NEW YORK—Greening some of the bright lights of the Great White Way has translated to another kind of green—$13,200 in cash and more than $130,000 in annual savings in electricity costs—for the Crowne Plaza Times Square. The hotel is the first business to receive a rebate from Consolidated Edison (Con Edison), for an energy-saving initiative under the utility’s new Commercial and Industrial Energy Efficiency Program. The hotel received the rebate as a reward for replacing the 3,300 40-watt incandescent light bulbs of its 80 by 20 foot Crowne Plaza Times Square sign with 8-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs.
The new bulbs will require more than 700,000 less kilowatt-hours for their 24/7 participation in the Times Square light show. Plus, because the CFL bulbs will glow for an estimated 25,000 hours (almost three years) as opposed to the seven-month run of their predecessors, the Crowne Plaza Times Square will also realize at least another $20,000 annual savings in the labor costs associated with the three-day bulb changing process. The total annual savings of more than $140,000 generated by the replacement of the bulbs will be realized as the result of an initial investment of $40,000—just $26,800 after the Con Edison rebate.
“As part of an ongoing commitment to increasing the hotel’s environmental responsibility quotient, we had been exploring various energy saving initiatives, when the building’s management company, Grubb & Ellis, brought Con Edison’s new program to our attention,” says Gerry Hughes, director of operations who oversaw the project. “The rebate is a most appreciated bonus and being the first business in New York City to receive one is a great source of pride!”
Rolled out in March, Con Edison’s Commercial and Industrial Program is designed for large businesses with an average peak demand of more than 100 kilowatt hours to encourage them to undertake energy-efficient lighting, heating and cooling upgrades with rebates and incentives available for most energy-saving technologies. In the Crowne Plaza Times Square’s case, the rebate was calculated on a per bulb replaced basis at $4 each.
In addition to the new energy efficiency of its signage, the Crowne Plaza Times Square also recently instituted other eco-friendly practices, especially in relation to its food and beverage operation. All paper goods are made from recycled materials, the cleaning products boast high green ratings and the kitchen has inaugurated a composting system.
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