WASHINGTON, D.C.—Results of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2012 Lodging Survey provide strong evidence that the greening of the U.S. lodging industry is continuing. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and conducted by STR, 52,155 U.S. hotel properties were polled in the survey that is conducted every two years. Similar data has been collected since 1988. There was a healthy response rate of 23 percent to this year’s survey.While most of the questions were repeated from previous years, there were new questions as well. For example, hoteliers were asked for the first time...

NEWTON, MASS.—Aircuity, the airside efficiency company, announced the release of a case study on the Mohegan Sun entitled, “Balancing a ‘World at Play’ with Sustainability and Environmental Objectives.” As demonstrated in the case study Aircuity helped Mohegan Sun maximize their energy efficiency by using centralized demand control ventilation (DCV) to provide the appropriate amount of ventilation for maximum occupant comfort in their resort and casino. Mohegan Sun is dedicated to providing world class entertainment in a facility that is clean, safe and enjoyable for guests. The Mohegan Tribe has a high regard for preserving the environment and chose Aircuity’s DCV...

SAN DIEGO—EnvironmentalLights.com, a source of sustainable, energy-efficient LED lighting products, announced that they have released a new streamlined e-commerce website that will make it easier for consumers and professionals to shop online for LED lighting solutions. “We are thrilled about our new website and the flexibility it gives us to display our wide range of products,” said president Greg Thorson. “Our new website represents the professionalism of our team and the quality of the products we sell. We have a fantastic team supporting us and we have a long list of improvements still to come.” EnvironmentalLights.com performed extensive design and research...

CONCORD, CALIF.—It got official as it can get earlier this year on June 5. It was on that day that the Hilton Concord in Concord, Calif., was designated the Sustainability Flagship by Interstate Hotels & Resorts in a proclamation released by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Concord. The 329-key hotel was selected by Interstate to be the green prototype of what could be rolled out across the company’s other five wholly-owned and managed hotels. “Our plan is to implement similar programs and technologies at our other five wholly-owned hotels as part of our annual planned capital...

LANCASTER, PA.—Lancaster, Pa.-based High Hotels Ltd.’s Homewood Suites by Hilton Harrisburg-West in Mechanicsburg, Pa., has earned the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star certification. Located in the Rossmoyne Business Center, the property is one of 12 hotels in Pennsylvania that currently holds Energy Star certification according to the Energy Star website directory.The property joins several other High Hotels properties that have been awarded Energy Star certification. Additionally the hotel’s owner, High Hotels, is recognized as a Green Plus-certified company, the Institute for Sustainable Development’s highest level of recognition for triple-bottom-line sustainability.“High Hotels is committed to providing environmentally sound options for...

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—Matching eco-friendly nanotechnology with modern aesthetics, WAC Lighting offers two new Organic LED luminaires. “Designed and engineered to stimulate curiosity and aesthetic appeal among the design and specification community, our next generation OLED luminaires raise the bar with a unique lighting experience of vision and sustainability,” said WAC Lighting president, Shelley Wald.The Vela OLED Chandelier is defined by a dramatic contemporary profile laser-crafted of aluminum, with 12 OLED panels that illuminate surfaces below, and 12 additional OLEDs that shine upward to render a soft ambiance that evokes a lighter sense of space and visual comfort. The chandelier...

NEW YORK—Barclay the Bee has landed in the InterContinental New York Barclay’s guestrooms with a question—“to wash, or not to wash”? The hotel’s friendly messaging mascot is highlighting an important aspect of the InterContinental New York Barclay’s sustainable initiatives—water savings—with a new “Don’t Wash” symbol and fun in-room message delivery. A Bee-shaped cut-out sign designed to sit in a holder on nightstands features Barclay the Bee holding a message advising guests of the hotel’s commitment to every-other-day sheet and towel washing. Guests who desire every day service simply remove the bee card from its holder and place it on...

LAS VEGAS—Tracy Bilbrough, CEO of SWITCH Lighting, the provider of a full family of LED replacements to the incandescent A-Lamp, revealed for the first time key details behind the company’s core technology to a group of industry insiders during a speech at the LED Show. Bilbrough also introduced SWITCH’s new LQD Cooling System.“We’re proud to reveal the patented technology behind the LQD Cooling System,” Bilbrough said. “We have brought our liquid silicone coolant and patented driver together under one technology to deliver the best thermal management solution on the market. We can’t think of a better place to show...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Energy Star program launched the 2012 National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings with a record 3,200 buildings across the country going head to head to improve energy efficiency, lower utility costs and protect health and the environment.Commercial buildings in the United States are responsible for about 20 percent of the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion annually in energy bills. In 2011, the 245 participants saved $5.2 million on their utility bills and prevented nearly 30,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually,...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Girbau Industrial’s new PC-120 Flatwork Ironer is engineered to meet the needs of high-volume laundries. Available in natural gas, steam and thermal fluid, it features advanced programmability while producing a high-quality finish in little time. The PC-120 Flatwork Ironer finishes up to 164 feet of linen per minute.Designed to meet the needs of a variety of high-volume laundry applications, the PC-120 comes available in 118-, 130- or 138-inch finishing widths with up to three, 48-inch diameter rolls. The new natural gas model delivers 93 percent efficiency. The natural gas model is engineered with an integrated boiler that allows...