MUSKEGON, MICH.—EarthTronics is offering a full line of Energy Star rated LED Recessed Retrofit downlights in 4- and 6-inch diameters, providing 550 to 1200 lumens for architectural/décor lighting applications. The energy efficient LED Recessed Retrofit downlights replace popular, less proficient 4-, 5- and 6-inch aperture fixtures and produce a full flood light with a 90° beam angle. They are ideal for use in medical and long-term care facilities, hotels, resorts and restaurants as well as light commercial properties.The LED Recessed Retrofit downlights feature instant on and smooth dimming to less than 5 percent for pleasant ambient lighting with no...

MIDLAND, MICH.—Dow Building Solutions (DBS), a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., announced STYROFOAM extruded polystyrene foam insulation products in North America have received validation from UL Environment that they contain 20 percent pre-consumer recycled content on average. This verification marks the latest sustainability milestone for Dow insulation products, which also hold Cradle to Cradle certification.   “UL Environment is proud to have worked with Dow Building Solutions to validate the recycled content claims for their STYROFOAM Insulation Products,” said Lisa Meier, Vice President and General Manager of UL Environment. “Dow’s pursuit of third-party substantiation demonstrates their commitment to...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Nissan Motor Co. and Green Charge Networks, the largest provider of commercial energy storage, have joined forces to deploy second-life lithium-ion vehicle batteries for stationary commercial energy storage in the U.S. and international markets.With more than 178,000 sales since its launch in late 2010, Nissan LEAF is the world’s top-selling electric vehicle. As part of the company’s commitment to sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Nissan has conducted multiple research projects in Japan, the United States and Europe to use LEAF batteries outside the vehicle through 4R Energy, a joint-venture with Sumitomo Corp. formed in 2010.In a...

CARY, N.C.—Civilight North America announces the availability of eight new LED lamp models that are now registered on the Energy Star list of certified products. This certification is a worldwide recognition that the listed products meet the strict energy efficiency guidelines set forth by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The eight new models, including BR and omni-directional A19 LED lamps, are available for purchase with eligible rebates of up to $10 to maximize return on investments (ROIs). “These aggressively-priced and rebate-eligible LED lamps are positioned at an affordable price to allow most end users to experience the tremendous quality...

NIAGARA FALLS, ON.—Niagara Casinos was awarded a 4 Green Keys rating from Green Key Global acknowledging their sustainable convention facilities and practices, topping off another year of substantial environmental initiatives at both Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara.Green Key Global, a leading environmental certification body, takes a comprehensive look at how facilities perform in key areas, such as: energy, water, waste, training, policies, procurement, auditing, air quality, and more. Facilities are then awarded a rating from one to five Keys, five being the highest attainable. Detailed performance reports showcase accomplishments while also outlining improvements to be considered.“We consider this...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—Zeno Controls LLC is putting sensor data in the hands of the hotel staff. Using Zeno’s InnPoint Guest Experience Interface, data that normally is reserved for back-of-house areas is now available for guestrooms. InnPoint uses a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system that collects data points from anywhere in the building and displays the metrics in a programmable graphic user interface designed to optimize the visualization of the data and facilitate response if required. “ZENO’s InnPoint package provides a common interface between otherwise independent elements of automated energy savings,” said Josh Alper, Zeno Controls General Manager. “The solution...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water laundry system, announced recently that it is helping five California-based businesses reduce water usage by up to 80 percent in their laundry operations. To put this in context, laundry operations in hotels represent 20 percent of their overall water usage. The California Althletic Club, Stanford Park Hotel, Quality Inn Petaluma, Fairfield Inn Sebastopol, and Hilton Universal are all using the Xeros polymer bead laundry systems. Xeros has also signed eight pioneering commercial laundry equipment distributors in California. These flagship partners are now selling, installing and servicing Xeros’ near-waterless laundry systems.In addition...

LOS ANGELES—Acclaim Lighting, a leader in innovation and advanced lighting technology, introduces Dyna Drum SO, a high-output, compact outdoor LED flood fixture for large scale façade lighting, as well as area flood lighting.The compact Dyna Drum SO is only 12.5” wide, 10.1” high and 11” in diameter. It features a DMX-512 control system, with IP66-rated AC power cable and bare wire ends to perform in wet locations. The unit has a 100-277-volt AC power cable and only consumes 120 watts, which replaces traditional outdoor 400 watt discharge fixtures.The Dyna Drum SO offers 2700K, 3000K, 3500K, 4000K, RGB, RGBW, RGBA,...

DENVER—Showcasing more than a decade of leadership while taking on the challenge of climate change, global hospitality company Xanterra Parks & Resorts has released its 2014 Corporate Social Responsibility Report, defining and measuring its innovative sustainability improvements. The report also announces ambitious stretch targets for the next decade.The report presents details of improvements measured against goals announced in 2004. The company tracks its environmental performance across all aspects of its operations using an ISO 14001 audited program launched in 2002.Xanterra entities include lodges, restaurants, tours and activities in national and state parks, as well as resorts, a cruise line,...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Green Charge Networks, the largest provider of commercial energy storage in the United States, named Mark Triplett as its Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Triplett will oversee sales, marketing, and operations. He brings more than 20 years of enterprise software, utility, smart grid and demand response experience to Green Charge most recently leading the “Demand Response Management Systems” product line worldwide for Alstom Grid, a global leader in utility infrastructure and control room hardware and software.“Mark Triplett brings extensive smart grid and utility experience to Green Charge at a time of explosive growth and customer acquisition,” said...