Hilton Worldwide Joins U.S. Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge

WASHINGTON, May 9, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Today, Hilton Worldwide announced that it is joining the U.S. Energy Department’s Better Buildings Challenge and pledged to reduce its building portfolio’s energy use in its owned and managed properties by 20% in the next ten years. The announcement was made May 9, along with the release of second year accomplishments for the program. 

 “By committing to cut energy use by 20 percent, Better Buildings Challenge partners are demonstrating how businesses and organizations are reducing our nation’s energy bill, creating American jobs, and protecting the environment,” said Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. “With commitments representing more than 3 billion square feet of floor space, these partners are leading the way to a cleaner energy economy.”

The Better Buildings Challenge is a national leadership initiative launched by President Obama in 2011 with the goal of making American commercial and industrial buildings 20 percent more energy efficient in ten years. The Better Buildings Challenge supports President Obama’s broader goal of doubling American energy productivity by 2030 while motivating corporate and public sector partners across the country to save energy through commitments and investments.  

“Hilton Worldwide is proud to join the Better Buildings Challenge,” said Randy Gaines, Vice President Engineering, Housekeeping, Laundry Operations – Americas. “Our energy use impacts the economics of everything we do, and we have a vested interest in operating efficiently across our portfolio of more than 4,000 hotels. We were one of the first major multi-brand hospitality companies to make sustainability measurement a brand standard through LightStay™, and will continue to invest in energy efficiency across our portfolio.”

Sample energy efficiency projects include:

• The Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort recently installed six 4kW wind turbines on its rooftop, which are expected to produce 10 percent of the hotel’s electricity.
• The Hilton San Francisco Union Square installed occupancy based thermostats in the guest rooms to minimize heating and cooling needs when rooms are unoccupied. 
• The Hilton Hawaiian Village installed energy efficient light bulbs and energy efficient fan coil motors in guest rooms throughout the property.
• The Hilton New York uses a fuel cell power system to provide electric power and hot water to the hotel. The fuel cell system produces approximately 1.75 million kWh per year.
• The Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak installed energy efficient LED and T8 bulbs in the meeting rooms, public areas, parking lot  and back of house areas.

At the National Summit, the Energy Department announced that in 2013, Better Buildings Challenge partners successfully reduced the energy use of their buildings and industrial facilities by more than 2.5 percent. These energy savings are the equivalent of about $100 million a year. Since 2011, partners have committed more than 3 billion square feet and 600 manufacturing plants and facilities to energy efficiency upgrades, and have shared energy performance results for more than 9,000 facilities. Of these facilities, more than 2,100 have been improved by 20% or more, and more than 4,500 by at least 10% since their baseline year. Through participation, Partners have saved 36 trillion Btus and $300 million since the Better Buildings Challenge began.

In the past year, there are more than 190 organizations participating from local governments, school districts and universities, to commercial real estate, healthcare and manufacturing companies. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Partners have created and shared more than 110 solutions including showcase projects and implementation models to help the marketplace move more quickly to adopt energy efficiency measures. In addition, the Challenge includes a network of financial and utility allies to assist partners in overcoming financial and data access barriers across the marketplace.

For a detailed progress report on the Better Buildings Challenge and to find more about the Challenge participants and their energy efficiency projects, visit: www.energy.gov/betterbuildingschallenge.

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About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxury and full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and focused-service hotels. For 94 years, Hilton Worldwide has been dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences. The company’s portfolio of ten world-class global brands is comprised of more than 4,100 managed, franchised, owned and leased hotels and timeshare properties, with more than 685,000 rooms in 92 countries and territories, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages an award-winning customer loyalty program, Hilton HHonors®.