A commitment to green building is a common tagline shared by many resorts, not just in Las Vegas, but around the world.
When The Venetian embarked on a renovation of 3,000 guest rooms in 2014, it did more than talk.
The resulting remodel is the winner of the Business Pressâ Green Leader Award for large-scale renovation and has been named Best in Show.
The Venetian’s ability to incorporate sustainable design and construction practices has clearly established the property as a leading green builder in the hospitality industry.
“Both our guests and our vendors respect us even more now because we have demonstrated such a high level of commitment to reduce environmental impact and working with the community to increase sustainability,” says Pranav Jampani, assistant director of sustainability at The Venetian. “In 2014, we completed more than 60 energy and waters projects onsite, including water filtration that is saving us up to 10 million gallons of water from our rooms every year.”
The water reduction has come in the form of the low-flow shower heads and faucets, while the 100 percent installation of light-emitting diodes in all guest rooms has made the industry shine a light on the property as a conservation leader.
Energy Star-certified minibars, TVs, copiers and telephones have reduced The Venetianâs environmental imprint along with meeting Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design standards for appliances, electronics, building materials, floor systems and plumbing fixtures. All adhesives, sealants, paints and coatings also met LEED requirements.
The Chiller Plant Optimization Project is another highlight of the energy efficiency created by The Venetian. It included upgrading plant controls and instruments, reducing excess air flows, conserving pumping energy and minimizing tower supply temperature.
The green renovation of the rooms resulted in nearly 5 million kilowatts of energy savings. The resort installed more than 120,000 LED bulbs last year and 38,000 energy saving lamps and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2,611 metric tons.
The Venetian also saved more than 30 million gallons of water in its guest rooms. The low-flow fixtures use only an eighth of a gallon per flush, replacing units that used 1 gallon per flush, resulting in 5 million gallons of water savings.
“We are definitely proud of our position as a leader in sustainability, whether it is through reducing power emissions on increasing recycling efforts,” Jampani says. “The range of measures we have implemented have had immediate results.”
These results literally start from the top as The Venetian is equipped with solar roof panels that provide hot water for 10 stories of the resort.
Inside the building, the recycling rate for all materials is 50 to 60 percent, one of the highest on the Strip. The Venetian works with more than dozen nonprofit organizations for recycling programs, including the Water Conservation Coalition and Southern Nevada Water Authority.
The hotel’s goal is to âmake every meeting a green meeting.â The sustainability team continuously researches new options for its clients including econ-linen program for banquets, building art activations and interactive attendee activities. The Venetian works closely with a number of large-meeting clients and planners to produce award-winning sustainable conferences and trade shows.
The award isnât the first recognition for The Venetian for green building. The Venetian and The Palazzo were also awarded the 2014 Water Hero Award by the Water Conservation Coalition and Southern Nevada Water Authority. The Venetian sits on the U.S. Green Building Council, Green Meeting Industry Council Las Vegas chapter, as well as Cornell Universityâs Sustainability Round Table and Global Sustainable Enterprise Immersion.
The resort supports state and local agencies, schools and civic events including Nevada Recycles, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Desert Research Institute, First Friday and the Outside Las Vegas Foundation.
“We are always eager to combine our passion for protecting the environment and helping our community,” Jampani says. “We get the support and resources from senior management, and we never want to limit ourselves on how we can be more efficient with the environment.”
