When the Wyndham Grand Regency in Doha, Qatar decided to make the leap from inefficient halogen bulbs to LEDs it turned to GE Lighting to provide a solution that would reduce the hotel’s energy consumption in-line with its desire to promote green practices and environmental sustainability.
The lighting solution will save 184,800W energy per year and 12,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, in addition to delivering superior aesthetics that reflect the high standards kept by the hotel.
Part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel group with over 7,210 hotels worldwide, The Whyndham Grand Regency is the first Wyndham Grand property in the Middle East. The 246-room five-star resort is centrally located in the Qatari capital’s Al Sadd area and since its last renovation in 2011 has gained a reputation as one of the best five-star hotels in the region.
The Whyndham Grand Regency requested that GE Lighting provide a lighting upgrade that would deliver a significant reduction in energy consumption but would not impact on the look and feel expected from a prestigious five-star hotel. Halogen lamps were originally installed, with a life cycle of only 2,000 hours and a power consumption of over 210 kilowatts and required immediate replacement.
Product compatibility with the existing lighting design was a real must. Following a recent renovation and complete interior refit, which included the addition of crystals on the walls and furniture in the master suite, the hotel was looking for a lighting solution to match, and deliver a real five-star finish.
To ensure the requirements of the Whyndham Grand Regency would be met, GE Lighting proposed replacement of all the halogen lamps with 6W LED GU10 lamps.
The new generation of dimmable LED Energy Smart GU10 lamps provide market leading efficiency and lumen performance – a true replacement for GU10 halogens. The range offers 50W equivalent lamps between 320-360lm, all with a long life of 25,000 hours (L70/B10). The lamps are available in 3 different colour temperatures and 25 and 35-degree beam angles, to fit the application.
Mr Ayman Loty, General Manager at Wyndham Grand Regency Doha commented: “Our new lighting solution from GE had to deliver on a number of levels. The lighting had to be compatible with the original lighting design and showcase our new enhanced interior design.
Lowering our environmental impact was also incredibly important. This meant we wanted to utilise the latest LED technology to ensure on-going energy use was reduced – without compromising the striking visual of the hotel. We feel that has been achieved perfectly.”
The overall advantages in shifting to GE’s 6W LED GU10 bulbs included an anticipated replacement interval of over 4.28 years, compared with 0.34 year for the conventional halogen bulbs – helping to reduce the hotel’s long-term maintenance costs.
George Bou Mitri, GE Lighting’s General Manager of Middle East, Africa and Turkey commented: “With the introduction of the new LED bulbs, we were able to reduce the hotel’s energy consumption from 210 KW to 25.2 KW, attaining an energy reduction of 184.8 kW, resulting in an 88 percent energy saving. The new lighting also offers a life time of over 25,000 hours, in addition to the advantages of no overheating or emitting infrared or ultraviolet rays – which was crucial for the hotel to avoid damaging its furniture and carpets.
The payback of the cost to switch to 6W LED GU10 lamps was only 12 months, while the delay in the switch to the more efficient lighting solution would cost the hotel US $187.49 per day. Plus, the environmental impact of the installation will enable the hotel to save 184,800W energy per year and 12,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions eliminated every year, said George.”
