PLAYA GUIONES, COSTA RICA—In a country so well known for its ecotourism and renewable energy leadership positions, it should come as no surprise that one of its hotels has earned the rare LEED Platinum certification. That is what happened this summer at the Olas Verdes Hotel in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica. Luis Pardo, General Manager of the boutique hotel with five casitas, said the property is the first surf hotel in the world and the first hotel in Costa Rica to reach the LEED Platinum level. The Olas Verdes Hotel opened last December, Pardo says. “The owners wanted to have...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added NovaCharge, LLC to its Green Product & Service Directory in the “Electric Vehicle Charging Stations” category. NovaCharge is a leading provider of Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions nationwide. NovaCharge offers a wide variety of charging stations for businesses, hotels and similar organizations wanting to offer charging services as an amenity to their customers and employees, while promoting their commitment to environmental sustainability. Founded in 2008, NovaCharge is dedicated to enabling a better environment for future generations by supporting a zero-emission transportation infrastructure. NovaCharge is a Certified...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—MaxLite, a global manufacturer of energy efficient lighting, is encouraging consumers to choose Energy Star certified LED bulbs on Amazon to benefit Habitat for Humanity during the month of October. MaxLite will donate 10 percent of sales from select Energy Star certified products sold on the site throughout the month to Habitat, which helps families gain strength, stability and self-reliance through shelter. The promotion is part of the 2016 Energy Star Change the World Tour, which brings community service and energy efficiency together to brighten lives across America.The LED bulbs included in the promotion are the 9-watt...

OBERLIN, OHIO—The Hotel at Oberlin will officially open on September 13. It is a 70-room property designed to be one of the most environmentally sustainable hotels in the world. Owned by Oberlin College, developed by SMART Hotels and managed by The Olympia Companies, The Hotel at Oberlin is the first hotel in the United States to incorporate solar, geothermal, and radiant heating and cooling and one of only five hotels in the United States to qualify for the rigorous LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Hotel at Oberlin was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm Solomon...

NATIONAL REPORT—A field study of rack and flight conveyor dishwashers conducted by Pacific Gas and Electric Company Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) documents the energy and water savings and economic benefits of replacing an old inefficient dishwasher with a new efficient or best-in-class dishwasher. The study, entitled “Conveyor Dishwasher Performance Field Evaluation Report,” highlights how dishwashers become less efficient over time and how many dishwashers fail to operate to their design specifications. Summary data from the nine dishwashers monitored during the study were added to nine other dishwashers previously monitored by FSTC in the last five years. One of...

WESTBOROUGH, MASS.—NEC Energy Solutions (NEC ES), a subsidiary of NEC Corp., introduced the DSS, a new distributed energy storage platform and a significant step into the commercial and industrial (C&I) energy storage segment, enabling its partners to offer distributed energy management services. NEC ES is offering the DSS platform with proven lithium-ion battery storage technology, power conversion, and advanced controls software in a range of flexible outdoor-rated configurations that are smaller, simpler, smarter and safer than competitive products.The DSS platform is optimized to support advanced service creation at the grid edge, whether in front or behind the meter, for...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—The upper-midscale Wyndham Garden brand is shedding light on its first global hotel prototype, designed to make travel easier and more carefree while delivering greater returns for hotel owners through operating efficiencies. The new offering surpasses the segment, creating an upscale experience by incorporating modern architecture, functional design and an all-day inclusive culinary concept.Wyndham Garden’s prototype conveys the promise of a garden, using natural materials and pops of green to make guests feel like they’ve achieved serenity from the moment they arrive. It evokes the outdoors with abundant natural light, proven to increase comfort and productivity while reducing...

MUSKEGON, MICH.—EarthTronics now offers a PAR lamp solution for 277 volt applications. A new high power, 17-watt PAR38 EarthBulb LED floodlight replaces 120 watt incandescent floodlights for more than 85 percent energy savings and is capable of operating on 120 or 277 volt circuits. The floodlight features an advanced cooling system that provides for 25,000 hours of LED life. With the appearance of a halogen light source, its chipset provides 3000K white light with a high color rendering rating of more than 80. The lamp is also available in a 5000k version.Ideal for use in outdoor flood, recessed, track...

TIANJIN, CHINA—The new Curio—A Collection by Hilton hotel being built in Xiamen will incorporate 24 energy-efficient Otis Gen2 elevators to help deliver luxurious hospitality to guests enjoying one of southeast China’s best tourist cities. Otis, a leading manufacturer and maintainer of people-moving products, including elevators, escalators and moving walkways, is a unit of United Technologies Corp.The Otis technologies support Hilton’s efforts to improve the environmental performance of its hotels. Otis Gen2 systems incorporate ReGen drive technology for energy savings of up to 75 percent under normal conditions compared to traditional elevator systems with conventional drives. The elevators will be...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International has begun its rollout of ZON’s Powersol. Powersol’s solar powered mobile device charging technology is integrated into a commercial grade patio umbrella enabling hotels and guests to seamlessly “go green” while they charge up. Guests enjoy the pool longer because they can charge up on-site instead of going back to their room.Powersol has been installed at famed properties Aria Resort & Casino, Bellagio and MGM Grand, with more anticipated over the coming months.Joyen Vakil, Senior Vice President of Design & Development at MGM Resorts International, says, “Powersol is an incredibly innovative product and our properties...