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Air Quality

Allergy friendly rooms, air purifiers, smoke-free hotels, chemical sensitivities, volatile organic compounds. As travelers and workers demand clean air and a healthy environment to work and sleep in, hotels are finding new and innovative ways to provide it, and getting a marketing kick to boot. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Air Quality

Home Air Quality
Allergy friendly rooms, air purifiers, smoke-free hotels, chemical sensitivities, volatile organic compounds. As travelers and workers demand clean air and a healthy environment to work and sleep in, hotels are finding new and innovative ways to provide it, and getting a marketing kick to boot. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

AAMA Sustainability Committee Hosts Speakers on WELL Building Standard, Air Quality Testing

SCHAUMBURG, ILL.—During the American Architectural Manufacturers Assn. (AAMA) 2016 National Fall Conference, the AAMA Sustainability Steering Committee hosted two speakers who stressed the importance of wellness in buildings the industry assists in creating and renovating. Lauren Wallace (Epsten Group) focused on the WELL Building Standard and the Living Building Challenge, followed by Dr. Elliott Horner (UL), who gave those in attendance information on indoor air quality testing and its merits. “When we think of sustainability, we often think of environmental impact,” said Mark Silverberg (Technoform), chair of the AAMA Sustainability Steering Committee. “But 92 percent of costs are employee-related, instead...

U.S. Building Owners Show Strong Support for Better Designed, Healthier Buildings to Improve Employee Wellness

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The design and construction of healthier buildings is a key business benefit for building owners, developers, managers and investors, according to the results of a new SmartMarket Report released by Dodge Data & Analytics and to which the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is a contributing partner. “Our world is confronting massive challenges that affect our physical, mental and social well-being,” said Mahesh Ramanujam, Chief Operating Officer, USGBC. “We know that programs like USGBC’s LEED green building rating system and IWBI’s WELL Building Standard provide key solutions to business leaders who are looking for the best way to create...

The Brando Awarded Prestigious LEED Platinum Certification

TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—The Brando announced its LEED Platinum certification. The luxury property earned the prestigious designation based on its commitment to conservation and sustainability efforts in the development and overall operation of the pristine island resort. This certification is the culmination of more than six years of work carried out by the resort’s owners, designers and architects, and establishes The Brando as the first project to earn LEED certification in French Polynesia. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes and communities that...

AtmosAir Tells IAQ Story in New Video

LOS ANGELES—“You’ve probably heard someone say, ‘I’m going outside to get some fresh air’—as if the inside air isn’t fresh. Right? Well often, it’s not.” So begins a new video that tells the story of how untreated indoor air, when emptied of such impurities as allergens, bacteria and other pollutants, dramatically reduces the workplace sickness and absenteeism that are so costly to employers.“As healthy buildings become more important and validation programs are given increased weight, businesses are focusing on the significant benefits of providing the cleanest possible air for their employees,” said Steve Levine, Chief Executive Officer of AtmosAir....

EPA Issues Rule to Protect Public from Formaldehyde

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently moved to reduce exposure to formaldehyde vapors from certain wood products produced domestically or imported into the United States. The agency worked with the California Air Resources Board to help ensure the final national rule is consistent with California requirements for composite wood products.“We are carrying out important measures laid out by Congress to protect the public from harmful exposure of this widely used chemical found in homes and workplaces,” said Jim Jones, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “We have worked with the state...

ChlorKing Offers New Line of Salt Chlorinators

NORCROSS, GA.—ChlorKing’s new Chlor MSM (Mini Switch Mode) line of salt chlorinators is designed to meet the lower capacity needs of spas and smaller commercial pools, such as those at hotels and motels, while giving them the operating efficiencies and safety benefits offered for larger pools by the company’s Chlor SM (Switch Mode) line. Two models are available: Chlor MSM2 for spas and pools holding up to 2,500 gallons of water and Chlor MSM5 for pools holding up to 75,000 gallons. They are capable of using salt to produce up to 2.2 pounds of chlorine or 6 pounds, respectively,...

Premium, Greener, Healthier, Allergy-Conscious Guestrooms Getting More Attention

NATIONAL REPORT—Two months ago, Delos announced the expansion of its Stay Well hotel room program into six Marriott hotels in the United States. According to Paul Scialla, Founder and CEO of Delos, the Marriott properties are the first hotel additions to the Stay Well program since October 2012. It was then that Delos landed the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as a client. (Delos has since launched a Stay Well Meetings program.) Stay Well rooms feature a number of upgrades to enhance the health and quality of a room environment—water purification, vitamin C infused shower, mattress...

NSF, ASHRAE Agreement Addresses Building Water Health

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—Global public health organization NSF International and ASHRAE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) dedicated to protecting public health by establishing safe management practices for building water systems. These systems include cooling towers, air-conditioning units for large buildings, hot tubs, large complex water systems (in hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and institutions) and decorative fountains, which can be attributed to public health concerns such as Legionella.Under the terms of the MOU, NSF International will provide its 70-plus years of water industry expertise and ASHRAE will leverage its building systems expertise to jointly develop NSF 444: Prevention of...

Franke’s VariVent Earns Emerging Technology Award

SMYRNA, TENN.—Franke Foodservice Systems announce that their variable speed kitchen ventilation control system, called VariVent, has been awarded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2016 Energy Star Emerging Technology Award. As a recipient of the 2016 Energy Star Award, VariVent is recognized as a promising technology that has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to high standards set by the EPA. Franke’s VariVent is an exhaust management system that offers savings on energy consumption for exhaust fan motors and HVAC systems. Without an exhaust management system, exhaust fans typically run at 100 percent regardless of the cooking load....

Atlanta Luxury Hotel Gives Poor Ventilation & Foul Odors the Shaft

Until recently, fixing leaky ventilation shafts has been a non-starter for most hotels, motels and other hospitality facilities. The expense and disruption typically involved in finding, accessing and sealing leaky ductwork made remediation measures impractical at best. As a result, a tremendous number of U.S. lodgings across the country are plagued by the poor indoor air quality issues and high-energy bills that come from improper ventilation. That is changing. A new approach to duct sealing developed by the U.S. Department of Energy is helping solve this near ubiquitous problem. Case in point: While the JW Marriott hotel in Atlanta’s affluent Buckhead...