VISTA, CALIF.—Sustainable Industries named Solatube International’s Solatube 750 DS Daylighting System as one of its 2010 Top 10 Green Building Products award winners. This is the second consecutive year the Solatube 750 DS has been selected as a “Top 10” product by Sustainable Industries, making it the first product to earn the distinction more than once. The Solatube 750 DS, designed for use in all retrofit and new construction commercial applications, was selected by Sustainable Industries from more than 100 entries based on its environmental performance, scalability/market impact, innovativeness, design aesthetic, value and compatibility with the U.S. Green Building Council’s...

ATLANTA—Hyatt Hotels in New York City; Jersey City, New Brunswick, and Morristown, N.J.; Fairfax, Va.; and Greenville S.C. participated in demand response curtailment programs during the recent record setting heat wave, and as a result saved approximately 760 kW of electricity in one day alone, which is the same amount of power needed to supply about 117 homes.The Hyatt Hotels’ participation in demand response during these emergency conditions helped their local utility companies meet the power demand of all customers and avoid power outages and blackouts. Demand response is a relatively new concept gaining wide acceptance as an effective...

ORLANDO—INNCOM International recently unveiled a new Radio Frequency (RF) Tabletop/Bedside Controller as part of its Integrated Room Automation System (IRAS) that is completely customizable. It is a multi-purpose device that features customizable touchscreen guest control of room temperature, lighting, drapes and alarm clock. The Internet-enabled TBL-80LCD can also display guest services information and online communications, automated CRM information delivery and easy staff reporting functions. INNCOM’s Privacy/Make-up Room, its patented ecoMODE, and in room/outdoor temperature also are part of the branded and customized display. INNCOM debuted its TBL-80LCD at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC). Also on display was...

NATIONAL REPORT—LEDs (light-emitting diodes) have been making their way into the lodging industry for years now—in exit signs, exterior signage, for downlighting, track lighting, and in other applications. In the guestroom or in other spaces where standard incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) need to be replaced, however, LEDs have not been practical due to cost. Could that be changing? The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will end the sale of 100-watt incandescent bulbs in the United States by January 1, 2012, 75-watt bulbs by 2013 and 40- and 60-watt bulbs by 2014. As incandescents are phased out,...

LONDON—Whitbread PLC, the United Kingdom’s largest hotel and restaurant group, announced that as part of this year’s capital investment program it will be spending more than $10.6 million on a sustainability program to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. The move forms an important part of Whitbread’s ‘Good Together’ sustainability strategy and will help the business deliver against its targets of a 26 percent reduction in energy consumption and a 20 percent reduction in water use by 2020. The investment drive will focus on Whitbread’s existing estate and will see the introduction of a package...

DALLAS—Motel 6’s newest property in Northlake, Texas, is the first economy hotel in the nation to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the first hotel for parent company Accor to gain the distinction. “With the brand’s ‘Phoenix’ prototype, we are setting the pace for the future of Motel 6, which, in line with our values, must be as energy-efficient as possible,” said Olivier Poirot, CEO of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. “LEED’s high environmental standards lend a great deal of credence to our efforts, and we...

NEW YORK—New York buildings commissioner Robert LiMandri recently announced the launch of the New York City Energy Conservation Code (NYCECC), the first energy code developed specifically for New York City. The NYCECC amends the New York State Energy Conservation Construction Code, which previously set efficiency standards for construction in New York City. The NYCECC is more stringent than the state code, requiring thousands of more building projects to meet energy efficiency requirements. The NYCECC was introduced as legislation by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and New York City Council speaker Christine C. Quinn in April 2009 as part of the...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Bulbs.com as a Founding Sponsor. The company offers a wide selection of energy-efficient replacement bulbs, ballasts, fixtures and can consult on almost any lighting project. With its prepaid recycling containers, Bulbs.com also can help with bulb recycling programs. The company has certificates of proper recycling and disposal available and its prepaid containers follow EPA guidelines and keep businesses compliant. Bulbs.com first entered the lighting market in 1999. The company is now one of the largest Philips Lighting distributors, servicing more than 91,000 businesses operating 250,000 business locations. Bulbs.com’s...

HEALDSBURG, CALIF.—The July 4 holiday weekend turned out to be a good time to open for the new water-themed h2hotel in California’s Northern Sonoma Wine Country. The four-story, 36-room hotel sold out—a good sign for the owners of the $19 million property. A collaboration among David Baker + Partners, the architect responsible for the AIA design award-winning Hotel Healdsburg, Andrea Cochran Landscape Architecture, and Marie Fisher and Jen Gadiel Interior Design, h2hotel is primed to earn a  LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Unique in many ways, h2hotel is located within 10 miles of 100 wineries and...

ORLANDO—INNCOM International and SAFLOK recently displayed their joint collaboration of a radio-frequency (RF) interface for energy management at the Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition & Conference (HITEC) that provides a cost-effective EMS for hotels by allowing the electronic door lock and thermostat to communicate wirelessly. The joint integration, introduced first in November 2009, was quickly adopted across the industry due to its ability to allow hotels to use the door lock to communicate via RF to the thermostat. Every time the door is opened, it communicates to the thermostat and enables energy management algorithms to take effect and thus reduce...