KENT, WASH.—The City of Kent, Washington now boasts one of the greenest event centers in the country. The ShoWare Center—a 154,000-square-foot multipurpose arena that is home to the Seattle Thunderbirds hockey team as well as a regional venue for sports, entertainment, concerts and trade shows—was recently awarded LEED Gold-NC (new construction) certification. Designed by Seattle-based LMN, the ShoWare Center is the first newly constructed event center in North America to achieve the LEED Gold rating. “It was exciting to be given the opportunity to help advance sustainable approaches in a new market sector,” says LMN design partner Mark Reddington. “Event...

MOONACHIE, N.J.—BULBRITE has unveiled a line of Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs. BULBRITE’s Super High Power LED PAR30 and PAR 38 provide all of the freedoms of traditional incandescent lamps and allow these energy efficient light sources to set a variety of moods and ambience for today’s interiors. The Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR30 produces 500 lumens and is a direct replacement for a 65-watt BR30 or a 50-watt PAR30 halogen bulb. The Super High Power Dimmable LED PAR38 produces 743 lumens and is a direct replacement for a 100-watt BR40 or a 75-watt Halogen...

NATIONAL REPORT—Many full-service hotels use escalators to move high volumes of guests to and from the lobby and meeting rooms during functions. Considering that these types of vertical transportation needs only occur during certain times of the day, escalator operation could be significantly scaled back, while having a minimal, if any, negative impact on a guest’s overall experience. In fact, with proper messaging, reduced escalator operation could actually be a net positive component of a guest’s experience. Hoteliers should analyze escalator usage patterns and simply shut down escalators during periods of minimal use. Encourage guests to either walk up...

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—The new integrated air-source HP-50 Heat Pump Water Heater from Rheem Water Heating offers an Energy Factor (EF) of 2.0, or more than twice the energy efficiency of a standard electric storage water heater. The new water heater qualifies for a federal tax credit as well as many state and utility rebates and incentives. Intended for residential applications, both new construction and drop-in replacement of existing water heaters, the unit has a storage capacity of 50 gallons and meets the qualifications for an Energy Star listing. Measuring only 21 inches in diameter and 75.5 inches tall, the new Rheem...

NEWBERG, ORE.—The Allison Inn & Spa will open September 26 in Newberg in the heart of Oregon’s wine country. Set on 35 acres, the 85-room (with 20 suites) property was designed by GGLO, Seattle, and is owned by Newberg-based Springbook Properties, Inc. The owners expect to earn a LEED Gold designation from the U.S. Green Building Council for the project. The Allison Inn & Spa is a four-level structure consisting of 154,000 square feet of building space. The east wing is dedicated to guestrooms. The west wing is home to the conference and event space. The inn’s lobby, restaurant...

JACKSONVILLE, FLA.—When the ground gets dry at The Jenks House Bed & Breakfast in Jacksonville, Fla., owners Tom and Ila Rae Merten don’t tap into the city’s water supply. Thanks to a rainwater capture system, they have all the water they need. Installed earlier this summer at the two-guestroom B&B, the system guides water from the garage apartment roof into four 275-gallon storage tanks (1,100 total gallons). The tanks sit on racks in the garage. The roof is 675 square feet in size. One inch of rainfall results in 193 gallons of captured water. With Jacksonville getting an average...

PHILADELPHIA—SRS Energy, a leading developer of sustainable solar roofing products, has been awarded $2,805,000 in grant and loan money from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to support the production of its Solé Power Tile system, the first solar roofing tile designed to seamlessly integrate with curved clay tile roofs. “These funds will enable SRS Energy to expand its business by opening a manufacturing plant that will put Pennsylvanians to work producing the Solé Power Tile,” said Marty Low, CEO of SRS Energy. “We are delighted at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s commitment to invest in clean, sustainable technologies that will benefit both...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 Green Power Purchaser list identified The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre as one of only three hotels in the nation as 100 percent powered by green energy resources. In October 2008, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre launched its Turn On program in partnership with Clean Currents and the EPA, integrating greener hotel products, clean energy, and inviting guests to offset the carbon footprint of their stay. “We are very proud of this accomplishment,” says Eric Siegel, executive vice president of Cohen Companies, the owner group of The Legacy Hotel &...

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Hilton Asheville, scheduled to open later this month, is one of the first major hotels in the United States to include a solar water heating system atop its roof. This system will be one of the largest installations in the Western North Carolina region. Water throughout the hotel, including the pool, will be solar heated, eliminating 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of planting 7,377 trees. The solar water heating system is just one of the hotel’s many environmentally focused features. The 165-room hotel is set in the heart of Biltmore Park Town Square, the...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—Executives of Memphis-based Cooper Hotels, the largest multi-unit operator of Tennessee hotels, announced that two of the company’s hotels are the first Tennessee hotels to utilize solar power. Installation of state-of-the-art solar thermal systems that will provide hot water is now underway at the Hilton Knoxville Airport and the Doubletree Hotel Oak Ridge. “We are proud to be on the leading edge of sustainable tourism in Tennessee,” said Pace Cooper, Cooper Hotels president and CEO. “Our company has been committed to sustainability for years, with all five of our Florida hotels earning green designations by the Florida Department of...