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DOE Recognizes Loews Vanderbilt Hotel for Energy-Efficiency Leadership

July 20, 2017
The U.S. Department of Energy recently recognized Loews Hotels & Co. for energy-efficiency upgrades made at the Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) Better Buildings Challenge recently recognized Loews Hotels & Co. for energy-efficiency upgrades made at the Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Loews has set a goal to reduce energy use across all of its hotels by 20 percent over 10 years. Over the past two years, energy efficiency at the Vanderbilt hotel has been improved by 22 percent, with a total energy-cost savings of $328,250.

With updates to lighting and HVAC systems, guest rooms, and building envelope, the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel is demonstrating how building-efficiency upgrades can preserve both comfort and affordability for its visitors, the DOE says.

To reduce energy consumption by 22 percent within two years, Loews upgraded all public-area lighting fixtures to LEDs, installed new direct-drive elevator hoist motors on seven passenger elevators, replaced outdated 750-ton centrifugal chillers with resized, highly efficient 500-ton chillers, and installed a new, more efficient water system. The hotel also installed new variable-frequency drives on the existing chilled-water and condenser pumps to further enhance HVAC efficiency and replaced the water-distribution media inside the cooling tower. And by enhancing and insulating the hotel's façade and ballroom roof, the building's overall R-value (insulation effectiveness) was improved by 20 percent.

"By teaming up with the Better Buildings Challenge, the Energy Department provided a wealth of resources to help cut costs and reduce energy waste,” Tony Phillips, general manager, Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, said. “In turn, this cleared up plenty of resources to ensure our guests enjoy the best of what our hotel and the City of Nashville have to offer."

In addition to implementing facility upgrades, Loews recognizes leadership among its engineering managers in every hotel nationwide. The Gold Wrench Award incentivizes engineers to find energy-saving solutions proactively and contribute to Loews' sustainability goals. The award highlights employees in the engineering department who have gone above and beyond performance standards.

Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the Energy Department is partnering with more than 345 private businesses and public-sector organizations to achieve 20 percent portfoliowide energy savings and share successful strategies that maximize efficiency over the next decade. These organizations represent more than 4.4 billion sq ft of building space, include more than 1,000 industrial facilities, and have committed $7 billion in financing. Since the program launched in 2011, partners have shared more than 1,000 solutions, saved 240 trillion Btu, and cut an estimated $1.9 billion in energy costs. To learn more, go to the Better Buildings Solution Center.