BRADENTON, FLA.—American ALDES is now working with the top hotel chains to implement highly effective strategies to save energy at existing properties by installing devices that automatically regulate ventilation systems to save energy and provide good indoor air quality. Many energy experts have reported the cost of ventilation systems in hotels as 4 percent, but the often overlooked real cost of ventilation is the load it places on heating and cooling systems. Energy saving programs often address the effects of energy waste rather than the cause. These tactics often focus on less consumption by improving the efficiency of the HVAC...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Enlighted, Inc., a building sense and control company, launched the Enlighted Lighting Control system and announced the successful closing of a $14 million round of funding from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Intel Capital.  This funding will support growth plans for Enlighted’s significant project pipeline and its efforts to deploy its innovative lighting and energy management platform. This novel system provides lighting monitoring and control distributed to the level of each fixture in the building that is designed to achieve between 50 to 75 percent energy savings in existing customer facilities. In addition to reducing...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide and its portfolio of 10 hotel brands announced the 2010 results of LightStay, its sustainability measurement system. Since the introduction of LightStay, the company continues to improve sustainability and economic performance and saved more than $74 million in utility costs as a result of the following reductions: 6.6 percent reduction of energy use; 7.8 percent reduction of carbon output; 19 percent reduction of waste output; and 3.8 percent reduction of water use. To date, Hilton Worldwide’s efforts are equivalent to the removal of more than 50,000 cars from the road, water savings that could fill more than...

TORONTO—In an effort to advance far-reaching strategies for energy efficiency and fossil fuel independence in new and operational buildings, the International Living Future Institute unveiled the Net Zero Energy Building Certification program. The program is linked to the Living Building Challenge, widely considered to be the world’s most stringent and progressive green building program. As with the Living Building Challenge, certification is based on actual performance rather than modeled outcomes. Buildings must be operational for at least 12 consecutive months prior to evaluation. “In the next two decades, we are looking at the disappearance of cheap oil, a scarcity of...

CAROLINA, PUERTO RICO—Verdanza Hotel in Isla Verde has become the first hotel on the island with a charge station for electronic vehicles (EVs). “At Verdanza we are proud of our efforts to ensure that the daily operation of the hotel is friendly to the environment. The decision to install a charge station was a natural next step in our commitment to contribute to a healthier environment,” said  Rick Newman, president of Verdanza Hotel, adding that although Puerto Rico has not yet reached a critical mass in the use of EVs, it is fertile ground for this type of innovation. “The...

MENTOR, OHIO—EYE Lighting International, a leading manufacturer of lamps, luminaires and related lighting products, has achieved recognition on the Designlights Consortium’s Qualified Products List. LED fixtures on this list may qualify for state and utility energy efficiency program incentives. The demand for LED fixtures is growing at a rapid pace and utilities want to be assured they are purchasing high quality LED luminaires. The Designlights national list of qualified products provides the necessary information for energy efficiency program administrators to determine whether the LED luminaires they are evaluating qualify for possible incentives. The Designlights product list requires criteria similar to...

TORONTO—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced the launch of the Demand Response Partnership Program (DR Partnership Program). The DR Partnership Program will reach thousands of commercial buildings to educate, promote and drive participation in demand response programs. Through the program, USGBC and EDF will partner with selected utilities, solution providers and program sponsors to work together on this groundbreaking initiative. “There is no doubt that without demand response this past summer that our nation’s electric grid could have experienced significant stresses costing the economy untold billions of dollars,” said Jon Wellinghoff, chairman of the...

CINCINNATI—Cintas Corp. launched a nationwide air-conditioning (A/C) coil cleaning service called ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas. The service enables hoteliers to lower energy bills, extend the life of air-conditioning units and improve indoor air quality, resulting in higher guest satisfaction scores.  “Air-conditioning units that are not properly maintained can lead to high energy bills, premature unit failure, odors, allergies and other health issues,” said Fred Wehby, senior director of Deep Clean Services, Cintas. “ChemTron Coil Cleaning by Cintas ensures that all units are properly cleaned to run at maximum efficiency. On average, hotel owners using the service achieve a 28...

WILMINGTON, N.C.—Efficient Energy America (E2America), a leading supplier of building optimization technology, announced that the company has expanded its operations to Colorado, with a primary focus on improving energy efficiency in restaurants. Already installed in McDonalds, Bojangles, Taco Bell and Golden Corral franchises across the United States, E2America’s automated, self-refining, wireless, retrofit building control systems go far beyond traditional energy management technology to reduce electricity costs, usage and carbon emissions for commercial enterprises. The addition of a dedicated sales team in Colorado provides support to further increase the rapid acceptance of the company’s technology. With many restaurants and other commercial...

NATIONAL REPORT—If you are reading this article, it can be assumed that you either own or operate a heated swimming pool. If so, you probably would like to reduce your pool heating costs and save money. Beyond turning down the pool’s thermostat and keeping the pool covered, your options are limited. The purpose of this article is to explore those options. Businesses such as hotels, motels, resorts and water parks have no choice but to keep their pools at a comfortable temperature. Fossil fuel prices fluctuate significantly and are expected to rise over the next decade. Commercial pools are perfect...