Jan. 29–Executives and elected officials on Tuesday celebrated the completion of a $7 million energy-saving retrofit of the Universal Hilton, the biggest project of its kind in the nation.
The project was funded through the Los Angeles County PACE (Property Assessed Clean Energy) program.
Unlike a traditional loan, the financing is paid back twice a year through an assessment on property taxes. And in Los Angeles County, the property owner can choose their own Pace investor and negotiate their own terms.
The project is more than twice as expensive as two small ones completed in the past year.
The benefits for a company like Hilton are a big reduction in energy expenses from new and more efficient equipment. And a greener footprint.
“A hot winter day like this is why we live and work in Los Angeles,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said. “But on a (warm overcast) day like this is when we notice something is amiss … like global warming. The mayor lauded the team of experts assembled from government and private sectors who designed and completed the project.
“Los Angeles now has more green jobs than anyplace else in the country. Your decision to invest in Los Angeles is outstanding,” he told hotel executives and other members of the development team.
Speakers at the event talked about the high level of teamwork on the project.
For example, the county’s commercial Pace program project development team — led by sustainability firm ReNewAll — navigated the Hilton team through energy efficiency audits, project design and financing.
Big savings are expected from some of the smaller things, like light bulbs, said Mark Davis, the hotel’s general manager.
The hotel is replacing 12,000 light bulbs in the hotel that lasted 12,000 hours with new ones that use less power and can last 50,000 hours.
The comprehensive retrofit included energy efficiency glass and new LED lighting that will reduce consumption by 50 percent. The hotel also installed 500 low-flow shower heads and the replacement of 250 bathtubs with showers are part of an ongoing water conservation project that will save 2.8 million gallons of water annually, equivalent to one month of the property’s existing water usage.
The project will shave the hotel’s energy bill by $800,000 annually and the water bill by $28,000. Next up will be high efficient laundry equipment that will reduce costs further.
And the Hilton will receive utility rebates and tax incentives of approximately $1 million.
“This has been a very fun journey,” Davis said, of watching the retrofit unfold. “And the energy savings is just outstanding.
