Home Heating & Cooling

Heating & Cooling

With up to 50 percent to 70 percent of a hotel’s energy bill attributed to heating and cooling (especially in limited-service hotels), there is no question that wise selection of equipment is important. Increasingly, hotel owners are turning to clean energy technology for heating and cooling. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Heating & Cooling

Home Heating & Cooling
With up to 50 percent to 70 percent of a hotel’s energy bill attributed to heating and cooling (especially in limited-service hotels), there is no question that wise selection of equipment is important. Increasingly, hotel owners are turning to clean energy technology for heating and cooling. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa Completes Solar Panel Installation

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa and FLS Energy of Asheville, N.C., have completed a project to add solar panels to the resort’s modern Sports Complex. The 12-panel solar thermal system at the Sports Complex will provide about 600 gallons of hot water a day for use in the locker rooms. The project was designed using a solar Power Purchase Agreement, in which FLS Energy built and installed the system on the roof of the complex with no up-front cost to The Grove Park Inn. Grove Park Inn will in turn purchase the thermal energy to heat the...

Solar Air Conditioner Completes Testing, Receives Safety Approval

CHESAPEAKE, VA.—Solar Panels Plus (SPP) announces that the SplitCool DC-18 solar air conditioner has passed its TUV product safety testing and now carries the CE mark. Electrical, fire and mechanical safety issues have been properly addressed and the SplitCool unit now fully complies with global product safety standards. The SplitCool system design allows for operation between 5,000 BTU and 18,000 BTU, meaning that capacity, refrigerant flow and compressor speed are variable and are dynamically adjusted in real time to match the current conditions and heat load. The system is designed to use the lowest possible amount of electric power so...

Lennox HVAC Unit Integrates with Solar Energy System

DALLAS—Lennox has developed a commercial HVAC unit that integrates directly with a solar-energy system. The patent-pending SunSource Commercial Energy System collects energy from the sun, feeds it directly into a solar-ready Energence rooftop unit, and supplies any excess electricity to the rest of the building or to the power grid. Designed to reduce business energy spending and emissions, the SunSource system can effectively double the Energence rooftop unit’s efficiency rating—from 17.0 SEER to an effective efficiency level of 34 SEER and beyond. In certain regions adding additional solar modules can help the rooftop unit achieve net-zero energy status, as the...

Ember, CAN2GO Team Up to Make Wireless Installation Easier

BOSTON—CAN2GO, a leading provider of wired and wireless controllers for building automation, is enabling companies to cut up to 40 percent off their building wireless automation installation labor costs with the help of ZigBee networking technology from Ember. CAN2GO controllers, which offer a variety of wired and wireless networking and control options, provide the missing link in building automation, allowing facility managers, contractors and OEM manufacturers to deploy integrated solutions for HVAC, lighting and other applications. Important labor savings are attained when the controllers are networked via self-forming and self-healing wireless mesh networking systems from Ember. A recent project in a...

Energy Eye Forms Distribution Partnership with RIO

SAN DIEGO—Energy Eye, Inc., an international provider of hotel guestroom energy management controls, announced that it has formed a distribution partnership with the Moroccan company RIO (Reduce, Invent, Optimize). “We are extremely excited to work with RIO,” said Phillip Kopp, COO of Energy Eye. “RIO’s focus on energy efficiency and unparalleled strength in the Moroccan marketplace is well-known throughout the region. Most importantly, their commitment to accreditation—they are certified by both the Moroccan National Agency for Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, as well as the Efficiency Valuation Organization—closely matches Energy Eye’s own focus on delivering tested, proven results that...

Dynamic Showcased V8 Air Cleaning System at AHR Expo

PRINCETON, N.J.—Dynamic Air Quality Solutions, a leading manufacturer and distributor of high-performance indoor air quality products, showcased its V8 air cleaning system at this year’s AHR Expo. Dynamic air cleaning systems utilize a technology called non-ionizing, polarized-media, which significantly reduces the energy and environmental footprint of an HVAC’s filtration system. Over the past five years, Dynamic has helped building owners save more than 78 million kWh in fan energy alone. When Dynamic Air Cleaners are used as a substitute to high-efficiency passive filters, the savings can be as great as 75 percent less than fan energy. Maintenance is also dramatically...

New Pike Research Report Explores Emerging HVAC Innovations

BOULDER, COLO.—Although the primary purpose of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in commercial buildings is occupant productivity, a new report from Pike Research finds that the objective of most changes to HVAC systems in the next five years will be to decrease energy cost. According to the study, because of rising energy prices and the drive to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with building operations, many building owners have begun to manage energy cost as an asset, rather than a fixed cost. The tools for improving efficiency of HVAC systems include building energy management systems (BEMS), on-site...

Energy Management System Suppliers Build On Proven, Money-Saving Technologies

NATIONAL REPORT—In one respect, comparing guestroom energy management systems today is apples to apples with each system basically doing the same thing—using a sensor or sensors (or a key card) to turn off the HVAC system entirely or to allow the thermostat setting to drift to an energy-saving level. As similar as most systems are, however, each vendor offers something unique—whether it be the technology by which systems communicate within the hotel, the robustness of the reporting features, the ability to integrate with local or Web-based systems, or the extent to which lighting and other electrical items can be...

Telkonet Releases EcoSmart Energy Management Product Suite

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., a leader in occupancy-based energy management technology, just announced the introduction of its next generation line of energy management products, the EcoSmart Product Suite. With the EcoSmart flagship product, the EcoInsight Programmable Controllable Thermostat (PCT), Telkonet has evolved beyond its successful SmartEnergy product line and built upon its patented Recovery Time Technology. The EcoSmart suite of products introduces several new developments including a fully wireless thermostat, EcoWave, and a plug load controller branded the EcoGuard. The EcoSmart Product Suite development process included extensive input from customers, maintenance engineers, and Energy Service Companies to ensure that the product...

Energy Eye Helps Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Earn Award

SAN DIEGO—The Crowne Plaza Alice Springs has won recognition as Asia-Pacific’s most environmentally-sustainable hotel after installing an Energy Eye guestroom energy management system. Awarded at the 2010 Asia Pacific Hotel Investment Conference (HICAP) in Hong Kong, the decision panel included judges from a number of prestigious organizations, including the National Geographic Society and the World Wildlife Fund.  First established in 2007, the award is designed to recognize a superior commitment to sustainable business practices within the hospitality industry. “It’s exciting to see our environmental sustainability initiatives validated and recognized,” said Investnorth principal and hotel owner Lloyd Berger. Berger accepted the...