ORLANDO—The 2017 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Expo wrapped up last week at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Among the 450 suppliers were companies offering new innovations to help you clean better, save energy, reduce waste and grow food more locally. Be sure to follow the links included here to learn more about the entrepreneurs and their inventions. Sustainable Gardens 2gether launched its unique new Chefs Choice and Chefs Garden microgreen growing systems for restaurants. The Chefs Choice system allows chefs to grow fresh high-quality microgreens in a specialized environmentally controlled cooler right in their own kitchens. The new Herb...

LAS VEGAS—The U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge has recognized Las Vegas Sands Corp. for energy-efficiency upgrades made throughout their properties including The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo and Convention Center. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, Las Vegas Sands Corp. set a goal to reduce energy use across its hotels by 20 percent in 10 years. From 2011 to 2016, Las Vegas Sands Corp. has reduced energy consumption by 17 percent, saving more than 500 million kBtu. Through the Better Buildings Challenge, the Energy Department is partnering with more than 345 private businesses and public-sector organizations to achieve 20...

NATIONAL REPORT—As Green Lodging News has learned in its own research and by talking to industry suppliers, there are numerous ways to reduce the environmental impact of a towel. Certainly chemicals and laundry equipment come into play, as does whether or not that equipment is matched with an ozone laundry system. Of course towel reuse programs can make a huge difference as well. But can your choice of the towel itself—how it is made and what it is made from—help you reduce your annual laundry-related costs? Many suppliers say yes and each has its own unique story to tell....

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.—Verdigris, an IoT company in the energy sector, announced a new set of APIs to power smart buildings. The APIs allow customers to integrate energy usage data within their own platforms, and leverage Verdigris’ artificial intelligence to deliver meaningful insights from noisy energy data. For building owners and facilities managers, having the right energy data at the correct time creates opportunities to reduce costs and optimize operations. Verdigris APIs are a new way to put highly detailed, device-level data and energy management insights in the hands of customers. “Advancements in artificial intelligence have evolved our platform to process...

MUSKEGON, MICH.—EarthTronics introduces the new IC-Rated LED Recessed Downlight Fixture Series to provide interior downlight illumination for commercial, residential and municipal facilities. Available in 4- and 6-inch diameters, in both 3000K and 5000K color of light, the new EarthTronics IC-Rated LED Recessed Downlight Fixture Series can be easily installed in finished drywall or architectural tile ceilings in facilities such as schools, hospitals, office buildings and other commercial and residential applications. Each of the EarthTronics IC-Rated LED Recessed Downlight Series accepts 120 volt AC power supply. The downlights provide more than 77 lumens per watt with a high 80+ CRI for improved...

DENVER—The Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Downtown—Convention Center announced that it has been honored as a Gold Leader by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Environmental Leadership Program, making it the third hotel in Colorado and the only hotel in Denver to be honored with this coveted green recognition. Colorado’s ELP honors companies for going beyond state and federal environmental regulations and for their outstanding environmental achievements that help keep Colorado a desirable place to work and live. Denver’s first LEED Certified Silver hotel, the Embassy Suites Denver Downtown was also recently awarded the Green Leader badge by TripAdvisor...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Holiday Inn Express in Atascadero, Calif. and its implementation of an EcoTex™ ozone system from ClearWater Tech. The system is saving the inn substantial amounts in gas, water, and other expenses. “The ClearWater representatives thoroughly covered how the process worked, how the installation would proceed and how much money I would start to save, primarily in gas for hot water,” explained the hotel’s General Manager, Amar Sohi. “Right away, I could see savings...

SAN MATEO, CALIF.— Brilliant announced that it has created the Brilliant Control, a smart lighting solution that gives anyone in a hotel room or vacation rental the ability to access music, climate, and other common smart home devices with just a simple touch or voice command—no smartphone required. Replacing existing light switches, the Brilliant Control installs in minutes and features a touchscreen that is intuitive to operate. “We created Brilliant Control so that anyone in any room could adjust lighting, music, and climate control as easily as flipping a light switch, making it perfect for hotels, B&Bs and vacation rentals,”...

NATIONAL REPORT—For our second annual Green Lodging Trends report we asked survey participants: If you considered an ozone laundry system but then later decided against it, what was the biggest obstacle(s) to its implementation? They all said cost. Should cost really be an obstacle to implementing an ozone laundry system? According to several suppliers we spoke with, an ozone laundry system being a prohibitive cost is really just a myth. The benefits are so many and the return on investment can be so reasonable that the purchase of an ozone system should be a “no brainer”. “If you use our...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Textile Care has signed an exclusive global agreement with Wisconsin based OMNI Solutions for its Smart Ultraviolet Light Advanced Oxidation System technology for commercial laundries. The partnership between Ecolab and OMNI Solutions offers commercial laundry operators a unique, patent-pending solution for treating reuse water that provides substantial water and energy savings, enhanced textile quality and improved wash aisle efficiencies. The Smart Ultraviolet Light Advanced Oxidation System works with Ecolab’s AdvaCare Disinfectant to deliver the highest standard of clean. Together, Ecolab, a global leader in commercial laundry technologies, and OMNI, an innovative and environmentally sustainable company, have created a solid platform to drive...