NEW YORK—Greenwood Energy, the North American renewable energy division of the Libra Group, announced the installation of a 500-kilowatt (kW) combined heat and power (CHP) plant at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in Lower Manhattan. This is the first CHP plant Greenwood has developed for Millennium Hotel and Resorts in New York City, and Greenwood is currently developing an additional plant at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in Times Square. These projects will represent a total installed CHP capacity of 1,250 kW when completed.The Millennium Hilton CHP plant features two highly efficient 250kW natural gas-fired cogeneration units to provide baseload electricity,...

BERKELEY, CALIF.—Looking strictly at the economic costs and benefits of three different roof types—black, white and “green” (or vegetated)—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) researchers have found in a new study that white roofs are the most cost-effective over a 50-year time span. While the high installation cost of green roofs sets them back in economic terms, their environmental and amenity benefits may at least partially mitigate their financial burden.A new report titled “Economic Comparison of White, Green, and Black Flat Roofs in the United States” by Julian Sproul, Benjamin Mandel, and Arthur Rosenfeld of Berkeley Lab, and Man...

ATLANTA—When it comes to the how-to of measuring a building’s energy use, there is much to take into consideration. Are the measurements of a building’s area—used in the equation to derive energy use per square foot—to be taken from the exterior dimensions or to the centerline of the wall? Since they are normally unoccupied, are storage spaces to be included or not?The newly revised ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 105-2014, Standard Methods of Determining, Expressing, and Comparing Building Energy Performance and Greenhouse Gas Emissions, supports commonality in reporting the energy performance of existing or proposed buildings to provide a consistent method of...

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA—Five years in the planning, the Biohotel Organic Suites is just one month from opening in Bogota, Colombia in the district of Usaquen, known as the culinary and cultural hub of the city. The seven-story, 72-room property is “my retirement plan,” says Samuel Huertas, majority owner. Huertas is aiming for LEED Gold certification for the hotel that includes the Green Piece restaurant and meeting space to accommodate up to 150 people.True to its name, the Biohotel Organic Suites is green throughout. The exterior of the building features windows made from recycled glass and vertical “gardens” that help to...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—ClearEdge Power released a white paper exploring the tangible environmental benefits that make stationary fuel cells a true “green” energy solution. The paper, authored by the ClearEdge Power product management team, offers a quantitative assessment of fuel cell combined heat and power (CHP), as it applies to commercial building applications with specific case examples.“There is a market tendency to discount fuel cell based energy solutions as less green than other, more commonly regarded clean energy solutions because they utilize natural gas,” said ClearEdge Power’s Director of Product Management and Applications, Kent McCord.In the new white paper titled, “The...

SPOKANE, WASH.—Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, announced the availability of the Ecova Energy and Sustainability Management Platform, an enterprise software solution designed to help commercial and industrial clients manage, analyze and report on their resource usage data through a single intuitive platform. The Ecova Platform is the foundation for energy and sustainability management, and provides businesses with the insights needed to increase operational efficiency, reduce costs, and achieve sustainability goals.“Energy and sustainability management is no longer a ‘nice to have’, it is critical to the bottom line and market leadership,” said Jeff Heggedahl, President and CEO...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named MaxLite 2014 Energy Star Partner of the Year. The EPA is recognizing MaxLite for the second time in five years as a Partner of the Year for demonstrating exemplary commitment and dedication to energy efficiency through the development and education of energy-efficient lighting solutions. The award will be formally presented to MaxLite CEO and President, Yon Sung, at the upcoming Energy Star Partner of the Year Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on April 29, 2014.“We are honored to receive our second Energy Star Partner of the Year Award,” said Yon...

RIPON, WIS.—Huebsch has extended its product range with the introduction of the HT200, a 200-pound tumble dryer for on-premises laundry accounts. Available with Galaxy controls, the single-pocket tumble dryer can help laundry operators increase staff productivity and utility efficiency.“We are committed to providing our commercial laundry customers with the most efficient and durable equipment to meet their unique laundry needs,” Huebsch North American Sales Manager Kathryn Q. Rowen said. “With a capacity range of 25 to 200 pounds, Huebsch has a tumble dryer that will deliver on-premises laundries of any size fast dry times without wasting energy.”The Galaxy-equipped HT200...

CHICAGO—Master-Bilt’s award-winning Master Controller, featuring Web2Walk-In software, is now Apple iOS compatible making remote monitoring and adjustment of walk-ins accessible from any device with an Internet connection including a PC, Mac, smartphone or tablet. The newest Master Controller will debut at the 2014 National Restaurant Show May 17 to 20 at Chicago’s McCormick Place.In addition to iOS compatibility, a new defrost function built into the Master Controller’s Web2Walk-In software monitors coil temperature and automatically turns on evaporator fans for a short time when the coil is warm to melt accumulated frost and ice from the fan guards. This function...

COMMERCE, CALIF.—Nora Lighting has released a new 2014 LED Lighting Pocket Guide featuring photos and specifications for more than 500 LED fixtures and accessories. The 100-page guide is available free to industry professionals. The guide showcases Nora’s newest offerings, including the Diamond II, Marquise and Sapphire Series of downlights. Along with detailed product descriptions and performance information, the guide includes application photos that show Nora LED fixtures in commercial, hospitality, retail, corporate and residential installations.Nora Lighting has been a pioneer in the development and introduction of LED lighting and features one of the industry’s most extensive lines of LED...