LED Payoff $2 Million For Vegas Hotels
When the Las Vegas Sands Corp. began construction on their 5 Diamond resort, the Palazzo was intended to be the cream of the crop, but being the greenest hotel in Las Vegas wasn’t really their top priority. The corporation wanted to be as green as they could, but they were not willing to give up any luxury that a guest could expect or request. They were fortunate that their choice of contractors was LEED Certified because it has changed the direction of the company, and customers are flocking to their innovative, environmentally responsible facilities around the world, all the while thoroughly enjoying the luxurious and environmentally friendly high-end resorts guilt free.
New LED lighting in hotel guest rooms and meeting rooms has helped Las Vegas Sands Corp. save $2 million on its annual lighting bill. Photo: Las Vegas Sands Corp.
During the construction of the Palazzo, most of the green initiatives that were implemented came about almost by chance, with no preset ideas of what Sands Corp. hoped to achieve. When the project was completed, the Las Vegas Strip had a fine and responsible new resident, and Sands Corp had the idea to implement these green practices in every facility they could, old and new. They developed a company-wide agenda to ensure their efforts moved in the right direction while taking advantage of the best technologies available to save energy and the environment.
The strategy focuses on an array of best practices in four areas—green buildings, environmentally responsible operations, green meetings and stakeholder engagement. Their website states the mission of The Sands ECO360° initiative this way: “The Sands ECO360° Global Sustainability strategy is designed to help minimize our environmental impact, and it reflects our vision to lead the way in sustainable building development and resort operations. Our legacy must be to leave a responsible, cleaner, and safer world for future generations. At Las Vegas Sands Corp., this is far more than just an idea. “
LED lighting has been paramount in the greening of the Las Vegas resorts. The Las Vegas Sands Corp. first invested in LED and compact fluorescent lighting during the construction project of 2010 at The Venetian & The Palazzo, where 7-watt LED lights and 10- and 15-watt CFL bulbs were installed in more than 7,000 guest suites. This move alone has saved the resort complex almost $1.6 million in lighting costs per year and put “The Question” on the tip of everyone in the organization’s tongue. Just how much could be saved with a few strategic lighting changes? The answer: more than anyone had ever considered could come from such a small change in the status quo.
Now new LED lighting is helping Las Vegas Sands Corp. take another key step toward curbing environmental impact at its leading resort and meeting properties. As the latest installation within its Green Meetings program, Las Vegas Sands has completed an expansive LED lighting upgrade to its meeting spaces at The Venetian & The Palazzo. Halogen bulbs were replaced with more than 5,700 LED lights. The 12-watt lamps, with a rated lifespan of 25,000 hours, will, like other LED lamps, require fewer change outs and use 108 fewer watts per fixture than the 120-watt halogen bulbs they replaced.
This will reduce the resort’s annual electricity use by another 4.1 million kilowatt hours (kWh), saving more than $400,000 in annual lighting costs in the meeting spaces alone. These savings can then be used to fund other initiatives that demonstrate the Sands Corp.’s commitment to the environment. Paired with the $1.6 million they save annually with LED guest suite lighting, that is nearly $2 million a year that this one resort is saving with LED lighting solutions, while these same initiatives drive customers into their establishment in droves and gain them rave reviews from most anyone who is fortunate enough to experience a stay in one of the Sands properties.
To read this article, in its entirety, you can view it here.
