NATIONAL REPORT—Let’s assume you just opened your hotel. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, within two years your mechanical systems will be 25 percent less energy efficient. “Over time, energy performance always dips,” says JJ Steeley, Executive Vice President of Customer Experience for Carbon Lighthouse. That dip may be because of deferred maintenance, an operational change to the building, or maybe the building management system needs to be reprogrammed. The good news, according to Steeley, is that those energy inefficiencies can be pinpointed using sensors and then addressed by experts. Getting the mechanical systems in a...

This guest blog was co-authored by Kim Cheslak of the New Buildings Institute and Lauren Urbanek, Senior Energy Policy Advocate, Climate & Clean Energy Program, NRDC. Better building codes mean lower energy bills, which results in lower costs for consumers and fewer carbon emissions for the planet. Sounds like a winning combination, right? That’s why we were delighted when the initial results of voting on the next national model building energy code indicated an estimated 10 percent improvement in energy efficiency, ensuring delivery on that combination of benefits. Unfortunately, opponents are now trying to reverse that progress. Groups primarily from the...

BOSTON—Helping businesses reduce energy consumption is a key driver for Veolia North America, which is why the company—a global leader in sustainable energy, water, and waste solutions—was recently presented with a 2019 SEAL Environmental Initiative Award for its innovative Hubgrade smart monitoring system, which helps buildings better manage their energy use. The SEAL (Sustainability, Environmental Achievement and Leadership) Environmental Initiative Award is part of the annual SEAL Business Sustainability Awards recognizing firms throughout the United States for promoting a more environmentally sustainable business model. Veolia North America is included among a list of companies including Adidas, Disneyland and Coca-Cola, and is...

The rise of coronavirus infections across the globe has meant that many important events and conferences have been suspended. However, it is expected that once peaks subside and business eventually gets back to normal, the demand for clean, green centers will rise exponentially. Just five days ago, the Council on Foreign Relations canceled a roundtable called Doing Business Under Coronavirus, an indicator of the pause many businesses are being forced to take. When these events are once again in demand, what steps can you take to ensure your hotel’s conference space rates highly on the sustainability index? Follow these tips to stand out...

ST. LOUIS—Emerson announced it has completed the purchase of Verdant, a leader in energy management solutions for the hotel and hospitality industries. The addition of Verdant broadens Emerson’s growing energy management and optimization capabilities for residential and commercial applications. While the typical hotel guestroom is vacant more than 50 percent of the time, energy usage remains the second largest operating cost for hotels. Verdant’s products and services combine advanced occupancy and thermal sensing technologies with real-time analytics to ensure optimal energy settings, reducing consumption and maximizing cost savings for hotel operators without compromising guest comfort. “As the hotel and hospitality industries...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind one of the world’s most ambitious tourism initiatives, has announced plans to become the largest certified Dark Sky Reserve in the world, and is seeking an accreditation that recognizes areas with an exceptional quality of starry nights and a commitment to protecting the nocturnal environment. TRSDC has awarded a contract to Cundall, an international multi-disciplinary consultancy providing engineering, design and sustainable solutions, to develop a lighting strategy that would provide enough lighting for safe movement around the site, whilst meeting the stringent International Dark Sky criteria. “We are proud to...

DAYTON, N.J.—Somfy Systems, Inc., the world’s largest manufacturer of tubular motors for interior window coverings and exterior solar protections, has partnered with Osram, a leading global high-tech company with a diverse array of products including connected lighting solutions. The partnership between Osram and Somfy allows natural and artificial light to work better together in building environments. Osram’s Encelium networked lighting management system and Somfy’s automated shading solutions work together to create a more seamless user experience for light management. The combination of Osram Encelium and Somfy Digital Network (SDN) creates a centralized interface for facility managers and streamlines the light...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—PM Hotel Group announced that it has joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership. As of January 2020, PM Hotel Group is exclusively purchasing green power to meet 100 percent of the electricity needs for their entire hotel portfolio. PM Hotel Group is the first Top-100 hotel management company in the United States to be recognized by the EPA and to take this portfolio-wide pledge. “We are passionate about demonstrating a genuine respect for the environment and are proud to be recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Green Power Partner,” said Christie Berlin, Director of...

Have you ever wondered what the environmental footprint of your IoT (Internet of Things) solution is? Significant investments are being made by the lodging industry into IoT for the purpose of enhancing the guest experience, improving staff efficiency and for reducing the energy consumption of buildings. But besides the functional objectives of your IoT initiative, how can one understand the environmental footprint of these systems and how can one compare these footprints as part of a competitive IoT evaluation? Are there greener IoT systems than others? This brief article attempts to provide some thought-provoking insights into this topic. Over its entire...

ROUND ROCK, TEXAS—FSG Smart Buildings, a division of Facility Solutions Group, announced the release of Chariot, a Building Automation System (BAS) software with robust Energy Management System (EMS) capabilities combining lighting and HVAC controls with smart metering and IoT devices for multi-site command, control, and visibility. Chariot is capable of being a stand-alone solution or tying together disparate and legacy systems across portfolios of buildings and being a single pane of glass for all things facility-related. “Chariot brings affordable building automation and IoT solutions to the commercial market in one easy-to-use software platform,” said Justin McCullough, FSG Chief Product Officer. “The problem...