GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—Reinforcing its “responsible lighting” commitment, WAC Lighting introduces LEDme Recessed Downlights. WAC Lighting, a leading manufacturer and designer of track, recessed, undercabinet, monorail and decorative lighting, develops nearly all of its responsible products in the family owned, ISO 9001-certified manufacturing campus with in-house UL approved testing labs. Developed for both residential and commercial applications, WAC’s new LEDme Downlights utilize the latest energy efficient LED technology, and offer a potential LED life of 50,000 hours. The fixtures are dimmable and available in 2-, 3- and 4-inch apertures. Designed with a clean, architectural look, LEDme Recessed Luminaires are engineered for...

PARK CITY, UTAH—The 56-suite Treasure Mountain Inn, Park City’s only 100 percent wind powered and 100 percent carbon-neutral “eco-tique” hotel, has taken an additional step towards sustainability by adding solar power to its host of green initiatives. The 18-panel system was appropriately launched on the first day of winter, the darkest day of the year, and is now generating green power for the lodging property’s spa and courtyard. Andy Beerman, Treasure Mountain Inn’s co-owner and general manager, said the solar system cost about $35,000. The inn’s owners were unable to obtain tax credits for the installation because the inn is...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes ClearEdge Power as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. With facilities in California and Oregon, ClearEdge Power is a privately held technology company leading the way for smarter, cleaner on-site energy systems focused on commercial, institutional and residential buildings. The company designs, manufactures and markets the ClearEdge5 system, a unique, proven fuel cell appliance that cleanly converts natural gas to electricity and heat, offering a significant financial savings as well as a greatly reduced impact on the global environment. The ClearEdge corporate management systems are certified...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International and the World Environment Center (WEC) announced the launch of an innovative partnership to further strengthen the environmental commitment of Marriott’s Costa Rican suppliers by reducing energy and water consumption, minimizing waste and raw material usage, and lowering operating costs. The partnership between WEC and Marriott was officially launched at the Costa Rica Marriott. This initiative is part of a program called “Cleaner Production Private Sector Partnerships” supported by the United States Department of State. Building on more than 20 years of energy conservation experience, Marriott is committed to protecting the environment and addressing climate change through...

COOPERSBURG, PA.—In effort to fill the gaps that currently exist between utilities and their customers in the burgeoning “smart grid” demand response arena, Lutron Electronics Co., Inc. announced an initiative to broaden the use of its existing technologies that are used today in many “whole home” and “whole building” lighting systems. The company hopes to move quickly to help connect power utilities “smart metering” to the electrical infrastructure in both residential homes and commercial spaces. The initiative will also include focused, new technology development efforts led by a newly-formed Energy Solutions Business Unit. The long time leader in electronic...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart’s new patent-pending Energy Star qualified AM Select Ventless warewasher not only cleans and sanitizes dishware and heavily soiled pots and pans, but it also can save more than $5,000 in energy recovery, reduced HVAC use and the elimination of a vent hood and fan installation. Using only .74 gallons of water per rack, the new AM Select is the first ventless door-type warewasher featuring energy recovery. Operators can save up to $792 per year in energy recovery (based on 200 cycles/day, 360 days per year at an energy cost of $0.011—or 1.1 cent—per cycle). Additionally, the elimination of...

LONDON—Whitbread, the United Kingdom’s leading hotel and restaurant group, confirmed details of its plans for a second green hotel and its first low-carbon restaurant. The Burgess Hill Premier Inn, in West Sussex, represents the latest evolution in environmentally-friendly budget hotels. It follows Whitbread’s pioneering green hotel pilot in Tamworth, Staffordshire—the United Kingdom’s first green budget hotel which opened its doors to guests in December 2008. The 60-bedroom Premier Inn at Burgess Hill, due to open in autumn 2010, will adopt the best-performing green technologies trialed in Tamworth to deliver 70 percent carbon and 60 percent water savings. Adjacent to the...

NATIONAL REPORT—With advancements in controls technology and equipment design, washer-extractors (washers) are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. This is good news for hoteliers looking to save money in a recovering economy. In the race to gain new business, vendors are manufacturing higher G-force machines that spin off more water faster, allowing linens to dry in less time. In some cases, advancements have allowed rinse cycles and dryers to be eliminated entirely. While innovation has allowed vendors to squeeze just about as much water as they can out of the washing process, other advances, especially in software programming, are...

FLUSHING, N.Y.—The Queens Zoo is continuing its commitment to protecting the environment—this time through pedal power. The zoo has replaced gasoline-powered golf carts with heavy-duty human powered tricycles to transport equipment and animal food and supplies throughout the 11-acre facility. This eco-friendly move not only improves the environment by releasing no carbon emissions, but also the zoo budget, as the cost of maintaining these fuel-free bikes is far less than that of the carts. The zoo expects to save significantly on fuel costs. The cycles are from Worksman Cycles, an eco-friendly company based in Ozone Park, Queens, that manufactures zero-carbon...

NORWALK, CONN.—HEI Hotels & Resorts (HEI), the United States’ fastest growing private owner/operator of hotel real estate, announced that it received the Corporate Energy Management award from the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) at the 32nd World Energy Engineering Congress 2009. One of the nation’s premier energy management and renewable energy events, the AEE Corporate Energy Management award is presented to companies and individuals who make important strides in energy conservation, sustainability efforts and/or products. HEI joins Toyota, General Motors, the U.S. Postal Service and McDonald’s as past winners of the award. “Since launching our energy management programs in 2005,...