PETER ISLAND, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS—Boaters have known for decades how to harness the power of wind, and, this past spring, Peter Island Resort & Spa followed their lead by becoming the first to install wind turbines in the Virgin Island territory. “We’ve studied the idea for years as a method to better manage our energy needs while maintaining the beautiful, undisturbed landscapes that Peter Island is known for,” said Van Ande, CEO of the property. “These new state-of-the-art turbines are not only environmentally friendly but also energy efficient, which makes them an ideal option for this geographic location. Many people...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—WattStopper has enhanced its extensive offering of energy-efficient lighting controls with a line of wall box dimmers and fan speed controls to help building owners and facility managers capture energy savings when lighting is on. The new dimmers include a family of specification-grade architectural dimmers, intended primarily for commercial applications, and three families of designer dimmers for commercial, hospitality and residential applications. WattStopper now offers products designed to dim most lighting loads, including two-wire, three-wire and 0 to 10 volt fluorescent ballasts. Most of the new controls feature preset functionality, and all of the preset dimmers can be...

NATIONAL REPORT—The great irony of building green is that the very concepts intended to enhance a building’s performance over its entire lifetime are many of the same things that make a building highly susceptible to moisture and mold problems during its first few years of operation. While green buildings have many positive benefits, there is also strong evidence to suggest a direct correlation between new products/innovative design and building failures. Simply put, departing from the “tried and true” often means increasing the risk of building failure. Two strong characteristics of most green buildings are: 1) the use of innovative, locally-produced products...

MOONACHIE, N.J.—Ideal for outdoor use, especially during the spring and summer seasons, BULBRITE introduces Bug Lights in its extensive line of standard light sources. BULBRITE is a leading supplier of energy-efficient light source solutions and a premier educational resource for lamping technology. BULBRITE Bug Lights can be used for outdoor security fixtures, downlights and portables. They are available in compact fluorescent and standard incandescent lamps. Both are designed with a bright yellow finish, which repels bugs and insects. The CFL Bug Light offers 75 percent energy savings and lasts eight times longer than standard incandescents. It has a minimum starting temperature...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality, a leading distributor of green hotel products and marketing programs for the hospitality industry, has added four new product partners: AquaHealth, Evolve Guest Controls, The Green Garmento, and Zero Odor. “We’re proud to have AquaHealth, Evolve, The Green Garmento, and Zero Odor join us as Pineapple Partners,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality. “Whether it’s a sustainable water solution, energy controls, greener option for guestroom laundry service, or a unique way to actually eliminate odors instead of masking them, these companies demonstrate how everyone in the green hospitality market can work together to bring a...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the 50 green power partners using the most renewable electricity. The Green Power Partnership’s top purchasers use more than 12 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electricity use of more than 1 million average American homes. Green Power helps to prevent emissions from conventional power sources that are linked to harmful air pollution and climate change. The top 10 on the list are Intel Corp., Kohl’s Department Stores, Whole Foods Market, City of Houston, Dell Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cisco...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...

AUBURN, N.H.—Aquawing Ozone Injection Systems (AWOIS) LLC, in Auburn, N.H., recently released a new laundry ozone injection system engineered to serve the hospitality market, including hotels, motels and B&Bs, according to Brett Daniels, the company’s vice president. The new ozone system works by infusing a continual flow of ozone, at a consistent concentration, into the wash process to properly clean moderately soiled linens and towels. The system, according to Daniels, produces cleaner linens over traditional washing, while significantly reducing the use of natural gas, water and chemicals, as well as resulting costs. “This system was created to address the laundry...

DALLAS—The fastest, easiest path to reducing an organization’s operational costs is to upgrade its buildings’ HVAC systems. Improvements to commercial heating, cooling and ventilation equipment provide both immediate and long-term benefits, including lower energy bills, fewer service calls and less downtime. These savings can be significant, but the key to achieving them is system verification—proof that the system is providing the benefits it was designed for and working the way it should. Lennox Industries presents five steps below—any of which can reduce operational costs painlessly. Taken together, all five will control operational costs dramatically for now and for years to...

KEMP, TEXAS—Larson Electronics’ magnalight.com announced the addition of the SPLED-5 solar powered area light with rechargeable 12 hour run time battery. The SPLED-5 LED light can be surface mounted or affixed to a pole or rail. The 8 watt solar panel powers a 5 watt LED light that dims and brightens automatically based on an integrated motion detector. An integrated day and night sensor will trigger the light to come on in dim mode once the ambient light reaches a low lumens threshold, like late evening or dusk.Featuring a motion detector and low light sensor, the SPLED-5 solar powered...