Modern fluorescent light bulb with E27 thread for 220..240 Volts AC with 8 Watts power (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Quatermain in Sandton, Falstaff in Sandton, Mapungubwe in Johannesburg and Roodevallei near Pretoria have achieved a 169.567 MWh reduction in electricity consumption.
The Faircity Hotel Group, a vibrant and innovative hospitality company with properties in the three and four star categories, worked with an Energy Services Company (ESCo) to conduct a lighting energy usage assessment at the four hotels.
Lukas van der Westhuizen, Managing Director of Faircity Hotels says the move to optimise the efficiency of lighting technologies was prompted by the need to reduce energy costs, lower operating costs and advance towards reducing the group’s carbon footprint.
Some 7 353 energy intensive lamps were removed in the four hotels in less than a month.
In public areas:
- 50W halogen downlights were replaced with 7W LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes);
- 35W halogen downlights with 5W LEDs;
- 60W incandescent bulbs with 7W LEDs; and
- 100W incandescent bulbs with 10W LEDs.
In rooms and staff areas:
- 50W halogen downlights were replaced with 7W LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes);
- 35W halogen downlights with 5W LEDs;
- 60W incandescent bulbs with 7W LEDs; and
- 100W incandescent bulbs with 10W LEDs.
LEDs were chosen for their energy efficiency but also because they produce a colour temperature comparable to incandescent bulbs and give off a similar warm yellow glow. Colour temperature plays a crucial role in how people perceive colour and experience thermal comfort, two important considerations in the context of the ‘home-from-home’ expectations of hotel guests, Lukas says.
Aside from using approximately 85% less energy than incandescent lamps, LEDs last up to five times longer than CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lamps), which last about 6 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Moreover, LEDs have a quick start up time, produce their full light capacity as soon as they are switched on and turn off immediately without any fading as the bulb cools down.
The four hotels also replaced energy intensive T8 fluorescent tubes with energy efficient T5 tubes.
Outside, HID floodlights were switched to LED floodlights.
In addition to saving electricity, the lighting retrofit also helped the Faircity Hotels Group to make positive strides towards reducing their carbon emissions, an increasingly important consideration for environmentally aware national and international travelers.
By reducing energy consumption from 195.199MWh to 25.632MWh per month, the four hotels have reduced their carbon emissions from 193.247 to 25.376 tons per month and saved approximately 232.307 kilolitres of water per month from being lost to the electricity producing process.
“Faircity goes to show that a lighting retrofit, relatively quick and easy to implement, can reap impressive energy efficiency results. Lighting is often one of the most overlooked low-cost opportunities for reducing electricity consumption in hospitality establishments without impacting the guest experience,” comments Andrew Etzinger, Senior General Manager of Eskom’s Integrated Demand Management (IDM) department.
Eskom Energy Advisors
Eskom is strategically committed to implementing and rolling out national initiatives and programmes aimed at saving energy and assisting the business sector to utilise their energy sources as efficiently and sustainably as possible.
One of the most impactful of these programmes is Eskom’s Energy Advisory Services offering advice to business in the commercial, industrial, mining and agricultural sectors on a wide range of energy efficiency measures and interventions, including how to:
- Reduce energy usage;
- Do walk-through energy assessments to identify energy usage patterns, energy needs, areas of energy wastage and energy saving opportunities;
- Optimise operations and maintenance;
- Improve electrical systems and processes; and
- Measure and verify energy savings.
Having a variety of tariffs on hand to work with, drawing on outside technical assistance and understanding the latest energy efficient electro-technologies, Eskom’s Energy Advisors are equipped to make specialist energy efficiency recommendations in regard to tariffs and appropriate energy sources – whether electrical or renewable – based on in-depth energy assessments.
Consultations also include offering advice and information on:
- Funding opportunities for energy efficiency projects; and
- Manufacturers and suppliers of energy efficient electro-technologies.
Call 08600 37566, leave your name and number and one of Eskom’s Energy Advisers will contact you.
Alternatively, visit www.eskom.co.za/idm for more information.
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