NATIONAL REPORT—Walls featuring large contiguous windows and glass doors are a popular theme within the hotel industry. Used to showcase wonderful views and provide access to grounds in summer, these features also allow natural light to stream into buildings. Creating low-energy or zero-energy buildings (ZEB) is an increasingly important goal for the sector. Hotels and other tourist accommodations are typically energy-intensive buildings, making the integration of renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures more vital. Over the last 20 years, countries across Europe have greatly increased their use of renewable energy sources (RES), particularly in the building industry. This includes wind...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that protect people and vital resources, has signed an agreement to support Clearway Energy Group’s 419-megawatt (MW) wind farm, Mesquite Star, in Fisher County, Texas. Construction of the Mesquite Star wind farm is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2019. Through a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA)—Ecolab’s first—the company will support construction of 100 MW of new renewable electricity capacity within the Mesquite Star wind farm. The renewable electricity generated under Ecolab’s 100 MW VPPA is expected to cover 100 percent of the...

LAS VEGAS—Crave Interactive, a leading developer of cloud-based digital guest service solutions for hotels, announced an integration partnership with award-winning hotel room-control technology company INTEREL, to integrate innovative room control features into the Crave in-room guest tablets. This partnership marks a pivotal advancement for Crave as a world leader in guestroom technology. By integrating the INTEREL room-control API into the Crave guestroom tablets, Crave now offers its clients a wide range of room controls at the guest’s fingertips that include control of lighting, temperature, drapery, privacy, and staff service requests. All of these innovative features are neatly controlled from Crave’s...

MORRISTOWN, N.J.—Energybox, a digital global leader that specializes in IoT monitoring and data analytics technology, announced the latest release of its new software. The new flexible platform tracks equipment and facilities across multiple locations in real-time. It focuses on improving efficiency for businesses with real-time equipment monitoring, increases efficiency by reducing day-to-day operational frictions, and enables consistency and quality across all platforms with real-time critical alerts and diagnostics sent directly to an e-mail or text. “At Energybox, we are always investing in our research and development with a key goal to allow our multi-unit enterprise customers to simplify their businesses...

PARIS—Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, a leading brand within the AccorHotels Group, announces the release of its 2018 Sustainability Report Update, “Made with Sustainability in Mind”. This report covers the brand’s strategies and actions to continuously improve its sustainability performance throughout the years of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Previous Sustainability Reports were issued in 2012 and 2015. The 2018 Sustainability Update provides insight as to how Swissôtel tackles areas which are most important to its internal and external stakeholders based on materiality assessments conducted by the brand’s sustainability management team and third-party experts. The report includes updated performance data, recent case...

For those that see the benefits of solar the question is when to make the investment; not if to make it. Although not the right timing for everyone it might be the right time for you. Taking a look at what goes into this investment will help you better decide if now is the perfect time. Should I Wait for Better Technology? The advancement of technology in the past couple of decades has made some hesitant. People that once paid a hundred dollars for a basic calculator can now use one for free on their phone or computer. For those on board...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—Six months after soft opening in Colorado Springs, the 176-room SCP hotel there is enjoying “off the charts” reviews according to Ken Cruse, CEO of Soul Community Planet, LLC, the parent company of SCP Hotels. The renovation of what once was a Knights Inn and other branded properties is attracting travelers and locals with its eco-industrial vibe and features such as the SCP fitness center. The SCP Hotel Colorado Springs is the first of several green, community-focused hotels planned by Soul Community Planet. The next one will open in Redmond, Ore. Cruse says he and his core team had been...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added SunTap solar chargers to its Green Product & Service Directory. SunTap is a solar powered outdoor USB charging station designed to keep hotel & club guests fully connected and charged up while lounging pool or beach side. The system’s waterproof design allows it to be left out year-round without worry and is corrosion resistant to survive salty air environments. SunTap lets you charge two devices at once, at the speed of a wall outlet, and is equipped with an 8-hour battery backup for cloudy conditions and late nights. The glass free solar panel...

EDEN, N.C.—Mohawk Group and nonprofit Groundswell have teamed up to locate a new smartflower™ solar energy unit near three Rockingham County Schools in North Carolina—a project that will bring the benefits of clean solar power to the area, create educational opportunities for students and also contribute to Mohawk’s sustainability efforts to leave more handprints than footprints. The smartflower technology was unveiled on November 29 at a special event in Eden, N.C., which is also the home of Mohawk’s historic Karastan woven carpet plant. The mill celebrated its 90th anniversary of operation this year. Planted on the campus of Eden’s Central Elementary School, the smartflower is located adjacent to Holmes Middle...

RAPID CITY, S.D.—South Dakota School of Mines & Technology has been awarded $475,000 from the National Science Foundation to study how termites construct mounds with the idea that humans might one day adapt the energy-efficient homebuilding techniques of the insects. The award is a follow-up to a previous grant by NSF of $300,000. Mines faculty researchers spent time in the African country of Namibia to study the shape and function of termite mounds. The mounds are resilient and naturally energy efficient. Their intricate interior designs provide ventilation and temperature regulation throughout what can easily be a 15-foot-tall home for a...