strides and is one of the few Green Seal Silver certified environmentally conscious lodging facilities in California. The hotel executives understand sustainability as the ability to meet present needs without comprising that of future generations.
The property is committed to energy conservation, waste minimization and executing an environmentally friendly operation. By doing this, the hotel is not only helping to reduce the greenhouse emissions that impact global climate change and save energy; but also improve efficiency, lower operating cost, provide a cleaner and healthier hotel environment, and set a positive example for employees that boosts morale and property loyalty.
Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City continues to look ahead and innovate with green practices. In 2009 the hotel began working with Green Seal, a nonprofit organization, which developed life cycle-based sustainability standards for lodging properties. This institution sets the environmental norm in the hospitality industry and offers third party certification for those that meet the set criteria. The partnership began the step by step process of compliance for the hotel and in 2010 Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City attained the Bronze level certification. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, the property achieved the Silver level certification. The hotel is shooting for Gold status this year.
PACE Project Updates
In 2013, the hotel successfully completed a $7 million Energy Upgrade PACE project with the county of Los Angeles that included the following:
• Putting in two new 450 ton centrifugal variable speed driven chillers as well as premium efficient motor pumps, controls and Building Automation System (estimated annual energy use reduction is 2,744,458 kWh/approximately $361,170).
• Installing new low flow guestroom showerheads (estimated yearly water savings is 2,326,875 gallons).
• Light retrofitting of about 11,000 lamps throughout the hotel with energy efficient LED lighting and new generation fluorescent lamps (energy savings are still under evaluation, but are expected to be about 25 to 35 percent).
• Replacement of guestroom HVAC & refrigeration motors with high efficiency EC (Electrically Commutated) Motors that use heavy duty rare earth magnets, rather than dual electromagnets, reducing power as well as wasted heat energy allowing refrigeration motors to have a double impact on energy savings.
• Installation of High Performance OptiTune 22 window tint film in all guestrooms that reduces up to 87 percent of glare, rejects up to 85 percent of solar energy and blocks 99 percent of UV radiation. The Data Logger Assessment results prior to install showed a reduction of up to 38° of heat inside guestrooms during heavy sunny days.
• Installation of View Dynamic Glass (electrochromic glass) that automatically transitions between clear and variable tint, providing control over the amount of light, glare and heat, reducing AC costs.
• Elevator modernization of 14 conveyors, of which eight traction elevators will use regenerative drive cars saving up to 50 percent energy over conventional systems (elevator produces power in the down direction). The energy generated when the cab goes into braking mode is converted into electricity and fed into the building’s system reducing energy usage.
Very High Waste Diversion Rate
Today, there are 15 recycling programs established in the hotel, which divert 80 to 85 percent of the total waste from being sent to local landfills. Cardboard, printing paper, light bulbs, guestroom amenities, batteries, toner cartridges, aerosol cans, food waste, yard waste, and kitchen deep fry oil have all been included in the recycling process. The food waste, for example, goes from the hotel compactor to a material recovery facility, where it is separated, and then turned into organic compost. In 2014 alone, the team at Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City hotel recycled 45.75 tons of cardboard and mixed materials (paper, glass, plastic & aluminum); 2,605 light bulbs; 164 toner cartridges and 800 aerosol cans; and 3.27 tons of guestroom amenities (soap, shampoo, conditioner, hand cream, mouthwash).
In just recycling paper, glass, plastic, aluminum and cardboard, the hotel helped saved 915,178 kWh (enough to light up 990 houses for one month), 1,784 oil barrels, 569 million BTUs, 1,442 pounds of air pollutants from being released, 338 city landfill spaces and 150,220 gallons of water. While recycling is just a fragment of the hotel’s green operation, Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City also initiates environmental friendly policies, including purchasing less hazardous chemicals for laundry, dish washing, and housekeeping, in order to protect land, air, and water resources. In addition, the hotel has implemented energy efficient lamps and motion sensor timers in meeting rooms. There are water conserving toilet fixtures throughout the hotel, and there is also a towel and linen conservation reuse program for guests who stay multiple nights.
Go to the Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City.
