Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has announced the completion of nine pilot projects aimed at implementing climate-smart, sustainable cooling solutions across its properties in India. 

These initiatives were completed in partnership with IFC’s TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling Innovation Programme.  

As part of the pilot project, the hospitality group installed a fresh air purification system at Taj Palace in New Delhi, which reduced PM 2.5 levels in the hotel lobby by more than 95%. 

A low-approach cooling tower was installed at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa in Goa. It improved the air conditioning system by keeping the approach condenser temperature within 2°C. 

The implementation of a built environment internet-of-things (BE-IoT) system at Taj Mahal, New Delhi optimised continuous monitoring and automation and is expected to help save costs.  

Additionally, a chemical-free water treatment system has been piloted at Taj Holiday Village Resort & Spa in Goa. 

It eliminated the need for chemical dosing while positively impacting operational expenses. 

IHCL human resources executive vice president Gaurav Pokhariyal said: “IHCL with Paathya, its comprehensive ESG+ platform, is committed to driving sustainability and social impact measures.  

“The rigorous testing of nine innovative cooling solutions has allowed us to validate their real-world performance. The implementation of these pilots across our portfolio has the potential to result in savings of up to $18.2m (Rs1.5bn) and a substantial annual reduction of 108,000t [tonnes] of CO₂ emissions. We are delighted to work with IFC for a greener future.” 

These pilot projects have been carried out in various cities including New Delhi, Jaipur, Goa, and more. 

This comes just after IHCL announced the opening of Taj Sawai in Ranthambore, India, earlier this week.