SIGN TRENDS: Feature Name LED LIGHTING By Author
By JEFF GATZOW
LED LIGHTING
T
he first opportunity to present a positive impression about the relative safety of a hotel or motel property is at the perimeter. Balanced and even exterior lighting—designed to fill the gap between the property boundary and the hotel entrance—is the most important nighttime security feature. Public areas, when bathed in light, are both inviting to the guest and a powerful deterrent to crime. Exterior lighting has three primary functions—safety, security, and ambiance. With sustainability and design now complementing each other, LED luminaires for outdoor general lighting provide a win for everyone. Excluding labor, energy is typically the highest cost that hoteliers face and is the single fastest-growing operating cost in the hospitality industry (source: https://
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Sign Builder Illustrated
July 2018
bit.ly/2IXuiTD). The hospitality industry spends approximately $4 billion a year on energy, with electricity accounting for 60 to 70 percent of the utility costs (source: https://bit.ly/2kA0ZI0). In the hotel sector, reducing energy costs while continuing to meet the diverse needs of guests, owners, and corporate requirements is challenging but by no means impossible. A large portion of a property’s energy costs is for lighting, representing almost a quarter of all electricity consumed [in a typical hotel]. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Upgrading outdated technology with LED luminaires can reduce electricity use by 50 percent or more (source: https://bit.ly/2kA0ZI0). According to the Department of Energy (DOE), outdoor area lighting is a major contributor to nationwide energy
Hyatt Regency O’Hare upgrades to exterior LED luminaires.
use, and the market segment has been an important player in the transition to solid-state lighting. Having a parking lot properly illuminated—without dim areas between lamp poles—is key to providing an increased level of security and safety. Better control of light distribution with LED luminaires greatly improves uniformity while minimizing hot spots, glare, and light trespass. In a report by global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, the LED adoption rate is expected to surge in the hospitality sector to about 80 percent in 2020 (source: https://bit.ly/2ISb29X). As a leading global hospitality company, Hyatt is in the business of caring for people so they can be their best. The company’s purpose defines practices and inspires engagement with guests, colleagues, owners, and neighbors to signshop.com
Photo: Optec LED Lighting.
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