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...

NEW YORK—Speed Queen, a provider of commercial laundry equipment, recently featured its SC060, a 60-pound washer-extractor equipped with its Quantum Gold control at the 2012 International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show in New York City.The washer-extractor is ideal for hotel laundries because it can wash extra-large items, such as king-size comforters, rugs and quilts. Speed Queen hardmount washer-extractors help reduce operating expenses and increase profitability. The machines use 33 percent less electrical energy, and 11 percent less water on average than previous models, which is enabled by Speed Queen’s proprietary advanced inverter technology, and innovative cylinder and sump system...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform featuring Recovery Time technology, announced continuing demand for its EcoSmart technology with a completed installation at Park Hyatt Chicago.Park Hyatt Chicago installed Telkonet’s EcoInsight energy management thermostats in all 198 guestrooms, including 13 suites. Located in Chicago’s Gold Coast Historic District, Park Hyatt Chicago joins several of Telkonet’s neighboring hospitality clients, including a 1,200-room luxury hotel property. The EcoInsight, integrated with the company’s Recovery Time technology, is a programmable, controllable thermostat with more than 125 configurable settings used to control the efficiency of a property’s heating, ventilating and air-conditioning...

CHICAGO—Go Green LED Bulbs, an online LED light bulb retailer, recently added LED exit sign retrofit kits to its product line. The retrofit kits allow buildings to keep their existing exit signs, but convert them to operate as a light emitting diode (LED) technology.LED Exit Signs provide a number of benefits including reduced energy consumption and lower maintenance. Like LED light bulbs, LED exit signs consume a significantly lower amount of energy than traditional exit signs. Since exit signs are required to operate constantly, their electricity costs can add up. Because LED exit signs use a fraction of the...