RALEIGH, N.C.—In October, the Raleigh Convention Center joined an elite group of convention centers—those that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Raleigh’s case, it earned LEED Silver, joining the Phoenix Convention Center, Spokane (Wash.) Convention Center Expansion, and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., as LEED Silver recipients. The Raleigh facility earned the LEED designation a little more than a year after the center opened in September 2008. The Raleigh Convention Center is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh. According to Laurie Okun, director of...

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CALIF.—LG Electronics USA announced the grand opening of the LG Training Academy in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., to support the company’s expanding commercial air-conditioning business in the United States. As a growing participant in the climate control industry, this second U.S. training facility for LG Electronics Commercial Air Conditioning illustrates a burgeoning U.S. HVAC business. The first was opened a year ago just outside of Atlanta. Opened specifically with LG’s West Coast customer base in mind, this academy has the capability of training hundreds of engineers, contractors and technicians annually. The training academy will educate a diverse audience on...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a clean technology company that develops and manufactures proprietary energy management and smart grid networking technology, is conducting a restructuring which includes the relocation of its offices from Germantown, Md., to Milwaukee. This transition is part of an ongoing focus to competitively position the company within the $50 billion smart grid and clean technology industries while achieving favorable cost reductions. This completes the company’s corporate strategy to consolidate the Telkonet and EthoStream businesses into a single location. Also as part of the corporate restructuring, Telkonet has announced that its chief financial officer Rick Leimbach will be leaving...

LAS VEGAS—Control4, a leader in IP-based home and hospitality control systems, announced that Control4 Suite Systems is being used to enhance the guest experience in more than 4,300 guestrooms in the ARIA Resort & Casino and Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas at CityCenter. Control4 Suite Systems enables guests to control every aspect of the room environment and interact with entertainment and hotel services, while providing CityCenter with control of energy usage. CityCenter is the largest Control4 Suite Systems deployment to date. “Today’s consumers are just as conscious of being green when they travel as they are when they’re home,” said Scot...

HERNDON, VA.—The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded the Energy Star qualification to Renaissance Lighting Inc. on seven more of its newest 4-inch all-white solid-state LED downlight fixtures. Recently, 11 of the company’s all-white 7-inch downlights became the first to receive the Energy Star qualification. With this announcement, Renaissance Lighting now has the most Energy Star qualified solid-state downlight models available in the industry. The Energy Star qualification helps customers identify the most energy-efficient products on the market. Renaissance Lighting, a leading innovator in the development and manufacture of energy-efficient, ultra long-life solid-state luminaires, continues to achieve increased lighting...

TEMPERANCE, MICH.—MTS Seating, a leading manufacturer of hospitality stackable seating, was recognized by Consumers Energy of Michigan for its commitment to renewable energy through the Green Generation program. As one of the top 10 largest participants in the program, MTS utilizes more than a half a million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy per year. This equals nearly 20 percent of the company’s total annual consumption. “For an operation of our size, purchasing even a small percentage of renewable energy can have a noticeable impact on our carbon footprint,” said Phil Swy, CEO of MTS. “We also recognize the importance of supporting...

LAS VEGAS—Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a hotel located at the new CityCenter on The Strip, has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to receive a LEED rating, and marks the sixth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter, which is one of the world’s largest sustainable developments. “Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is known for demonstrating its leadership in the hotel industry,” said Rajesh Jhingon, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. “We are honored to have the Group’s first LEED Gold certified hotel.” Mandarin Oriental Highlights • The...

ATLANTA—A new program to inform building owners and operators, tenants and prospective buyers on the energy use of buildings, similar to a nutrition label on food or miles per gallon ratings on cars, was launched to encourage the building industry to find ways to cut energy use and costs. The Building Energy Quotient program, which will be known as Building EQ, will include both As Designed (asset) and In Operation (as operated) ratings for all building types, except residential. It also will provide a detailed certificate with data on actual energy use, energy demand profiles, indoor air quality and other...

ROANOKE, VA.—The Best Western Clock Tower Inn, Billings, Mont., has installed Lodging Technology’s GEM Link Wireless Energy Management in all 127 guestrooms. GEM Link Wireless reduces hotel/motel guestroom HVAC energy consumption 35 percent to 45 percent by resetting room temperature to an energy conserving level, pre-selected by the hotel, only while the guest is out of the room. GEM Link uses the reliable ZigBee wireless protocol and consists of wireless passive infrared (PIR) occupancy sensors, wireless door switches, and a transceiver control module connectable to any HVAC unit. The Best Western Clock Tower Inn has a mixture of GE and...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a leading manufacturer of ozone generation systems for water and air purification, announced it has received the UL and ULC (equivalent to the Canadian Standards Assn. certification program) safety certification mark for its EcoTex Advanced Laundry Oxidation Systems. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is an independent product safety certification organization that tests products and writes standards for safety. It has done so for more than a century. Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada, under the National Standards System. ClearWater Tech completed...