BY: FAYETTE C. RIÑEN
CEBU CITY, June 27 (PIA) -- Cebu business frims SM City Cebu and Marco Polo Plaza Hotel heeded the government’s call to practice energy conservation and efficiency measures by sharing their best practices during the recent Cebu Unplugged Energy Forum undertaken by the Visayan Electric Company (VECO) in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE).
Dorothea Adlawan, technical operations administrator of the engineering department of Marco Polo Plaza Hotel bared the hotel’s several measures to save on energy consumption.
These measures included shutting off elevators and walk-in chillers during low occupancy or when not frequently used by guests and customers.
Another method is to replace split-type air conditioners in the lobby and function rooms into a centralized one as split-type air conditioning units consume more energy, said Adlawan.
Adlawan said the hotel is already using LED lights since last year and adopted solar panels for steam in laundry and kitchens as well as swimming pools.
For two hours a day, the hotel used generator sets easing the supply load from VECO, said the hotel official.
Meanwhile, SM City Cebu has likewise adopted the use of LED lights for energy efficiency, said Engr. Paolo Diaz, SM City Cebu spokesperson.
“Despite the higher rate of costs of LED lights, we are trying to modify them as much as possible because we want our establishment to be eco-friendly and an energy saver,” said Diaz.
According to Diaz, SM Malls also developed a program called “SM Cares for the environment,” a campaign that ensures their establishments are operating towards a sustainable, social and environmentally-conscious enterprise. (mbcn/FCR/PIA7/ with reports from Kristal A. Eduyan, PIT Intern)