Energy cost savings and a smaller carbon footprint drive green investment.
Energy Focus, Inc. today announced that W Hotels has signed contracts to install Energy Focus, Inc.'s energy efficient EFOŽ lighting systems at properties in Chicago and New York City.
The W Hotel Brand is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., Luxury Brand Division. The installations which are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, come after an extensive test by the W Hotel in Times Square. The systems will be installed throughout the public common areas of the hotels and will replace traditional MR-16 halogen lamps.
"All told, the entire US hotels industry spends an average of $5.3 billion a year on electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration," said John Davenport, CEO of Energy Focus Inc. "Because EFOŽ lighting systems use less than 20% of the energy of MR-16 halogen lamps, these W Hotels can expect to see a significant savings in energy costs by switching to EFOŽ since lighting accounts for approximately 1/3 of all electric energy costs in hotels and other retail establishments. The hotels will see further savings in terms of reduced maintenance costs and fewer bulb changes."
By utilizing EFOŽ, the W Hotels will significantly reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprint. For example, the Ws will save more than 750,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) annually by switching to EFO. In terms of carbon emissions, the amount of coal saved by installing EFOŽ would fill all the bathtubs in the Times Square W once a month forever. And the carbon dioxide savings from the switch is equivalent to removing 160 cars from the road.
The EFOŽ systems will be installed at the following W locations: City Center, Chicago (18 EFOŽ systems replacing 138 MR-16 lamps); and Times Square, New York City (141 EFOŽ systems replacing 752 MR-16 lamps). |
