Articles

Watts up: The right way to illuminate a hotel

1/4/2001

Consumer preference and energy costs are driving more lighting choices
By Judy Colbert

Hotel lighting has undergone revolutionary changes within the past few years for two reasons: customer demand, particularly from business and women travelers, and more recently because of energy costs and conservation concerns.

Robert Janica, director of housekeeping at Loews Coronado Bay Resort near San Diego, says lighting decisions should start in the design phase, whether it's a new property or a renovation. Even then, hotels often make a mistake by not testing the lighting with meters and really gauging where lighting should be and how much is needed.

In large new and renovation projects a lighting specialist or consultant should create the lighting design in conjunction with the architect. Such factors as the location of the lighting (how accessible the fixtures will be when bulbs need changing), how many hours the lights will be on each day (24/7 in lobbies and corridors or exterior lights that are on from dusk to dawn with consideration of winter and fall light hours), and the reason for the lighting (security and safety, atmosphere and decoration, dining, or working) should be considered. A consultant also can help ensure that a hotel's lighting complies with Americans with Disabilities Act requirements, including sconces that protrude only four inches from the wall.

Location, clientele important factors

Jonathan Larkin, director of marketing and sales for Hospitality Lighting Management, a division of Trinity Lighting, says the location and type of property and the hotel's clientele are important factors in determining a lighting design. A hotel near a coastal area should have coated fixtures to prevent rusting and tarnishing. If a hotel’s guests might abuse the property and its fixtures, then mounted lights that are hard to damage are more practical and durable than tabletop lamps.

A lighting plan can help avoid a major mistake: waiting too late in the process to order fixtures. Leanne Bristow of 2nd Avenue Designs of Mesa, AZ, a company specializing in custom lighting fixtures, says it takes 8 to 12 weeks to produce fixtures to match a hotel's décor theme. Even standard fixtures take from four to six weeks to deliver.

Pam Horner, manager of lighting education for Osram Sylvania, Danvers, MA, says the first thing guests notice in a guest room is the bathroom lighting. "A lot of hotels continue to use the older T-12 cool or white light and that color makes us look bad," she observes. She recommends the warmer T-8 fluorescent light that works off an electronic ballast, eliminating the flicker and annoying blink common to older lights.

In the guestroom, the main light switch at the room door should be connected to a dedicated light, such as a down light or a wall sconce rather than an outlet with a lamp that can be turned off, thus defeating the purpose of the entryway switch. A reading light should be placed either on a table or desk, or on the wall so the guest doesn't have to hold a book in the air to receive sufficient lighting. "There are now more light sources rather than fewer, so someone eating and watching television can have enough light to eat by, but can turn off any lights that might produce a glare on the television set."

Construction, design important

Andrea Macri, manager of design sales for Cendant Supplier Services, says guestroom lighting fixtures should have weighted bases and turn type switches, or pushbutton switches for ADA-compliant rooms. Finishes should be durable, with a trend toward painted faux finishes with different shape and color shades. As more hotel guestrooms become Internet accessible, desk lamps should have dataport and electric outlets to guests don't have to crawl under a desk to plug in a laptop computer.

Meeting room lighting now includes dimming fluorescents and lights installed within coves and floating panels, so nearly instant flexibility can provide one level of lighting for a question and answer session, another for an audiovisual presentation and other situations. As more conference centers include work areas for individual laptop applications, separate task lights can be placed at each station.

It just makes cents

The biggest change, though, is coming about because of soaring energy prices and increased concern about energy conservation, says Horner.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy and the Maryland Energy Administration, illumination consumes 24% of all electric power in the U.S. A 100-watt incandescent bulb lasts up to 1,000 hours and uses about $14 in electricity. A high-efficiency 34-watt fluorescent bulb gives as much light, lasts 20 times longer, and uses about $5.50 worth of electricity in 1,000 hours. The rule of thumb is a CFL delivers the same illumination as an incandescent bulb, at one-fourth the wattage, so a 15-watt CFL is equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb.

Although the initial cost of a CFL fixture is up to 10 times that of its incandescent equivalent, the payback time just in utility charges, particularly in areas where lights are burning 24/7, is estimated at about a year. Other factors that weigh in favor of CFL and other energy-efficient and long-lasting bulbs include reduced inventory and storage space requirements, lower maintenance requirements because bulbs are changed less frequently and reduced paperwork to constantly order incandescent bulbs.

John Boyd, interior architect for Wyndham, reports that Wyndham and GE Lighting did a number of studies on dollar and energy savings. Beginning with the company’s hotel at Market Center in Dallas, all the incandescent decorative lighting has been replaced with fluorescent bulbs. Wyndham also has replaced the downlight table lights at the elevator landings that increased the amount of light and increased guest safety perceptions.

Tony Reiss, director of procurement for Wyndham, figures immediate energy savings at about 70%-78%. Wyndham's goal is to convert all 115 owned or leased properties, representing 26,000 guestrooms, by the end of this month.

Lower costs and environmental conservation are always good for brownie points and the bottom line, but rebates and tax credits make the change even more financially rewarding.

Ann Elsen, energy planner for the Montgomery County, MD EPA office, says the Maryland Energy HB 20, enacted in 2000 and effective as of July 1, 2000, provides a sales tax (5%) exemption on specified (U.S.) EPA Energy Star labeled appliances, including lighting fixtures.

San Francisco's Grand Hyatt replaced 825 incandescent fixtures with CFL in 1991, spending $48,000 on the changes, but receiving $23,000 in rebates from the local utility company, thus reducing the payback time to six months. It's estimated the hotel's electric bill has been reduced by about $3,000 a month.

Osram Sylvania created an energy-efficient MGM Grand Hotel when it furnished lighting for the guestrooms, public areas, offices and kitchens. Using halogens, CFLs, T8 fluorescents and electronic ballasts inside and outside the 5,005-room hotel provided dramatic lighting and a 54% drop in power consumption. The MGM Grand uses about 33% of what a facility of its size would typically demand in energy consumption, thus earning a rebate from the local power company.