KELOWNA, B.C.—The Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel & Suites continues to charge forward with environmentally responsible initiatives. Not only has the hotel installed an electric vehicle charging station, they have just received LEED Silver Certification for their new environmental wing through the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a third-party certification program that rates buildings to the highest environmental performance standards in Canada. “This was quite the process,” says Brenda Rayburn, director of sales and marketing for the Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel & Suites. “However, for me, the length of time...

LAS VEGAS—Bartech, a provider of automatic minibar solutions for the hospitality industry, has announced a partnership with INNCOM and certified integration with the company’s INNcontrol 3 system. INNCOM develops, manufactures, and markets advanced guestroom control systems for the global lodging industry. The Bartech/INNCOM partnership will give hotels access to a rooms control system that controls in-room minibars along with various other technologies, in order to maximize operations and minimize costs.INNCOM’s INNcontrol 3 system is specifically designed to communicate with intelligent guestroom devices such as Bartech minibars. The system reports on room occupancy, network connectivity and equipment run-time, which helps...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart introduces its LXe and Advansys LXe Undercounter Warewashers. The LXe base model and Advansys LXe, which is available in high-temp and low-temp models, have been designed from the ground up to support best-in-class wash performance and are Energy Star qualified for energy- and water-saving capabilities. “Operators can choose the standard LXe model or upgrade to the Advansys LXe for advanced energy, water and cost savings compared with traditional undercounter warewashers,” said Carrie Hoff, product line manager, Hobart Warewash. “All three models occupy a small undercounter footprint and include features that simplify operation and maintenance, which can help...

LAS VEGAS—SWITCH Lighting, makers of LED replacement bulbs in 40W, 60W and 75W equivalents, announced that the SWITCH 3-Way, one of a select group of CES “Best of Innovations,” will make its public debut at CES. The bulb is the first and only 25/50/75 watt-equivalent LED bulb for use in three-way lighting fixtures.The SWITCH 3-Way was announced a “Best of Innovations” honoree in the Eco-Design and Sustainable Technologies product category in October at the 2013 International CES Press Preview, a sneak peek for journalists to see the hottest upcoming technology products. The SWITCH 3-Way and all other must-see technology...

KEMP, TEXAS—Larson Electronics announced the release of a new 4 foot LED T-series style bulb that replaces T8 and T12 fluorescent bulbs. The LEDT8-28W-V1 28 watt LED tube bulb delivers 2,750 lumens and is available in 5600K and 4300K color.Available in a nominal 4 foot length, this high lumen output LED tube has an internal driver, meaning the bulb does not require an additional external driver. Operators simply connect either 120/277 VAC or 12/24 VDC directly to the lamp to energize it.“At this time, I don’t think there is another LED T-series tube on the U.S. market delivering 2,750...

RESTON, VA.—Xeros Ltd., the United Kingdom-based maker of a “virtually waterless” laundry cleaning system, announced that the Hyatt Regency Reston, Virginia will begin using Xeros’ proprietary cleaning solution for its guestrooms and restaurant. The Xeros washing machine was installed at the property on December 4 to launder Hyatt’s guestroom and dining room linens and bath towels using less water, less chemicals and less energy than traditional methods. This marks the second site for Xeros in the United States. The company first entered the U.S. market in September 2012 with its first washing machine placed at Sterling Linens in Manchester,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Ten years ago, an infrared camera cost $50,000. Today, according to John Keane, director, Infrared Training Center, Nashua, N.H., one can purchase this type of camera for as little as $2,000. That price drop has made infrared imaging, also known as infrared thermography, more practical in a hotel environment. “The most common application is electrical inspections—looking for hot spots caused by bad connections, current overload, or other problems,” Keane says. “It would be common for a hotel to want to have all of its electrical infrastructure inspected, from the substation outside all the way to the electrical panels...

HILLSBORO, ORE.—ClearEdge Power, a manufacturer of scalable, continuous on-site power systems, has reached agreement to acquire UTC Power.“We are excited about the strategic combination of ClearEdge Power and UTC Power to address the demand for clean, continuous, distributed power solutions,” said ClearEdge Power president and CEO, David B. Wright. “The wealth of talent, intellectual capital, and technology platforms enables us to provide highly innovative product and service solutions to our customers.”The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions; closing is expected early in 2013.Go to ClearEdge Power.

LOS GATOS, CALIF.—Smart Home Labs introduces the RoboSmart wireless LED lighting system that enables smart lighting control via a smartphone, tablet or computer over Bluetooth Smart wireless.RoboSmart Light Bulb is an energy efficient Bluetooth Smart enabled LED light bulb, which can be simply controlled from any Bluetooth Smart enabled Mobile device, with customizable apps for both iOS and Android.The unique combination of energy efficient LED design and Bluetooth communications allows anyone the freedom to fully customize control of their lighting, not previously possible with standard LED bulbs.Harnessing the company’s RoboSmart technology allows for total control over the brightness, timer...

PORT ORFORD, ORE.—“It feels like you are on another planet.” That is how Michelle Duarte describes the WildSpring Guest Habitat that she and her husband own along the coast of Oregon in Port Orford. Their small, eco-friendly resort sits on five acres of 100-foot trees and includes five cabins. “The cabins are built like small homes,” Duarte says. “They are not rustic.”Just about everything possible was done to minimize the environmental footprint of the five cabin suites. Duarte’s husband, Dean, who once worked on Hollywood sets in construction, played an integral part in the building of the cabins. Only...