SINGAPORE – Grand Park City Hall, the flagship luxury hotel of Park Hotel Group, is named the winner of the 2019 Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) Sustainable Hotel Awards – Climate Action category. The award recognises the hotel’s innovative use of technology and the adoption of sustainable practices to support global climate in line with the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goal 13.
Grand Park City Hall was relaunched with a brand-new look last December following a major refurbishment. From its planning stages through its revamp, the hotel took positive steps toward climate action. The hotel retained 90 per cent of the existing structures during the overhaul to minimise construction waste. Deliberate measures and choice of technology and equipment delivered significant environmental impact including the reduction of water and energy consumption by 61.9 per cent and 58.2 per cent respectively, as well as a decrease in carbon emission by 58.2 per cent.
“I am extremely proud of our team at Grand Park City Hall and all who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to bring our vision of a “Smart and Sustainable Hotel” to life. Being acknowledged as the Climate Action champion at the 2019 HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards bears testament to the concerted efforts of everyone involved to introduce sustainability into the plans and processes of our refurbishment project from concept to development, implementation to operations,” said Allen Law, Chief Executive Officer, Park Hotel Group.
This is the third award with which Grand Park City Hall has been recognised for its sustainability innovations and efforts. The hotel’s first accolade – Platinum Green Mark, the highest distinction in the green building rating system – was awarded by Building & Construction Authority Singapore (BCA) in 2017 in recognition of the hotel’s efforts to incorporate sustainable green features and practices.
The 343-room luxury hotel earned its second, the Singapore Green Hotel Award in August 2019. This accolade presented by Singapore Hotel Association (SHA) with the support of Building & Construction Authority Singapore (BCA), National Environment Agency (NEA), PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency and the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
“At Grand Park City Hall, sustainability is our focus and commitment to ensure that we implement workable practices to achieve best results to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. It is an honour and motivation to be recognised by the key industry leaders in Singapore and regionally. We will continue to explore ways to align our efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” commented John Kockan, General Manager, Grand Park City Hall.
The hotel will be presented with the award at the annual HICAP on 25 October 2019 in Hong Kong.
Notable sustainable efforts by Grand Park City Hall include:
ENERGY CONSERVATION
The hotel saved 5.2 million kilowatt-hour of electricity, lowering energy consumption by 58.2 per cent and generated 2,276 tonnes less carbon, a 58.2 per cent less in carbon emission in 2018. Key decisions that made the difference include:
- Installed thermal-motion “smart room” energy-saving system in guestrooms and suites to mitigate energy wastage by switching off power and lights, and setting the air conditioning to default energy-saving settings when the room is unoccupied.
- Used highly efficient air-conditioning system in tandem with the following initiatives to achieve higher efficiency:Chillers, cooling towers and related equipment with high Design System Efficiency (DSE) are selected for the building’s central air conditioner;
- Variable speed drives (VSD) are installed in chiller and condenser water pumps, and pre-cooling and air-handling unit (AHU) coils;
- Automatic tube cleaning system that is installed to all chillers also reduces equipment downtime;
- Chemical-free water treatment system is installed to improve the energy efficiency of the cooling towers;
- Specially-designed cooling coils support chilled water supply and return temperature at about 4 degree Celsius warmer than the conventional settings, enabling the chiller system to operate at a lower energy consumption by at least 10 per cent.
Enhanced the ventilation system in the car park with variable speed drives (VSD) and carbon monoxide monitors to manage the air circulation within the basement car park;
- Used energy-efficient air-to-water heat pumps to improve the coefficient of performance (COP) to as high as COP5. The air-to-water heat pump system that uses heat from the air to heat the water performs five times better than the conventional solution of using a typical electric water heater to generate hot water;
- Installed energy-efficient LED lights with motion sensors in guestrooms, car parks and stairwells as well as the lobby and corridor lighting with intelligent scene control system. This effort significantly saves up to 49.5 per cent of energy as compared to Singapore’s Code requirements;
- Installed AC variable-voltage/variable-frequency (VVVF) and sleep mode features in lifts and escalators, resulting in energy savings of up to 10 per cent and 30 per cent respectively;
- Incorporated an energy-efficient façade for the building to minimise solar heat transmission. The hotel has a low window to wall ratio and is fitted with high performance double-glazing glass that transmits 35 per cent lower solar heat per square meter than the requirement set by Singapore regulatory board; and,
- Placed photovoltaic panels on the rooftop to produce solar energy of 66,300 kilowatt-hour per annum to lower reliance on conventional energy source.
