PEARL RIVER, N.Y.—For the 19th consecutive year, Hunter Douglas has won more awards than any other company in the Window Covering Manufacturers Assn. (WCMA) Product Awards. This year the company captured 30 honors out of the 56 conferred and earned the Product of the Year for the 14th year.In addition, Hunter Douglas swept three product categories: “Green Products: Energy Efficiency,” “Green Products: Sustainability,” and “Verticals and Panel Tracks” and won 10 out of 12 Merchandising Awards.  “We’re delighted with the very strong endorsement that we received from the Window Covering Manufacturers Association’s independent panel of judges,” said Marv Hopkins,...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading solution provider for reducing energy consumption, announced the JW Marriott Miami luxury hotel has selected their EcoSmart Energy Management System to be installed in 307 guestrooms. Selecting the EcoSmart system offers JW Marriott Miami substantial reductions in energy consumption—resulting in significant savings to their bottom line.Energy usage is a major operating cost for hotels across the country. According to a recent EnergyStar report, on average, America’s 47,000 hotels spend $2,196 per available room each year on energy. This represents about 6 percent of all operating costs. Energy efficiency provides hotel owners and operators cost...

NEW YORK—Green Lodging News has finalized its speaker lineup for the five green seminars it is coordinating at the International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show. The seminars will take place over three days beginning Saturday, November 8 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. The following are the session titles: Crafting a Career in Sustainability in Hospitality & Tourism—Sustainability Trends in Hospitality Education; Hotel Energy Management All Stars; Gone Platinum! A First-Time Ever Gathering of Leaders of Three LEED Platinum Hotels; The Power of Green Certification—Updates from Lodging’s Leading Certifiers; and Waste Management Champions Making...

LAS VEGAS—Relax and recharge has a new meaning for visitors at Caesars Entertainment resorts. While guests enjoy their stay, they can now conveniently plug in and charge their electric vehicles thanks to new EV charging stations at 13 Caesars’ resorts and casinos.In partnership with NV Energy, nearly all of Caesars’ Northern and Southern Nevada resorts and casinos now have operational EV charging stations on site, in addition to Harrah’s Resort Southern California. A total of 48 charging ports have been installed in guest parking lots as well as valet areas, and are available for guests to use at no...

TORRANCE, CALIF.—LEDtronics, Inc. announces the newest member to its series of high-brightness, energy-efficient retrofit LED Recessed Downlights. The RDL32-4-12W series are Energy Star and UL/cUL listed, dimmable ceiling can-style downlights ideal for indoor use in architectural/décor lighting and commercial applications: hospitals and medical facilities, hotels and resorts. They only use 12 watts of energy and can replace halogen bulbs up to 75 watts—an energy savings of up to 80 percent.The RDL32-4-12W series fits 4-inch ceiling can openings. They come with pigtail wires connected to a quick-disconnect connector attached to a standard E26 Edison male screw base connector that can...

LONGMONT, COLO.—Installing downlights with pin-based CFL or other pin-based lamps used to require the management of many parts, ballasts, drivers, lamps and finally the fixture itself. TERRALUX has eliminated the need for ballasts with the introduction of its D Series Downlights, streamlining the installation and maintenance process. Engineered for commercial applications, the modular LED downlights have efficacy above 85 lumens/watt. Energy consumption is 50 to 75 percent less than comparable pin-based CFL fixtures.  The D Series is available in multiple aperture sizes, from 6” to 10”, both round and square form factors. Light outputs range from 900 lumens (replacement...

COUNCE, TENN.—A recent demonstration project at Pickwick Landing State Park Resort has created excitement throughout the state’s park system about reducing energy usage and costs. The four-week study was a joint effort of TVA, Pickwick Electric Coop (PEC), and Tennessee Department of Energy and Conservation (TDEC). The result of the project: a 44 energy savings in the hotel rooms and 64 percent in the cabins—all without negatively impacting guest comfort convenience, according to park personnel.The study evaluated Energy Technologies Group’s S3E guestroom energy management system, which had consistently shown more than 40 percent energy savings in other parts of...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 2014 Energy Star Battle of the Buildings: Team Challenge. More than 5,500 buildings nationwide are going head-to-head to reduce their energy use. In support of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for businesses to cut in half the amount of energy they waste over the next 20 years, the competition specifically targets wasted energy in commercial buildings, and will motivate businesses to improve energy efficiency, reduce harmful carbon pollution, and save money.“The competitive spirit is alive and well among the building teams working to improve their energy efficiency in...

BOSTON—Upon receiving its recent LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), Hostelling International Boston (HI-Boston) became the City of Boston’s first accommodation provider to achieve LEED certification. Since its opening in June 2012, this repurposed historic building at the cross section of Chinatown, Downtown Crossing, and the Theater District has since welcomed more than 200,000 travelers from more than 85 countries.“HI-Boston is raising the bar for the hospitality industry in Boston,” said Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “The city is attracting more and more young people, and I’m thrilled that HI-USA is providing green accommodations for our...

NATIONAL REPORT—Businesses and consumers alike are feeling the heat from rising utility costs, but commercial buildings in particular, such as hospitals, shopping centers and offices, have been taking a significant hit considering they account for about one-fifth of domestic energy consumption. While the utilities price index, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has increased in line with the improving economy, commercial building energy consumption has also been on a steady upward trend. Even before the recession, energy consumption of commercial buildings grew a whopping 69 percent from 1980 to 2009. Based on projections from the Energy Information Administration,...