NEW YORK—The 1,980-room Hilton New York has been awarded the 2008-2009 Environmental Recognition Program “Green Street” Award by the Avenue of the Americas Association. The award was presented at a gala reception held recently at the hotel’s Trianon Ballroom in celebration of the organization’s 83rd Anniversary Dinner/Dance. The Hilton New York received the award in recognition of its environmentally-friendly energy fuel cell, which sits atop the building’s fifth floor roof. The Green Street Award was created to recognize members of the Association and other owners and tenants along the Avenue of the Americas for their efforts in adopting...

LAS VEGAS—Crystals, the retail and entertainment district at CityCenter, has achieved LEED Gold Core & Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the world’s largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. Opening in December, CityCenter was created with a vision to introduce a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip and has emerged as a leader in sustainable urban development. Crystals’ achievement marks the fourth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter; previous recipients included 1. ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, 2. ARIA’s convention center and theater, and 3. Vdara Hotel & Spa. CityCenter...

BOSTON—Magnum Energy Solutions recently put their Verde wireless and batteryless energy control system, powered by EnOcean, to the test in an independent study conducted at a Wyndham hotel. The test sought to measure the HVAC and lighting energy savings that could be realized by utilizing sensor and control devices that respond to hotel room occupancy statuses. The field test concluded that hotel rooms controlled by the Verde Energy Control System consumed 33 percent less energy than rooms without the energy harvesting controls. The Verde hotel room energy system determines if a hotel room is vacant or occupied according to the...

SAN METEO, CALIF.—Outsource Development Software company Solve IT Labs has developed technology to help InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) hotels achieve their environmental goals. The software allows management to track and manage hotel energy, water and waste consumption for the world’s largest hotel group. Green Engage software enables hotel owners to reduce energy costs by operating more efficiently. It measures energy and environmental metrics across eight areas of hotel operations. Hotels can measure, manage and report on environmental benchmarks. Using the program, general managers at individual properties can enter facility data on site, and compare that data with information entered from similar...

NATIONAL REPORT—Over the past several years public awareness of climate change has lead to a significant shift in the way we all live our lives. This public awareness has also lead to a groundswell of support for green facilities design that supports the desire to save the planet by reducing dependence on fossil fuels and natural resources like forest timber. One integral component in green facilities design is the method of construction, and the method of construction that is the greenest is insulated concrete forming (ICF). ICF is widely used and recognized and has been used successfully for both...

ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS—Concrete modular, pre-greened, luxury hotel guest suites were recently topped off at the Florida Keys’ Cheeca Lodge, reopening December 15. “The precedent was set for luxury construction in multimillion dollar homes, and now we’ve brought this innovative construction to the hospitality industry, as a first in the United States and possibly a first in the world,” said Jerry Johnson, owner of Cheeca Lodge & Spa. “We have been able to put up a guestroom wing in an unheard of 90 days, from pilings to topping off, and with a quality superior to that of conventional construction.” The...

COOPERSBURG, PA.—Lutron Services Company has announced the introduction of the Lighting Energy Audit, a new program designed to help facility managers and building owners reduce lighting-associated costs, implement creative energy-saving strategies, and enhance their reputation as leaders in environmentally responsible initiatives. As commercial buildings across the United States continue to age, facility management teams are increasingly being faced with issues ranging from inefficient light sources to outdated control strategies. The growing focus on sustainability has prompted many of these teams to re-examine their lighting systems when looking for new ways to save energy while lowering operating and maintenance costs....

TORRANCE, CALIF.—LEDtronics announces the latest additions to its series of energy-efficient replacements for PAR30-style light bulbs. The high-power Dimmable PAR30 is available in Halogen Warm White (2700 to 2800 Kelvin) and Warm White (3200K). These Dimmable PAR30 LED bulbs offer long-lasting durability, low power consumption and money savings. They run on standard 120 volts AC, requiring no special adapters, while only consuming 12 watts to a maximum of 15 watts. These Dimmable LED PAR30 bulbs work with most standard 120 VAC dimmer units, offering a full, smooth dimming range and directly replace standard halogens and metal halide bulbs up to...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes FLS Energy, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. FLS Energy is a solar energy generation company providing planning, design, installation and financing solutions for clients seeking clean energy alternatives and a hedge against rising energy costs. The company’s portfolio includes some of the largest solar hot water systems in the country in addition to utility scale solar electricity farms. Notable FLS Energy hotel installations include the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., and the Hilton Asheville (N.C.). In Tennessee, two installations include the Hilton Knoxville Airport...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Continental Girbau, Inc. recently introduced the 55-pound capacity E-Series, a soft-mount washer-extractor engineered to reduce operating costs at on-premise laundries through decreased gas, water and electricity consumption. The E-Series line of high-speed, soft-mount washers previously included 20-, 30- and 40-pound capacity models. But, the market’s demand for a larger option spurred the addition of the new 55-pound capacity machine, according to Joel Jorgensen, Continental vice president of sales and customer services. “On-premise laundries demand high-speed, soft-mount washers in order to improve productivity using less labor and utilities,” Jorgensen said. “Continental’s 55-pound machine is just the next step in the...