TROY, OHIO—Two Hobart products—the Energy Star qualified Advansys CLeR conveyor-type warewasher with Energy Recovery and the Advansys LXiPR undercounter warewasher with PuriRinse—are included on the Food Consultants Society International (FCSI) “10 Most Innovative Products for 2012” list. One product from this list is going to be selected as “Product of the Year” based on voting slated to take place at the FCSI Americas Conference in Kansas City, Mo., April 19 to 21. FCSI is a recognized organization of more than 1,400 members who design foodservice installations and specify a broad range of equipment ranging from commercial ovens and storage refrigerators to...

DELAVAN, WIS.—The Green Leaf Inn is sponsoring a Green Building Challenge. The Challenge asks for participants to design an Energy Management Control System; providing a strategy and product selection to control, manage and gather data on an integrated renewable energy system for the Green Leaf Inn (GLI), opening Spring 2013 as the first Net Zero Energy Hotel in North America. Interested parties must submit completed entry forms online by July 1 at www.thegreenleafinn.com. This challenge is a first of its kind—requiring the integration of three different solar thermal systems; a cogen system, geothermal system, and a wood-fired boiler, to be...

W. CONSHOHOCKEN, PA.—All interested parties are invited to join in the development of a proposed new ASTM International standard that will identify and define sustainable best management practices that are used in commercial laundry facilities to reduce their impact on the environment.  ASTM WK35985, Practice for Sustainable Laundry Best Management Practices, is being developed by Subcommittee D13.40 on Sustainability of Textiles under the jurisdiction of ASTM International Committee D13 on Textiles.According to Gary D. Gramp, Textile Rental Services Association, and chairman of the task group developing ASTM WK35985, the commercial laundry industry has made a commitment to sustainability. “We...

RICHARDSON, TEXAS—VingCard Elsafe announced that its Orion energy management system has won a Star Award from Top Hotel, Germany’s most subscribed hotel industry trade publication. Orion was honored in the Technology category, which was voted on by more than 2,500 Top Hotel readers as part of the magazine’s annual competition. The award was presented during the recent InterNorga hospitality trade show in Hamburg. Orion by VingCard Elsafe is comprised of wireless digital thermostats, occupancy sensors, door position interfaces, remote server software and a comprehensive dashboard reporting interface. The room control dashboard provides an overview of guestroom electronic systems, including occupancy...

NIANTIC, CONN.—When the Grand Hyatt DFW completed its recent $13 million renovation, INNCOM played an integral role in the property’s focus on energy conservation. To better blend in-room technology with the hotel’s sophisticated welcome scene upon entering the room, INNCOM designed a new bedside controller for the Grand Hyatt DFW that enables guests to control lighting, temperature, drapes, sheers, privacy, make-up room and other service requests. The company also installed INNCOM’s MODEVA series backlit glass switches, and added the INNCOM drape controller that gives guests the ability to remotely open and close heavy-duty blackout drapes and sheers. “The...

NEW YORK—Greenwood Energy, the North American renewable energy division of the Libra Group, announced its engagement to install the first combined heat and power plant for the Millennium Hilton Hotel in New York. It is a further addition to Greenwood Energy’s rapidly developing clean power generation offering. “This expansion of Greenwood Energy’s operations in clean and efficient power generation for the hotel sector is blazing a trail for the industry in North America, where alternative power generation is beginning to make a real breakthrough,” said Greenwood Energy’s CFO, Douglas Johnsen. “Adding the Millennium Hilton to our portfolio puts us in...

DELAVAN, WIS.—When the husband-and-wife team of Fritz Kreiss and Catherine McQueen learned that a two-lane highway adjacent to their five-acre property in Delavan, Wis. would be expanded to four lanes they could have tried to sell the land with their cottage on it. Instead, they decided to build perhaps North America’s greenest lodging establishment—the 19-suite Green Leaf Inn that will be a net zero energy property. Net zero energy properties generate more energy than they consume. The Green Leaf Inn is scheduled to open in the spring of next year.It is the owners’ intention for the inn to serve...

GRANVILLE, OHIO—Next generation Acrylic Washington PostLite II LED luminaires from Holophane deliver more benefits and choices for a complete range of outdoor applications, including: walkways and parking lots. Enhanced LED sources reduce energy and maintenance costs while original housings provide improved appearances and more design options.Washington PostLite II LED luminaires are the latest generation of a line of luminaires considered the standard for decorative acorn-style lanterns. The new LED optical design replicates HID light levels with asymmetric and symmetric distribution and comfortable, low-glare in multiple lumen packages for design flexibility. Like the original, the new generation is optimized to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—LG Electronics has been named 2012 Energy Star Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA is honoring LG for its contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy-efficient products and helping to educate consumers about those products.A long-time Energy Star partner, LG Electronics increased its U.S. sales of products that earn the Energy Star label, the government-backed symbol of energy efficiency, by nearly 30 percent in 2011. LG’s accomplishments were recognized at the EPA’s awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 15, marking the 20th anniversary of Energy Star.“As we celebrate...

VERNON HILLS, ILL.—Scotsman Ice Systems announced it was named in McDonald’s Corporation’s 2012 Best of Sustainable Supply Chain report for its Prodigy line of ice machines. The line reduces up to 50 percent of water consumption, which translates into saving more than 150,000 gallons of water over the typical lifetime of the machine. McDonald’s Best of Sustainable Supply Chain report recognizes companies that implement innovative and effective ways to address challenges to help improve food sources, the environment, communities and employee wellness across the world. “Scotsman was the only ice machine manufacturer awarded this distinction in 2012 by McDonald’s,” said Rich...