WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented its 12th annual Green Power Leadership Awards to 24 Green Power Partners and three suppliers for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable electricity market. For most municipalities, electricity usage is the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. By using green power, communities and businesses can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create local jobs, and improve public health.In the Green Power Partner of the Year category, Hilton Worldwide was chosen along with the City of Austin, Texas, Microsoft Corp., and the University of Oklahoma.“Our 2012 Green Power Leadership Award winners have...

DALLAS—The team at Eco Smart Energy, LLC and Blackall Mechanical, Inc. worked together to produce an eco-friendly hot water system called Sun Equinox for the YMCA Town North in Dallas.“We selected the Sun Equinox System based on the following criteria: equipment life longevity, reliability, its solar capabilities, and energy efficiency,” says John Blackall. “The system was a perfect solution for this application. There is no other hot water system on the market today that offers 97 percent efficiency with a 40-year life, and has the ability to handle hydronic heat, domestic hot water, and a pool loop with one...

RIPON, WIS.—Huebsch, a provider of commercial laundry equipment, announced that its on-premises tumble dryers have received upgrades that improve the equipment’s efficiency. Enhanced features on the 25- and 55-pound tumblers include reversing technology, while Over-dry Prevention Technology (OPT) has been added to the 30- and 45-pound stack tumblers. OPT is now available on all Huebsch tumblers. These features will help laundry managers increase throughput and reduce energy costs without compromising premium linens. “Huebsch is committed to the continual improvement of our products,” said Gary Dixon, North American sales manager, Huebsch. “These tumbler technologies are the most recent way we...

NATIONAL REPORT—The hospitality industry is poised for a boom in the use of combined heat and power systems (CHP) due to the low cost of natural gas and the high and ever increasing cost of electricity. Hotels are a natural match for CHP due to their high baseload demand for energy and the ability to efficiently use the heat generated from these systems by offsetting hot water, heating and air-conditioning loads. In addition, CHP technology has become more reliable, remains comparably inexpensive, and creates efficiency. The spark spread is the difference between the cost of burning natural gas for...

GRANVILLE, OHIO—Popular Euro-styling and superior nighttime performance merge in Antique Street Lamps’ new Eurotique LED luminaires. The high performance fixtures offer design flexibility with striking “Munich” and “Hanover” styles in two different sizes and either post top or pendant mounting.New Eurotique LED luminaires are family scaled to offer designers the opportunity to create attractive transitions from buildings to pedestrian gathering areas and streets. Multiple luminaire and arm combinations offer a choice of appearances to complement a range of outdoor environments.“Eurotique luminaires were created to complement virtually any site plan, offering eye-catching shapes and dimensions to facilitate continuity,” said Ben...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—3M Architectural Markets introduces AIR and FLEX by 3M. Debuted in an installation by James Mansour at NeoCon in June, AIR and FLEX represent flexible lighting fixtures that encourage creative customization while also offering a cost-effective LED lighting source backed by 3M’s history of technological know-how.AIR is a flexible and lightweight hoop fixture available in a multitude of diameters and combinations of RGB color output. This fixture creates wide bands of even light, and can be hung as a singular fixture or in a cluster to create a more dramatic statement. AIR uses energy-efficient, LED sources.FLEX is...

DENVER—Marriott International, Inc. announced the first TownePlace Suites hotel to open as part of its LEED Volume Program—the TownePlace Suites Denver Airport at Gateway Park in Colorado. TownePlace Suites is Marriott’s second brand to construct a hotel built using its LEED Volume program. The hotel will be the brand’s first property using the LEED Volume prototype.Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the LEED Volume Program eases the process for property developers, such as hotel owners who want to build a LEED-certified hotel. Volume certification provides a streamlined path to LEED certification based on a pre-approved prototype...

NATIONAL REPORT—For too many hoteliers, the past three to four years have been fraught with group cancelations, rate attrition, and cost reduction efforts. Engineering operations have been asked to do their part as well, often drastically reducing repair and maintenance expenses.   After all, with 10-12 cents of every dollar headed toward maintenance and energy, hoteliers often opted to eliminate or defer maintenance activities in a desperate attempt to maintain margins, prevent layoffs, or even just to keep the doors open. After years of trying to do more with less, the economic outlook is not quite as grim, and fiscal indicators...

MILWAUKEE—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform featuring Recovery Time technology, announced that the company signed a Master Purchase Agreement approving EcoSmart for installation in corporate-owned Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations across the United States and Canada.“After a series of trial installations and competitive product comparisons, we arrived at the decision to use EcoSmart to significantly reduce HVAC energy consumption without affecting the guest experience,” said Renee Swoger, director of energy & capital administration, Motel 6/Studio 6.The Master Agreement will initiate a multi-year rollout to approximately 600 Motel 6 & Studio 6 locations in North America....

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—When you have 744 guestrooms in multiple buildings, a spa, restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses—all on 3,000 acres—maintaining a high level of operational efficiency is always a challenge. At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the management team has been able to keep up with aging infrastructure thanks to owners who have poured $300 million into the property since 1995. It was in 1995 that renovations began on the historic hotel that was first constructed in 1918.“The main hotel building was built to 1918 energy standards,” says Terry McHale, The Broadmoor’s director of facilities. “It...