The Holiday Inn brand is undergoing a $1-billion global makeover touted as the largest in the hospitality industry that will save the company an estimated $4.4 million annually in lighting costs.

As part of the makeover, a redesign of the iconic brand logo required new exterior signage at more than 3,200 locations that will now incorporate energy-efficient, long-life GE Tetra LED lighting systems. By replacing neon and fluorescent lighting with LED lighting systems, the company expects to save $3 million annually in maintenance costs and $1.4 million in energy costs, according to a press release.

The signage project involves more than 20 sign manufacturers creating 9,300 channel letter and box signs. The GE Tetra LED systems used in this program include Tetra Power White and Tetra MAX for channel letters, and Tetra PowerGrid for box signs. All three lighting systems last up to 50,000 hours and are compliant to the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, containing no lead or mercury.

Holiday Inn expects to cut energy usage by more than half and achieve an estimated 52 percent 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, according to the company.

In addition to new signage, the makeover also includes new outdoor lighting, building exterior updates and new landscaping. The relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand is scheduled for the end of 2010.

Article courtesy of Environmentalleader.com