FARMINGDALE, N.Y.—LaMar Lighting Co. has launched a new website for its occu-smart line of motion sensor controlled bi-level lighting. Designed to serve as a resource for architects, lighting designers, electricians and facility managers, the website educates about occu-smart’s benefits, offers tools to calculate energy and cost savings, and provides installation and troubleshooting tips.Created specifically for seldom used areas, occu-smart provides full illumination when the space is occupied and dims to minimum code illumination the rest of the time. For high-rise buildings with stairwells, occu-smart helps realize savings by keeping lights on a lower setting up to 98 percent of...

BAKERSFIELD, CALIF.—REC Solar, a leader in commercial solar electric system design and installation, announced it has completed a 102 kilowatt array for The Hampton Inn & Suites Bakersfield North-Airport, a subsidiary of Hilton Hotels, in Bakersfield, Calif. The carport-mounted installation will offset 44 percent of the electricity costs for the 94-room hotel, saving up to $8,800 per month. The installation reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to accelerating solar deployment with hospitality customers.“Solar never made sense for us in the past,” said Braxton Myers, Vice President of Operations for Blackstone Hospitality Group Inc., which provides property management for franchise hotels...

HOUSTON—The new strategic alliance between Green Power Offsets, a provider of single-source renewable energy credits (RECs), and impactChoice, a provider of turnkey sustainability solutions, will provide U.S. companies with tools and services needed to set and achieve carbon reduction goals.“Our mission is to make it easy to choose renewable energy, promote sustainable behavior and encourage businesses to make informed choices about how to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Green Power Offsets’ Stephan Blasilli. “Experience has shown us that businesses with sustainability goals are looking for comprehensive solutions. They don’t stop at purchasing renewable energy; instead, they want guidance in...

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—Guests at the new Lake House at High Peaks Resort in Lake Placid can opt out of daily housekeeping services. In addition to significant reduction in the use of chemicals and their disposal, guests will earn a $5 daily credit which can be applied at the Bar at Lake House, or in Dancing Bears Restaurant at High Peaks Resort. Alternatively, the guest credit may be donated to the Mirror Lake Watershed Assn., which works to preserve the pristine beauty of Mirror Lake.“It is important for all of us who live and work in Lake Placid to help...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Wireless Environment, an innovator of LED lighting technology that optimizes performance in off-grid lighting applications, recently debuted its newest patented technology, NetBright. NetBright uses radio frequency transceivers to allow lights to create a private wireless communication network and operate in coordination with other lights in a system.The initial launch of NetBright will include integration into Wireless Environment’s Mr. Beams brand of spotlights. The Mr. Beams Wireless Motion Sensor LED Spotlight will be the first product available with NetBright. When a Mr. Beams Wireless Motion Sensor LED Spotlight with NetBright detects motion it will automatically illuminate and send an...

HARTFORD, CONN.—The Connecticut Convention Center has recently taken steps in the green direction with the completion of two major projects that will improve the facility’s energy efficiency. Beginning last summer, the Center entrusted the help of Strategic Building Solutions (SBS) to review the energy usage for chilled water, hot water, and steam throughout the facility. For four months, SBS made adjustments to the Center’s computers, pump controls, motor controls, and Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs). Within a month of SBS completing these adjustments, the Convention Center saw a savings in chilled water and hot water usage. To this day, those...

Between 2010 and 2013 the Las Vegas Sands Corp., owner of The Venetian and The Palazzo hotels, saved close to $2.5 million annually by changing their light bulbs to LED bulbs. Such is the power of green lighting. If you are a hotelier looking for a way to be both energy and economically efficient, LED is clearly the way to go. However, in your quest for energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, don’t overlook the exterior of your property. Installing LED landscape lighting can substantially increase curb appeal, make your guests’ stay more pleasant, boost security, improve safety, reduce your electricity...

ATLANTA—Acuity Brands, Inc. continues to expand its extensive portfolio of residential and light commercial LED lighting solutions with the new LED Closet Light from Lithonia Lighting. The LED Closet Light presents a new spin on a traditional fixture featuring advanced LED technology for a stylish and efficient lighting solution.Measuring just 6-5/8 inches wide and 4-1/4 inches tall, the new LED Closet Light is small enough to fit in the average person’s hand, yet delivers 575 lumens consuming only 10.4 watts. “The LED Closet Light is designed to be small, yet versatile, to enable mounting the fixture flush to ceiling...

NATIONAL REPORT—It is no secret that energy management can be a major challenge for hotels. By all means, energy is important for any building these days. In an industry focused on providing superior customer experiences and maintaining immaculate facilities, high electricity bills can feel uncontrollable—just another cost of doing business. Hotel facility managers are trained to think about electricity bills in terms of kilowatt-hours (kWh), which equates to how much energy the building consumes each month. However, there is another component of the bill measured in kilowatts (kW), or the maximum peak rate at which the facility used electricity...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—Designed to replace less-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) in hospitality applications, MaxLite launches five- and seven-watt LED PL Retrofit Lamps with GU24, GX23 and G24q pin base options, the latest additions to the MaxLED brand of energy-efficient lamps and lighting fixtures.  The new LED PL lamps easily retrofit a variety of commercial fixtures, including recessed cans, sconces, and ceiling fixtures commonly used to light retail stores, hotels and apartment buildings. The five- and seven-watt LEDs replace 13- and 18-watt compact fluorescents lamps (CFLs), respectively. Constructed with a lamp holder that rotates 270 degrees, the LED PL Retrofits...