Lumination, LLC (Lumination), a subsidiary of General Electric Company (GE), has provided its energy-efficient, long-life GE Tetra LED lighting systems, which are GE ecomagination certified solutions, to the Holiday Inn. The Holiday Inn brand is currently undergoing a $1 billion global relaunch. The new signage will save Holiday Inn an estimated $4.4 million annually over previous neon and fluorescent lighting ($3 million annual maintenance savings and $1.4 million energy savings).
A redesign of the iconic brand logo required new exterior signage for over 3,200 locations. This signage project involves more than 20 sign manufacturers creating 9,300 channel letter and box signs with high-performance GE Tetra LED lighting inside. There are more than 270 different lighting configurations across five Holiday Inn brands, where the signs range from 11 inches high to as large as 8 feet. In addition to new signage, the Holiday Inn brand relaunch is focusing on the things that matter most to guests. Changes include new outdoor lighting, building exterior updates and new landscaping; a redesigned lobby with a new, de-cluttered reception desk and a signature scent and music program; refreshed guest rooms include new bedding, a selection of firm and soft pillows and redesigned bathroom features; and a new service training program. The global estate of Holiday Inn brand hotels is expected to be relaunched by the end of 2010.
“We are increasing quality and driving consistency across all Holiday Inn properties, and being more contemporary with this major rebranding. It only makes sense to use the greenest signage solution possible,” says Angela Brav, chief operating officer, North America, InterContinental Hotels Group. “We are replacing more than 9,300 signs across several countries, so the energy savings GE’s LED systems are providing is significant. Plus, they offer proven reliability for even greater savings from a maintenance standpoint and improved brand consistency across all properties.”
Leaner and Greener:
Holiday Inn expects to cut energy usage by more than half and achieve an estimated 52% reduction in kilowatt hours with signs lit an average of 12 hours per day, 365 days per year. That represents an estimated reduction of 8,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually or the equivalent of planting more than 2,300 acres of trees per year. The GE Tetra LED systems are significantly more energy efficient than commonly used neon or fluorescent, and they overcome performance challenges fluorescent can encounter in cold climates.
“GE has more than 19 million feet of Tetra LED lighting installed with less than a 0.05% warranty return rate,” says Eric Stevenson, GE’s global product manager – signage. “Holiday Inn recognized the importance of this long-term, real-world reliability in choosing a signage solution that would deliver years of consistent, virtually maintenance-free operation.”
Built to Scale:
In addition to reliability, Holiday Inn and its signage consultant/project manager, Sign Management Consultants, sought an LED systems supplier that could carry out such a large project under tight deadlines.
“A project of this scale requires suppliers that can deliver. We were confident GE had a variety of LED solutions to meet Holiday Inn’s needs,” says Mark Burkett, vice president, Sign Management Consultants. “In total, more than one million feet of GE Tetra® LED lighting systems will be installed across 3,200 properties. More than a year into the re-launch, they continue to deliver.”
The Tetra LED lighting systems used in this program include Tetra Power White and Tetra MAX for channel letters, and Tetra PowerGrid for box signs. Tetra Power White is a high-performance LED system that delivers up to 66 lumens of brilliant white light per module. Tetra PowerGrid is a high-brightness, modular system that is easy to install and lasts up to four times longer than T12HO fluorescents. All three lighting systems last up to 50,000 hours and are RoHS compliant, containing no lead, mercury or glass.