WATER CONSERVATION
The hotel saved 61,600 cubic metres of water, a 61.9 per cent less in water consumption in 2018. These are some noteworthy initiatives:
- Using rainwater to conserve water with the installation of a rainwater harvesting system to supply to the building’s irrigation system and for general washing purposes;
- Installed water efficient fittings with “Excellent” or “Very Good” certification under Singapore Public Utilities Board’s Water Efficiency Labelling (WELS) grading system in all taps and urinals;
- Fixed private sub-meters in different areas to monitor the use of water on daily and monthly basis; and,
- Encouraging hotel guests to reuse their bed linens and towels to reduce water consumption.
TOWARDS ZERO WASTE
The hotel preserved 90 per cent of the existing structures during refurbishment to minimise construction waste. Other waste management initiatives include:
- Created an innovative mobile application to digitise check-in and -out procedures as well as guestroom access, which reduce the use of plastic key cards and paper;
- Removed single-use plastics from outdoor catering events and stopped the use of plastic straws;
- Upcycled and repurposed construction materials to make furniture and fittings in the hotel team member areas at the back of house, and placed recycling bins at prominent areas to encourage recycling.
- Encouraging hotel guests to receive invoices digitally via email and access e-newspapers and e-magazines to reduce paper consumption while team members are encouraged to conduct business electronically;
- Offering à la minute hot items for breakfast, which are prepared fresh upon order to reduce food waste;
- Offering bathroom amenities that use 100% recyclable packaging; and,
- Repurposing used cooking oil and food waste for bio-diesel and fertiliser.
GREEN
- Used environmentally-friendly building materials for building construction, including raised floor systems, waterproofing, carpets, gypsum board and skim coat, to minimise emission of pollutants to the environment;
- Incorporated lush landscaping including a rooftop garden, a green courtyard, an edible garden, sky terraces, as well as indoor and outdoor green walls to generate clean air and reduce carbon footprint;
- Encouraging tenants of City Hall Square, a lifestyle and retail concept adjacent to Grand Park City Hall within the mixed-use development, to adhere to a Green Lease that ensures their commitment to green initiatives within the building.
For information on Grand Park City Hall, visit www.parkhotelgroup.com/en/cityhall.
About HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards
Established in 2007, the HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards aim to recognise hotel operators and developers in the Asia Pacific region, who demonstrate exemplary sustainable practices and environmentally and culturally responsible development. The accolade hopes to inspire industry-wide commitment to embracing and proliferating sustainable development as standard practice to help preserve their global and local environments and cultures.
About Grand Park City Hall
Grand Park City Hall is the flagship luxury hotel of Park Hotel Group, occupying a prime location in Singapore’s civic and central business districts. Part of Grand Park City Hall is City Hall Square, a three-storey mixed lifestyle development with a dining, beauty, and fashion boutique created by integrating two century-old conservation shophouses within its modern structure, which comprises 343 guestrooms across 10 floors – a design that perfectly embodies Singapore’s unique culture.
By building new upon the old, history and heritage and the hotel fabric become inseparable. Visual touches acknowledge this connection: take the neo-classical aesthetic of the restaurant — a tribute to the Neoclassical and Palladian architecture to nearby landmarks such as the National Gallery, Peranakan Museum, and Supreme Court.
More information is available on its website, Facebook and Instagram.
About Park Hotel Group
Headquartered in Singapore, Park Hotel Group is one of Asia Pacific’s leading hospitality companies. Established in 1961, Park Hotel Group’s growing presence in the region today comprises of nearly 30 hotels and resorts operating or under development across key destinations in Singapore, Japan, China, the Maldives and more. With a focus on expanding across Asia Pacific and meeting the changing needs of travellers today, Park Hotel Group has a brand portfolio featuring its luxury Grand Park, its upscale Park Hotel and its midscale Destination, as well as Park Rewards, its dedicated loyalty programme that rewards guests, diners and corporate bookers. Find out more about Park Hotel Group at www.parkhotelgroup.com, get our latest news on www.parkhotelgroupnews.com and connect with us on social – Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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