SAN BRUNO, CALIF.—Green Creative, the commercial grade LED lighting manufacturer, announces the launch of its MR16 8.5W High CRI LED lamp. This Energy Star certified MR16 12V 8.5W HIGH CRI is a 75W halogen replacement and has been selected by the Illuminating Engineering Society’s (IES) 2016 Progress Report. At just 8.5W, this lamp emits 550 lumens with a CBCP of 2700 cd., making it the most efficient high CRI 75W halogen replacement available. The MR16 8.5W was designed and engineered for commercial applications that demand high performance lighting and accurate color rendering. This dimmable lamp is available in spot, narrow flood...

DENVER—Synavax introduces Energy Protect, a water-based, easy to apply clear coating that provides thermal insulation for energy savings, mold resistance, and UV resistance. It is used in a wide variety of home and commercial building insulation applications due to the easy application over existing structures to increase energy efficiency. Customers using this patented technology report saving between 20 to 40 percent on their heating and cooling energy costs. The coating has independent testing over walls illustrating a reduction of heat transfer of 34.8 percent at the standard three-coat coverage. As a bonus, Energy Protect does more than insulate in a clear...

In the United States, 16 locations, ranging from entire state policies to county laws, require some type of energy benchmarking. Many regulations are new, and the cumbersome process is costing hotels thousands of dollars every year. Energy benchmarking—the process of tracking a building’s annual energy use and using a standard metric to compare the building’s performance against past performance and to its peers nationwide—is gaining momentum as businesses and building owners see huge savings in crunching the numbers and making small adjustments to their energy use. But as more cities and states adopt annual benchmarking regulations, the new procedures and...

MUSKEGON, MICH.—EarthTronics, dedicated to developing innovative energy efficient lighting products that provide a positive economic and environmental impact for its customers, now offers three energy-efficient LED Flat Panel Lights to replace fluorescent fixtures in existing and new construction ceiling applications. The 1X4, 2X2 and 2X4 LED Flat Panel Lights feature 4000K bright light with smooth dimming and a high color rendering of 82+ to provide a natural lighting solution. Ideal for use in offices, schools, healthcare facilities and other commercial applications, the LED Panel Light is constructed using an extruded aluminum frame with an attractive impact resistant acrylic lens that...

DURHAM, N.C.—Cree, Inc. is expanding its LS Series LED surface ambient portfolio with the introduction of the new LS-FD High Efficiency linear luminaire. The new luminaire delivers excellent light quality and energy efficiency at 130 lumens per watt for greater savings and faster payback, and serves as an ideal replacement for linear fluorescent lighting in retail, industrial or commercial spaces. The LS-FD High Efficiency products provide customers more choices from Cree, adding to the original LS Series TrueWhite products, which offer exceptional 90-plus CRI color rendering for applications in which color accuracy is the driving consideration. “Cree’s new LS-FD High...

HOVEDSTADEN, DENMARK—Danvest and Pon Power are launching a low-load Compact series for solar–diesel hybrid power plants. This Compact series offers power producers a complete, cost-effective solution that automatically integrates photovoltaic systems with diesel power. The main attribute is that it includes Danvest’s unique, low-load and reverse-power operation and fast-response capabilities. Direct annual fuel savings are typically between 30 and 40 percent. The system is able to run on 100 percent solar power during the day, when solar radiation is highest. The fast-acting, low-load generator sets are able to respond to any drop in solar output or increase in power demand....

December 8 was an important day for MGM Resorts International. It was then that it officially opened the LEED Gold MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. The 308-room property is located minutes from Washington, D.C. The MGM National Harbor is MGM Resorts International’s ninth LEED certification. Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International, said in a press release that the hotel exemplifies MGM’s long-standing effort to implement sustainable and responsible practices across its resorts. I spoke with Todd Megrath, Executive Director of Sustainable Development, MGM Resorts International, about the new property and he...

BETHESDA, MD.—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc. announced new 2020 greenhouse gas emissions, energy, water and waste targets after meeting its 2017 goals ahead of schedule. Based on the success of its programs to date, the company elected to increase and expand its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of its portfolio. The company is one of the first Fortune 500 companies and the first hospitality company to have their emissions target approved by the Science Based Targets initiative, which aims to have companies commit to bolder emissions targets in line with science to keep global warming below the 2 degree...

CHICAGO—Hardly a week goes by without news of another record being broken for renewable energy generation. Take the REN21 global status report showing the largest-ever annual increase in power capacity for 2015; or the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) announcing electricity up year-on-year for every single month in 2016. Portugal even ran on nothing but renewables for four days back in May. Furthermore, despite clean energy investment in 2016 lagging behind last year’s runaway success, recent International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) analysis still forecasts an ongoing upward curve, particularly for solar photovoltaics (PV). Dramatic expansion of the solar PV market could see it provide 13 percent of...

HERAKLION, GREECE—Olive Green, the new eco-friendly, sustainable, and smart hotel that opened this fall in Heraklion is the first of its kind on Crete and in Greece. A local landmark was transformed by Karatarakis Hotels SA Company, to align nature, tradition, and technology into a harmonious haven for leisure tourists and business travelers alike. Smart in-room technology at Olive Green enables guests to individually control heating, air-conditioning, music, TV, and room service, fostering a unique hospitality experience like nowhere else on the island. The hotel offers tablets to control these features, but also to allow guests to publish updates on...