MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc. is now offering the EcoGuard intelligent power outlet. Telkonet’s EcoGuard energy management outlet stops the flow of electricity to lights and plug load devices when a room is unoccupied to conserve electricity that would otherwise be wasted on an empty space. EcoGuard communicates with the EcoSmart intelligent energy management system to determine occupancy and report detailed statistics back to the cloud-based EcoCentral Command Center to accurately monitor energy usage data and real-time savings information. In addition, the EcoGuard has a built-in true power meter to monitor cost, voltage, amperage, kWh, and other metrics that provide data...

LAKE GENEVA, WIS.—Alternative Utility Services, Inc.’s new website has been redesigned to provide users with an easy way of determining the types of energy services that are available to them on a state-by-state basis. The energy procurement and consulting firms’ website, AUSenergy.com, features an interactive map allowing users the ability to click on their respective state to receive a customized list of available services that Alternative Utility Services can provide.“Our primary goal was to design a highly user-friendly experience,” said Fritz Kreiss, president of Alternative Utility Services. “After eight months of hard work, the enhanced features now make it...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Lexington by Vantage, a collection of inns, hotels and suites, has introduced a 100-room inn prototype that is specifically designed with the guest and owner/operator in mind. The announcement was made by Lexington Group President Bill Hanley at Vantage Hospitality Group’s annual Conference & Trade Show in Las Vegas.The Lexington prototype is designed to adapt to individual sites, and offers the flexibility to build more or less rooms depending on the market. Its cost-efficient, three-diamond design will enable owners to increase quality while saving as much as 25 percent on construction costs, and enjoy a very solid return...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—When light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were first introduced in the mid-2000s for general space lighting, they were considered a disappointment. Almost too dim to be useful, they were expensive and no more efficient than traditional fluorescent technology. Today, LED-based lighting products can successfully compete with rival technologies on the basis of light quality, efficiency, dimmability, and almost any other important metric except for price—which is falling rapidly. According to a recent report from Navigant Research, revenues from LED lighting products (including lamps and luminaires) in commercial building markets will grow from $2.7 billion in 2013 to more than $25...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—WattStopper has published a new edition of its Product Selection Guide (PSG), a comprehensive catalog of energy-efficient lighting controls and services. The PSG is available in print and as an eBook, and for the first time the content is also available as a mobile app.Lighting and electrical professionals rely on WattStopper’s detailed product cut sheets, featuring specifications, wiring diagrams and coverage patterns, which comprise the heart of the PSG. Easy-to-navigate color-coded sections organize the information by category, and helpful matrices give readers an at-a-glance comparison of the products within each section. WattStopper control solutions include digital lighting...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of an ultra-low water cleaning system, announced it has joined a leading alliance committed to improving supply chain sustainability in the apparel and footwear industries. Xeros, the company formed to commercialize polymer bead technology developed at the University of Leeds, is now a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), which also includes household names such as Adidas, Burberry, Coca Cola and Levi Strauss.   The coalition is an industry-wide group of more than 100 leading apparel and footwear brands, retailers, manufacturers, government organizations, nonprofit entities and academic institutions, committed to improving supply chain sustainability.In its...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—In November 2013, Buffalo’s Salvatore’s Grand Hotel became the first hotel in the world to benefit from a joint technology partnership between ZENO Controls LLC and its subsidiary Verve Living Systems. Using the wireless Verve Keycard Switch (enabled by EnOcean energy harvesting technology) to communicate with room PTAC-air conditioners and bedside lamps via the ZENO gateway with InnPoint Software, Salvatore’s Grand Hotel was able to dramatically reduce its overall energy consumption. Today, property owner Russell Salvatore is reaping the rewards of his investment, being presented a rebate check last month in the amount of $48,987.83 from local utility...

MUSKEGON, MICH.—EarthTronics announced that its Energy Star rated 23 watt LED Recessed Fixture Retrofit kit, 13 watt BR30 floodlight, and 13 watt A19 omni-directional LED light bulb exceed the voluntary California Quality Light Emitting Diode (LED) Lamp Specification issued by the California Energy Commission (CEC) for LED lamps used in residential applications. This new specification, commonly referred to as “CEC” or “California Quality Spec,” has set a LED lamp performance baseline for utilities to consider that is more stringent than Energy Star.These EarthTronics products meet or exceed all CEC specifications including color of light and color consistency by providing...

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, OHIO—The Earthwise Group, LLC, a national network of locally owned, independent manufacturers of windows and doors, recently completed the installation of 115 Earthwise vinyl windows at a Holiday Inn Express in Peekskill, N.Y. The hotel was built according to United States Green Building Council (USGBC) guidelines and is expected to earn LEED certification. The Earthwise windows used in the project played an important role in contributing to the hotel’s overall sustainability. The hotel is expected to open in December 2013.“Initially, aluminum windows were specified for this hotel project, but after learning more about the features and benefits...

LONG BEACH PENINSULA, WASH.—Adrift Hotel is taking more big steps in sustainability with its current $48,000 project to add solar hot water panels and rainwater catchment for laundry. The recent announcement was made jointly by Brady and Tiffany Turner, owners of the 80-room hotel, located at the south end of the boardwalk and nearby Discovery Trail on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula.The project, with construction taking place from October through December 2013, is being funded utilizing Seattle-based Community Sourced Capital—providers of new financial tools to help local businesses access capital namely via community-sourced small business loans.“Choosing to inhabit the far...