The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently finalized a new energy efficiency standard for “packaged boilers” that heat commercial and multifamily buildings, which will save consumers and businesses billions of dollars on their heating bills. Nearly a quarter of the commercial floor space in the United States is heated by packaged boilers and given that space heating is by far the biggest energy user in these and other commercial buildings, the standard will trigger a significant amount of savings. Commercial packaged boilers, which are also found in multifamily buildings and small industrial facilities, are powered by oil or natural gas...

NATIONAL REPORT—In the United States, sales of electric vehicles soared in 2016, showing a 70 percent year-over-year increase in monthly sales. For consumers, the choice is bigger than ever; by the end of 2016, automakers were offering about 30 electric models to choose from, such as the Tesla Model S, Chevy Volt, and Nissan Leaf. And even more are on the way, with Ford’s plans to create 13 EV models by 2020, Mercedes saying it will produce 10 by 2025, and Volkswagen, which is at work on 30 different models. What’s more, EV batteries are becoming cheaper and longer-lasting, which...

ATLANTA—The Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. (AAHOA) has joined the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Better Buildings Initiative as an affiliate. The initiative is dedicated to reducing energy consumption among commercial, public, industrial, and residential properties by 20 percent over the next 10 years. In addition to cutting energy costs by billions of dollars, the program expects to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and add thousands of new American jobs. Hundreds of well-known brands, including 3M, Arby’s, AT&T, eBay, and General Electric, have also signed on to work toward greater energy efficiency. Potential to Have Huge Impact As a Better Buildings affiliate, AAHOA is...

BERKELEY, ILL.—American Dryer, a global leader in the design and manufacture of high-speed hand dryers, announced the general availability of eXtremeAir ADA, an energy-efficient surface mounted hand dryer that delivers the ADA compliance required in today’s facilities as well as all the additional features important to every restroom environment. The eXtremeAir ADA is designed with a high intensity single port nozzle that delivers a fast 12-second dry time and the energy efficiency of only 950 watts of power. The addition of a HEPA filtration system and antimicrobial technology is designed to reduce contaminates in the air while drying, answering the...

As published on Green Lodging News, The Rezidor Hotel Group just published its Responsible Business Report 2016. For those of you not familiar with the company, Rezidor’s current core brands include Radisson Blu—the largest upper upscale brand in Europe—and Park Inn by Radisson. Radisson RED is another Rezidor brand. The report, 61 pages long, describes the most important corporate responsibility and sustainability aspects of the company’s operations. Last year was a good one for the company with it being named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for the eighth straight year by Ethisphere. The Rezidor Hotel Group also...

FOXBORO, MASS.—American Window Film, Inc.’s team returned from the 2017 3M Prestige Dealer Conference held in Baltimore recently, holding the 2016 3M Dealer of the Year Award for the Northeast USA Region. The conference was attended by American Window Film’s President, Peter Davey; Vice President Sales, James Maloof ; Cape Cod Sales Representative, Bart Rubin and Rhode Island Sales Representative, Dana Savoie. Members of 3M Company’s St. Paul, Minn. group and the Northeast region’s 3M window film distributor, Energy Products Distribution, presented their visions and plans for 2017. According to Davey, “3M Company’s Daylight Redirecting film was emphasized at the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—On the first day in office, presidents begin their chapter of American history by signing orders and legislation. As far as presidential autographs go, official government documents like these are the most important things a world leader will ever sign. With the stroke of a pen, an entire federal agency can be created. When President Richard Nixon signed the executive order that established the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it was a momentous event. The year was 1970 and there was growing concern over pollution. After decades of industrialization, America was beginning to feel the effects of the environmental impact....

AUSTIN, TEXAS—ViZn Energy Systems Inc. (ViZn), a leading provider of energy storage systems for utility, commercial and industrial (C&I), and microgrid applications, has been selected to provide a 200kW (four hour) flow battery in Central America. The versatile zinc-iron redox battery from ViZn is being combined with an 800kWp solar array that will enable the Rancho Santana resort to take advantage of multiple behind-the-meter services, giving an estimated payback on the system of six and a half years. “Electricity in Nicaragua is amongst the most expensive in Latin America and many C&I customers there are on a grid tariff with...

CHARLESTON, S.C.—The Beach Club at Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina announced that it has been awarded LEED certification. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for high performance buildings, homes and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. “Enjoying this idyllic location along the Charleston coastline also comes with a social responsibility toward protecting the environment,” says Oliver Rooskens, Managing Director of The Beach Club. “As stewards of the land and sea, we are simply preserving what we have...

SAN BRUNO, CALIF.—GREEN CREATIVE, the commercial grade LED lighting manufacturer, recently had its MR16 8.5W HIGH CRI selected as a winner in the Commercial-Quality SSL Lamp Design Category of LEDs Magazine annual Sapphire Awards. The Sapphire Awards Gala Dinner, held on the night of March 1, 2017, celebrated the most innovative companies in the solid-state lighting (SSL) industry by naming the third annual LEDs Magazine Sapphire Award winners. The event, held in conjunction with Strategies in Light, The LED Show, and Lightspace California in Anaheim, Calif., honored the enabling technologies and elegance of design in finished lighting products in the...