FORT LAUDERDALE—The EcoGreen Award Certification, an online program spearheaded by Tropical Lights, Inc., has been developed for the hotel and restaurant industries to specifically reduce energy consumption by converting to efficient lighting technologies.
The United States could reduce energy consumption by 20 percent, in just a single year, with simple light bulb changes. U.S. buildings consume 65 percent of total electricity generated, with lighting being more than 50 percent of that use. Efficient lighting technologies can reduce usage by almost 70 percent immediately, making it quite clear that lighting is the place to start.
The EcoGreen Award Certification evolved from extensive research, and delivers a level of compliance appropriate to all hospitality facilities, including hotels, restaurants, clubs and more. There is an easy to follow, online process, that guides the applicant through the intricate planning and implementation stages for a seamless lighting conversion, and provides the facility with a complete database of their bulb usage, along with calculating the energy savings the program will generate.
Conversion of commercial facilities is much more complex than a home lighting conversion, due to the large variety of lighting fixture types, such as specialty fixtures and exit signs. EcoGreen Award provides the user with sources for their lighting changeover, since these products cannot be obtained at a local hardware store or even through standard lighting suppliers.
Upon completion and verification of the lighting (bulb) conversion process, the facility receives its EcoGreen Award Certification. In addition, each facility gains national consumer attention through its inclusion in the Eco-Green Award Compliant Facility Listing. This listing has significant value for the ecology conscious consumer looking for “green” facilities. Studies show this consumer group is as high as 30 percent of world travelers, and growing fast.
Small Steps Make a Difference
Jay Cullimore, president and CEO of Tropical Lights, Inc., who is championing the EcoGreen Award Certification Program, commented, “Like most endeavors, small yet progressive steps taken in the right direction can result in the most effective long term result. The EcoGreen Award Certification simply focuses on efficient lighting conservation and delivering numerous benefits in bringing about lower energy consumption, less pollution and provides the business owner with significantly lower operating costs as a result of minimal investment.”
Cullimore added, “EcoGreen Award has primarily focused its certification towards the commercial hospitality industry, with the express purpose of introducing energy efficient lighting techniques. Reducing energy consumption by converting incandescent bulbs to CFLs (compact florescent lighting), and switching from liquid fuel cells and wax candles to rechargeable or battery operated table lighting, are simple but significant steps the industry can perform. The end result is lower operating costs, a greener environment and a certification that will emphasize to the customer that the facility is taking positive action in contributing to a healthier environment. It is also inexpensive to comply with the conversions, as the focus is on replacing bulbs and candles, not the fixtures or lamps.”
Increasingly, government and consumers are looking to various industries to establish sustainable environmental initiatives for energy conservation. With consumer visibility so high, the hospitality industry needs to be at the forefront of finding ways to address these energy and other conservation issues.
Hospitality facilities, serving the public, need to step up to the plate and ensure that their establishments are as energy efficient as possible. The EcoGreen Award Certification Program, for a nominal fee, provides onsite auditing, website compliance listings and a plaque of conformity.
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