JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA—In a move designed to further enhance its sustainability program, Hilton Worldwide has launched a major environmental initiative at its three hotels in South Africa. More than 17,000 energy saving lights, including new replacement LED globes, are being introduced at Hilton Sandton, Hilton Durban and Hilton Cape Town, with considerable economic and environmental benefits. The move to the new lighting globes is expected to result in a drop of energy consumption of more than 2,600,000 kWh annually and a reduction of CO2 emissions by a significant 2,700 tons per year.
“The demand for energy in South Africa is a major concern and one of the main reasons we decided to launch this initiative here,” said Vinesh Hurrychurn, director of engineering operations, Hilton Worldwide, Middle East & Africa. “We’re mindful of the need to operate in a way that is sensitive to how we impact the environment and I’m pleased that this initiative further supports Hilton Worldwide’s commitment to sustainability.”
Hilton Worldwide has partnered in this project with Eskom, the main electricity generator and distributor in South Africa and Philips, the country’s biggest supplier of new generation lighting globes. Commenting on the project, Andrew Etzinger, senior general manager, Integrated Demand Management, Eskom said, “This is one of the biggest corporate sustainability schemes Eskom has been involved with and is an excellent example of the difference a major corporation can make to the environment.”
Quick Way to Save Energy
“Installing our LED energy saving lights is one of the simplest and most cost effective ways companies can conserve significant amounts of energy,” added Jeroen Jannssen, general manager of Philips Lighting, South Africa. “Hilton Worldwide understands this and I’m delighted we will be able to help them deliver significant environmental benefits as well as real year-on-year energy reductions.”
Plans are now underway to roll out the program across Hilton Worldwide’s properties throughout the Middle East and Africa over the course of 2012.
“The South Africa initiative was our test bed and is already proving successful,” Hurrychurn said. “We’re now very excited at the prospect of reducing our eco-footprint further once we take the program to other areas of Africa and to the Middle East over the course of [2012].”
In 2009 Hilton Worldwide implemented LightStay, a sustainability tracking system developed to improve hotel performance and drive economic returns while decreasing the company’s overall impact on the environment. Since the introduction of LightStay, Hilton Worldwide has saved more than $74 million in utility costs.
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