MILWAUKEE—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform, announced that it will begin installation of its new EcoSmart Suite in Marriott’s Ann Arbor Hotel at Eagle Crest, located in Ypsilanti, Mich., owned by Long & Cox Properties. Prior to this energy efficiency upgrade, the property completely renovated guestrooms and other areas of the facilities and is now embarking on a comprehensive upgrade to significantly improve the energy efficiency of the property. Keen Technical Solutions, a Traverse City, Mich.-based company with a focus on energy conservation strategies and alternative energy integration, is the prime contractor on this project and will...

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—A new study published in the Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine finds that the use of HEPA (high efficiency particle air) filters can reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel disease. The researchers found that the HEPA filters reduce the amount of airborne particulate matter in the air. Doing so results in improved blood flow and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. The tests involved 45 adults and were conducted in 25 Canadian homes over a two-week period. HEPA filtration systems were added to the homes’ heating and HVAC systems. Concentrations of airborne particulates in the...

NIANTIC, CONN.—Hotel engineering teams play a big role in delivering guest satisfaction, and one of their most time consuming tasks is ensuring that guestroom equipment and systems are always ready to deliver a comfortable stay. INNCOM’s new INNcontrol3 solution provides the staff  with real-time monitoring of HVAC and temperature satisfaction and creates alarms for any units that are not operating properly. The system can also monitor humidity levels in each room and uses the existing HVAC equipment to lower humidity levels to a comfortable setting. The system also monitors guestroom network connections and reports non-communicating rooms. The solution will...

OURAY, COLO.—If Karen and Richard Avery could save another therm, they would. They certainly are trying. The couple, who own the 39-room Box Canyon Lodge & Hot Springs in Ouray, Colo., have reduced the lodge’s natural gas consumption by more than 70 percent in the past four years. The Averys have wisely invested in a geothermal system that utilizes the natural hot springs on their 2.6-acre property. Once used by the Ute Indians many years ago and last century for a sanitarium, the hot springs are used to heat the guestrooms and all of the hot water for the...

MILPITAS, CALIF.—The Z-Wave Alliance, an open consortium of leading global companies dedicated to establishing Z-Wave as the standard in wireless home control, announced the addition of Evolve Guest Controls as its newest principal member. Evolve Guest Controls, a leading provider of energy management solutions, joins a list of industry leaders on the Z-Wave Alliance board of directors including: 2Gig Technologies, Cooper Wiring Devices, Danfoss, Fakro, Ingersoll Rand, Leviton and Sigma Designs. Evolve offers a comprehensive solution to its hospitality customers via Z-Wave energy and device management tools for in-room control options, including: lighting, TV, electronics and thermostat products. To date,...

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—Cogenra Solar, a provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems and renewable energy service solutions, announced that its solar cogeneration modules have become the first solar energy solution to pass requisite third-party standards for both concentrating solar thermal and solar electric certifications established by the independent certification bodies Solar Rating and Certification Corporation (SRCC) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), respectively. These industry evaluations enable customers of Cogenra’s solar cogeneration solution to benefit from significant financial incentives for renewable energy installations throughout the United States. Cogenra is the first concentrating solar collector to receive OG-100 certification for meeting the...

NEW HYDE PARK, N.Y.—Evolve Guest Controls has completed installation of its fully custom keycard-based energy management system (EMS) in all of the Hilton Inn at Penn’s 244 guestrooms and suites. Evolve’s key card-based EMS system controls all of the lighting in the room, the TV(s), and the HVAC. When guests enter their rooms, they insert their key cards into Evolve’s wall-mounted key card reader and the room activates “comfort” mode. When guests leave the room, they take their key cards with them, initiating the room’s  “energy efficient” mode whereby all the lighting devices and TV(s) are powered down, and the...

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—America’s newest, environmentally sustainable hotel is now open near the campus of Syracuse University. Hotel Skyler is only the third hotel in the United States to seek Platinum certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Woodbine Group, owners of the Genessee Grande and Parkview hotels, renovated the former Temple Adath Yeshurun building—constructed in 1921—to create a one-of-a-kind 58-room boutique hotel. Hotel Skyler features some of the most advanced green design elements of any hotel in the United States. The building is heated and cooled with a geothermal heat pump, just...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes VingCard Elsafe as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Orion by VingCard Elsafe is an award-winning intelligent energy management solution that is helping hotels and resorts worldwide reduce their carbon footprint and boost energy savings. This innovative system allows for the management of guestroom temperatures from a remote, centralized location. Orion provides hoteliers with the ability to automatically adjust A/C settings as guests travel in and out of the guestrooms, therefore reducing overall energy consumption and saving valuable environmental resources, while ensuring guest comfort. Orion by VingCard...

DALLAS—The Omni Dallas Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Dallas, has outlined its sustainability plan which will lead to the property’s LEED Silver New Construction (NC) certification upon opening. The plan includes use of recycled and regionally-sourced materials, reduced construction pollution and water conservation initiatives. “Earning the LEED Silver New Construction status will be a tremendous accomplishment—one made possible by the tremendous efforts of the City, Matthews Southwest, Balfour/Russell/Pegasus, 5Gstudio_collaborative, BOKA Powell, Vivian-Nichols Associates and every team member who has a hand in keeping the project focused on sustainability,” said Nils Stolzlechner, general manager of the Omni Dallas Hotel....