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DOE Release 2017 Better Buildings Progress Report

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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced the energy-efficiency progress made by the 345 leading public and private sector organizations in the Better Buildings Challenge. These efforts have led to a combined 240 trillion Btus and an estimated $1.9 billion in cumulative energy and cost savings. These results are summarized in the 2017 Better Buildings Progress Report that highlights accomplishments across the broader Better Buildings Initiative. More than 900 organizations across many diverse sectors are now part of the Better Buildings Initiative. These partners represent more than 13 percent of total U.S. commercial building space, about 12 percent of the U.S. manufacturing energy footprint, and 125 state and local governments. More than a third (345) of these organizations have taken the Better Buildings Challenge. This leadership initiative calls on CEOs, university presidents, building owners, state and local government leaders, and housing developers to reduce the energy use of their entire building portfolios by 20 percent within 10 years.

The 2017 Better Buildings Progress Report includes a section on progress made by hospitality companies. Those companies featured include: MGM Resorts International, Loews Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International, Hilton Worldwide, Wyndham Worldwide, HEI Hotels & Resorts, and Las Vegas Sands Corp. Better Buildings Challenge partners with the greatest energy savings since their baseline year include: Las Vegas Sands Corp., 17 percent; Wyndham Worldwide, 13 percent; Loews Hotels, 13 percent; HEI Hotels & Resorts, 11 percent; Saunders Hotel Group, 9 percent; and MGM Resorts International, 8 percent.

MGM Resorts International upgraded more than 14,500 lights across 49,000+ parking spaces, saving more than 18 million kWh in 2016 and winning a Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign award. HEI Hotels & Resorts refined employee engagement best practices by selecting “energy buddies” within each hotel department to be responsible for day-to-day implementation and validation of the energy conservation measures using department-specific checklists. Implementation of the program has contributed to 5 percent annual energy cost savings across HEI’s portfolio. The 2017 Better Buildings Progress Report includes additional success stories as well.

Recent partnership successes for the Better Buildings Initiative include the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. (AAHOA) and American Hotel & Lodging Assn. (AHLA). Just this week, Bhavesh Patel, Chairman of AAHOA, addressed attendees at the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2017 Better Buildings Summit.

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