LOS ANGELES—SONIFI Solutions announced a collaboration with Telkonet, Inc. to make hotel rooms smarter and more connected, by combining energy management solutions with in-room guest entertainment systems. Telkonet’s EcoSmart technology uses intelligent automation and communicates a room’s accurate occupancy status to thermostats, lights, signage and other integrated in-room devices. This feature was recently installed at The Diplomat Beach Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton in Hollywood, Fla. The newly renovated property sits oceanfront along the Gold Coast. “Many of our guests spend time outside of their rooms enjoying our beachside amenities,” said Nelson Garrido, SVP of IT Thayer Lodging, Brookfield Properties....

ATLANTA—Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, will launch a suite of next-generation energy management software, smart lighting, voice controls, and secure cloud communication systems at HITEC 2018 in Houston. Through Honeywell technology, the hospitality industry can fully integrate energy management, safety and security systems, property management, and brand network operations for guestroom and building automation. Leading Honeywell’s lineup of new products at HITEC is the INNCOM INNcontrol 5 energy management and guestroom automation control system. The cloud-based and on-premise system monitors real-time guestroom data from intelligent INNCOM devices, such as its e7 Thermostat, to improve a hotel’s energy savings,...

LAS VEGAS—Caesars Entertainment Corp., the world’s most diversified casino-entertainment provider, announced it has set science-based targets to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the company and throughout its supply chain. The ambitious goals demonstrate Caesars’ ongoing commitment to fighting climate change and mitigating long-term risk. Caesars is one of over 400 global organizations that has committed to business leadership and policy alignment on climate through the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi), and one of just over 100 companies to have their targets approved. The SBTi is a collaboration among CDP (formerly known as the Carbon Disclosure Project), the United Nations Global...

WAUKESHA, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., creator of the EcoSmart platform of intelligent automation solutions designed to maximize comfort and energy efficiency, has teamed with Volara, the first voice-based hotel guest engagement solution that turns voice into a powerful hospitality business tool. Together, they now offer a hospitality environment in which guests can use voice commands to control intelligent in-room devices and platforms to set scenes within their own hotel rooms. These scenes are able to incorporate one device or many different devices to create the exact environment that a guest requests. From changing temperatures, adjusting shades, dimming lights, adjusting the Do-Not-Disturb...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—MaxLite is lending its support to help more than 250 families in 31 states build strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter during Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz, June 4-8. During the build week, Habitat partners with professional builders and suppliers who provide the labor, funding and materials in order to address the growing need for decent and affordable housing in communities nationwide. MaxLite is contributing 1,950 LED bulbs to the 2018 building effort. MaxLite products are designed to help homeowners save money on electricity costs and to change their light bulbs less frequently. LED bulbs, according to...

COLUMBIA, S.C.—Shaw Industries Group, Inc. has completed the construction of a cogeneration Combined Heat & Power (CHP) plant at its Columbia, S.C. fiber production facility. The CHP, which began operating in May 2018, will reduce the plant’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 26,000 metric tons; that’s an impact equal to removing almost 5,500 passenger vehicles from the road each year. This is the latest in ongoing investments Shaw is making to minimize its environmental footprint. The company recently announced it has achieved carbon neutrality in its commercial carpet manufacturing operations. Companywide, Shaw has made significant investments to help reduce...

POMPANO BEACH, FLA.—Serge Ferrari, a market leader in flexible composite materials, has launched its newly redesigned website, www.sergeferrari.com, featuring new product branding for a more intuitive product selection experience. Streamlining the names of the company’s 125+ products, and improving brand communication, is an important and necessary step in the company’s strategic plan for growth. To enable rapid understanding of what the company’s products do and how they are different, Serge Ferrari has renamed many of its products to include a Range Name, a Product Differentiator, and a Product Number: Range Name: Each product is now grouped and renamed by its market. For...

New homes and buildings built in Pennsylvania will soon use less energy and have substantially lower utility bills, thanks to a huge leap in the efficiency of the Pennsylvania statewide building energy code announced recently. Building codes help local municipalities and states protect the health and safety of their occupants by setting regulations for things like fire protection and earthquake resilience. The building energy code—which is separate from the fire or structural codes, but often adopted simultaneously—regulates a building’s energy efficiency by specifying minimum levels of insulation, efficient lighting, air sealing, and other energy-related building components. The model energy code...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Guests staying at the LuMINN Hotel Minneapolis, an Ascent Hotel Collection Member, are controlling their room environments and engaging with the property in new ways. Since adding Intelity ICEbedside tablets to each guestroom—which are interfaced to the INNCOM by Honeywell Integrated Room Automation Systems (IRAS)—guests are controlling room temperature, lighting, drapes and alarm clock directly from in-room tablets. Guests can also access the hotel’s mobile app, powered by Intelity, which provides a direct link to hotel information, services, concierge, transportation, maps, directions and more. “Adding ICEbedside tablets to each room brings another element to the guest experience,” said LuMINN...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Changing food preferences and increasing costs are driving restaurateurs to reexamine every aspect of their operations. As a result, operators want their warewashing to deliver more than sparkling place settings; they also want to reduce labor, water and energy costs to help boost profit margins. To effectively meet these needs, Ecolab developed the SMARTPOWER Program. SMARTPOWER is a complete warewashing program that includes Ecolab’s full line of products, digital monitoring of warewashing performance and Ecolab’s expert service. This complete program helps give restaurant operators peace of mind, knowing their operations are running smoothly while generating the best warewashing...