GREENVILLE, S.C.—Windsor/Aughtry Company announced an agreement with FLS Energy to provide solar hot water technology for the new Courtyard Marriott hotel at the intersection of Main and Broad Streets in downtown Greenville, S.C. This marks the first Marriott property in the United States to boast a commercial-scale solar hot water system. The plan includes 60 solar panels that have been installed to heat 2,900 gallons of hot water a day for the hotel. The hotel is scheduled to open late this month or early May. According to Paul C. “Bo” Aughtry, III, principal with Windsor/Aughtry Company, this environmentally sustainable venture represents...

WESTMINSTER, COLO.—The Westin Westminster announced that it will capitalize on Colorado’s 300-plus days of annual sunshine with the installation of a state-of-the-art solar panel system to help provide power to the 369-room hotel. The solar panels, which are scheduled to be installed next month on the roof of the hotel, will produce 42,576 kilowatt-hours per year—the equivalent to planting more than 192 trees annually. The Westin Westminster has applied to receive a grant from the federal government and a solar rebate from Xcel Energy, making it the first hotel in Colorado to take advantage of these programs. The 32-kilowatt solar...

SAN FRANCISCO—The four-diamond W San Francisco made history this week by earning the first LEED certification of an existing building belonging to a major hotel brand. With its Silver LEED certification, W San Francisco becomes only the seventh hotel in the United States to receive the recognition for an existing building. Stringent criteria for an existing building certification measure “operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts,” according to the U.S. Green Building Council, which administers the LEED program. “For our guests, the green experience at W San Francisco...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart announced that the patent-pending Energy Star qualified AM Select Ventless warewasher is the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) Product of the Year for 2010. FCSI presented the award following a tally of votes gathered from professional consultants at its recent annual conference in Minneapolis. FCSI is a prominent, globally recognized organization of more than 1,400 members who design foodservice installations and specify a broad range of equipment ranging from commercial ovens and storage refrigerators to dishwashers and cleaning systems. At its annual conference FCSI members vote on the most innovative products among 10 finalists selected in the...

VALLEY CENTER, CALIF.—The Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians announced the completion of a 1 Megawatt solar plant that provides enough power to run approximately 90 percent of the Harrah’s Rincon Casino & Resort’s heating ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC). The plant reduces grid consumption, curtailing enough energy to power about 2,200 homes. The 3,936-panel solar field, which was manufactured and installed by Suntech, will produce enough energy to offset almost a quarter of the casino’s total power consumption. Bo Mazzetti, chairman of the Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians, said he is grateful for the leadership that the Harrah’s Rincon team...

HASTINGS, MINN.—The Loyalton Group announced that the Association of Starwood Franchisees & Owners—North America (ASFONA) has chosen The Loyalton Group as an Associate Member, and appointed The Loyalton Group’s director of client services, Scott Kurtz, as an Honorary Board Member. Founded in 1996, The Loyalton Group assists commercial and industrial businesses with identifying and securing deregulated energy sources to include daily invoice and utility expense management, budgeting, facility optimization and sustainability consulting. “Optimizing energy efficiency and lowering energy usage and associated costs is a priority for the hotel industry today,” stated John Shingler, president of ASFONA. “In speaking with Scott,...

AURORA, OHIO—For the second year in a row, TCP, Inc. has been named Energy Star Partner of the Year for Lighting Product Manufacturers by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The company is recognized for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy efficient lighting products, including compact fluorescent (CFL) and LED lamps for residential, commercial and industrial applications. The award also acknowledges TCP’s work to educate consumers about the energy saving benefits associated with using energy efficient lighting products. “Today, EPA is recognizing TCP for taking the lead in addressing...

WAIKIKI, OAHU—Building on its commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and being “green,” the 1,310-room Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has installed a new gridsmart solar panel lighting system in its outdoor parking lot, reducing its power consumption from 30,000 watts a day to 12,000 watts a day. The gridsmart solar lighting technology harnesses solar energy to power more than 45 percent of the needed electricity to run the lights at night. “We continue to seek ways in which we as hoteliers and community members can do our part in protecting our environment,” said Chris Tatum, general manager of...

BOSTON—The Comfort Inn & Suites Logan International Airport, a Saunders Group Hotel, is nearing completion of a multi-million dollar eco-driven renovation. Today more than 90 green practices are in place including in-room recycling bins, a food waste composting program that engages guests, a laundry ozone system that eliminates most hot water usage, spa-quality shampoo and soap dispensing systems that eliminate 270 thousand small bottles from entering the waste stream, a pool ionizing system which makes the water sparkling clean without unhealthy chlorine, and a small fleet of CNG (compressed natural gas) shuttles. To promote excellent indoor air quality, the...

NIANTIC, CONN.—INNCOM International Inc. announced that its automated guestroom systems played a lead role in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification of the Yountville, Calif.-based Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa. LEED Platinum, the highest designation of its kind by the U.S. Green Building Council, recognizes sustainable and environmentally friendly building designs, including hotels. LEED promotes a whole-building approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in six key areas of human and environmental health: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, indoor environmental quality, and innovation in design. The 62-room Bardessono, a luxury boutique hotel distinguished...