EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Made in USA Certified, Inc., a leader in independent, third party assurance verification for genuine Made in USA products, announced that the XLERATOR line of high-speed, energy-efficient hand dryers have been granted the Made in USA Certified Seal of Certification. The American made XLERATOR is the only hand dryer that is MADE IN USA CERTIFIED, working in compliance with the Buy American provision of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which ensures that stimulus money continues to support American innovation and manufacturing while restoring and renovating federal facilities into high-performance, green buildings. Unlike conventional hand dryers’ 30 to...

ITHACA, N.Y.—A team of three researchers has developed a standard measurement of expenses for energy and supplies that can be used as a sustainability gauge for the hotel industry. The researchers, Jie Zhang and Nitin Joglekar, of Boston University, and Rohit Verma, of Cornell University, explain their measurement in a new report from Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research, “Developing Measures for Environmental Sustainability in Hotels: An Exploratory Study.” The report is available at no charge from the center. “Looking at the hotel chart of accounts, we see that managers have to analyze expenses in at least five areas of their...

TROY, OHIO—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that ITW Food Equipment Group–North America (ITW FEG) has been honored with a 2010 Energy Star Sustained Excellence award. ITW FEG’s accomplishments were recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. ITW FEG was the only commercial foodservice equipment manufacturer that received the 2010 Sustained Excellence award. ITW FEG, an Energy Star partner since 2008, was recognized for the third consecutive year for its long-term commitment to energy efficiency. With 455 Energy Star qualified units, Hobart, Traulsen, Stero, Vulcan, Wittco and Wolf are among the ITW FEG independent companies that support...

OREM, UTAH—ILLUMRA, a leader in wireless battery-free controls, announced the release of a new solar-powered light sensor that can run indefinitely on a few hours of light a day. The new product, when used with other wireless devices, creates a daylight harvesting solution that is both easy to install and use. “The new light sensor gives building owners a powerful tool to control costs,” said Jan Finlinson, director at ILLUMRA. “By reducing electrical light levels in a room and taking advantage of the ambient light, we could greatly reduce the world’s $200+ billion light bill.” The ILLUMRA light sensor communicates to...

TROY, OHIO—For the fourth consecutive year, the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability (HCFS) is awarding a $5,000 grant to the individual or company judged to have the best-executed foodservice or food retail sustainability project of the year. Submissions are currently being accepted, and the recipient will be announced at the 2010 Greenbuild Expo scheduled for November 16 to 19 in Chicago. “At a time when every dollar counts, the Hobart Center for Foodservice Sustainability is again able to offer an additional payback for the foodservice or food retail individual or company deemed to be a best practice leader,” said...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring the first national energy efficiency contest of its kind, featuring 14 commercial buildings from across the country. Two hotels are among the 14 contestants. They include the Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown and the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol in Texas. The building that sheds the most energy waste on a percentage basis will be declared the winner at EPA’s final weigh-in on October 26, 2010. “It’s time for buildings to tighten their belts and we’re happy to help them go on an energy diet,” said Gina McCarthy,...

ROSWELL, GA.—Dectron Inc., a leading international manufacturer of indoor air quality equipment, introduces the DRY-O-TRON DSV Series, an energy-efficient dehumidifier designed for light commercial and residential indoor pool and spa areas. Besides Dectron’s signature feature of heat recovery for free pool water heating, the new DSV Series includes green features such as a variable frequency drive (VFD) controlled plenum fans, optional electronically-commutated motors (ECM), micro channel condensing coils, and the energy-saving Supervisaire controller. Additionally, DSV offers engineers and contractors a choice of three environmentally-friendly refrigerants: R-134a, R-407C or R-410A. “The new DSV is state-of-the-art energy efficiency and total designer indoor air...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Telkonet, Inc. unveiled an upgraded version of its Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE) energy management thermostat, the SS5200 smart thermostat. The SS5200 is the newest member of Telkonet’s energy management smart thermostat family. The SS5200 incorporates modifications in both its hardware and software, including: increased options involving deep setback modes; freeze and overheat protection trip point that overrides set point/mode; increased Building Management System (BMS) integration; field selectable wireless transmitting power levels; and modular radio board for easy upgrades. With an even more expansive and capable processor, the SS5200 smart thermostat offers expanded data loggers for detailed energy saving statistics. “Management...

NEW DELHI—ITC Welcomgroup turned to the experts at Carrier Airconditioning & Refrigeration Ltd. (Carrier India) to provide an energy efficient cooling solution for the ITC Hotel Royal Gardenia, Bengaluru, which was recently awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council, making it the world’s largest and Asia’s first LEED Platinum rated green hotel, according to ITC. Carrier India is a subsidiary of Carrier Corp., which is a unit of United Technologies Corp. In alignment with LEED principles, the ITC Royal Gardenia is focused on delivering “Responsible Luxury.” According to its philosophy...

SOUTH EGREMONT, MASS.—Monarch Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading global provider of bathrobes and luxury hotel linens, announced that they have signed an exclusive agreement with The Comphy Company to provide their eco-friendly line of bed sheets to hotel markets worldwide. Comphy sheets are the latest addition to the MONARCH ECO product line, a complete line of hotel towels, robes and sheets designed to conserve water and reduce energy costs in the laundry operation, while maximizing comfort and durability. Comphy sheets are designed to provide superior luxury for guests, while protecting the bottom line for hoteliers. Made from 100 percent...