ITC Grand Chola recognised as India’s most energy efficient building

ITC Grand Chola, Chennai has been recognised as the newest inductee to the ACREX Hall of Fame 2019 for their commitment to energy efficient and sustainable infrastructure. ACREX Hall of Fame is a coveted recognition jointly instituted by ISHRAE and Danfoss India in 2015 seeking to recognise best practices and to encourage innovation in technology, design and systems to promote the highest standards of energy efficient HVAC systems in commercial buildings. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the ACREX Expo that took place at BEC, Mumbai.

This year, the initiative sought to promote the incorporation of sustainable technologies in the healthcare and hospitality sector, which have set a benchmark among infrastructure projects in the country. The other top finalists for ACREX Hall of Fame 2019 were ITC Maurya, Delhi; Radisson Blue, Bangalore; Awasa, Hyderabad and HN Reliance Hospital, Mumbai.

With over 1.6 million sq. ft. space, the ITC Grand Chola, Chennai is the largest hotel of the ITC Limited and the world’s largest LEED Platinum rated building while being the first to be rated 5-star by TERI GRIHA. The hotel is also a pioneer in the usage of heat pumps in the hospitality industry.

Speaking on the recognition, N Ramamoorthy – Chief Engineer, ITC Grand Chola said, “At ITC Grand Chola, we believe in responsible luxury, that’s how we deliver world class customer delight and comfort without compromising on sustainability. Our systems and design have been installed in a way that guests can enjoy a guilt-free luxury when they stay with us. We have been carbon positive, water positive and waste management positive.”

Ramamoorthy further said, “We are extremely pleased to be receiving the honour of being inducted to the ACREX Hall of Fame and truly believe that this initiative will further encourage us in our pursuit towards responsible luxury.”

Every year, nominations for the ACREX Hall of Fame are invited from various states and cities across India. They are judged on various criterion such as Energy Performance Index, IAQ Initiatives (Indoor Air Quality), energy saving initiatives including Renewable Energy, Building Management System including Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVAC&R) and one-year operational data wherein the nominated buildings should not be more than 4 years old at the time of induction.