FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—It is not often that an investment in renewable energy is celebrated with fireworks and mayoral visits but that is what happened this past Wednesday evening at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The fireworks and visits by City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief marked the official unveiling of six 52-foot, 4 kilowatt wind turbines that rise above the hotel’s rooftop. Approximately $500,000 was invested in the turbines that required the tallest crane in the state of Florida to install.
“It is an exciting day for us,” said Andreas Ioannou, general manager of the hotel, just prior to the celebration. “It’s the culmination of a journey we embarked on almost four years ago.”
While the turbines were installed this past September and October, it was only recently that all of the testing was completed and all of the permits were in place. Ioannou said the engineers behind the project did “a brilliant job.” “We did not experience any difficulties,” he said.
The turbines are expected to produce about 10 percent of the hotel’s electricity—the amount needed to power lighting in the 374 guestrooms and public areas. Urban Green Energy supplied the turbines that have an oval shape and intertwining blades. The return on investment for the turbines is expected to be about 10 years but could be shorter with the help of federal and state grant money.
Visible Symbol of Green Commitment
The turbines are a highly visible symbol of hotel owner Costa Dorada Associates’ commitment to sustainability. “You can see [the turbines] from anywhere in Greater Fort Lauderdale,” Ioannou said.
The turbines are just one part of the hotel’s green program. A wind powered rooftop lounge is in the design stage and solar panels are also being considered for the building. An electric vehicle charging station will be installed in the next 60 days, and a food waste decomposition machine was recently acquired.
Saving energy has been a priority of the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort since opening in 2007. The resort was the first hotel in Broward County to be awarded a Florida Green Lodging designation by the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection for going above and beyond environmental regulations and voluntarily implementing hotel conservation programs that protect Florida’s environment.
The property’s exterior glass has been manufactured not only for hurricanes but also alleviates the heating from sunlight entering into the interior of the building.
The resort’s Green Team oversees and spearheads the many programs the hotel has implemented for waste reduction, resource conservation and energy efficiency. Recycling all paper, fluorescent bulbs, lighting and batteries as well as the installation of automatic water flush-o-meters in all public restrooms are some of the programs the resort has initiated.
As a member of the Hilton Hotels & Resorts portfolio, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort utilizes LightStay, a proprietary system that analyzes and reports sustainability performance.
Go to the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort.
