WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council stepped up its commitment to improved building performance with the launch of the Building Performance Initiative, designed to put in place a comprehensive data collection effort from all buildings that have achieved LEED certification; implement an appropriate analysis methodology of that data; and provide feedback to building owners so they have better information with which to address any performance gaps that stem from predicted building performance versus actual performance. This initiative complements the announcement earlier this year that will require ongoing performance data from buildings as part of their certification under the...

CLEVELAND,OHIO—The Holiday Inn brand is currently undergoing a $1 billion global relaunch—the largest in the hospitality industry with more than 3,200 hotels being updated to improve quality and drive consistency at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world. A redesign of the iconic brand logo required new exterior signage for more than 3,200 locations. The signage incorporates energy-efficient, long-life GE Tetra LED lighting systems, which are GE ecomagination certified solutions from Lumination, GE Consumer & Industrial’s LED business. The new signage will save Holiday Inn an estimated $4.4 million annually over previous neon and fluorescent lighting...

PERKASIE, PA.—Hotel owners and facility managers struggle with high energy costs because rooms are often left unoccupied with the HVAC system continuing to heat or cool at comfort set-point levels. With an onboard occupancy sensor incorporated into the case, PSG’s new OS-1 solves this problem. The OS-1 determines when a room is unoccupied and places it into set-back economy mode. To provide flexibility, the length of time without motion before going into set-back is configurable, as is the temperature setting of the setback economy mode, so that the property owner or manager maintains control over the room environment while...

ASPEN, COLO.—Altech Solar recently completed its latest solar installation at the St. Regis Resort in Aspen, Colorado. The St. Regis Resort contracted Altech Solar to install its custom solar thermal technology, which has already dramatically decreased the resort’s dependence on natural gas; the price of which has skyrocketed in recent years. Using the sun’s energy, more than 1,300 solar e-tubes mounted in solar array panels on the resort’s main building roof heat a liquid solution housed in vacuum tubes, resembling copper and glass torpedoes, to temperatures exceeding more than 2 million BTUs (British Thermal Units) per day. The heated solution...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes EverGlow NA, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. EverGlow NA is a provider of photoluminescent exit signs and exit path markings. The company’s aluminum signs, stair nosings and strips, and acrylic tapes are of durable construction. EverGlow non-electrical emergency lighting replaces or supplements electrical lighting and reduces maintenance and energy costs. All EverGlow photoluminescent signs, markers, coatings and films are free of toxic and radioactive components. There are no batteries, electrical wiring or lamps to change or maintain. All EverGlow photoluminescent signs and markings are...

SHEFFIELD, MASS.—Cypress Bath, Bed & Spa, a leading designer and manufacturer of luxury bathrobes, towels, slippers, and sheets for the global hospitality and spa industries, is encouraging hotels that are participating in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to consider implementing the Green Earth towel into their linen purchase program, due to documented LEED credits that the Green Earth towel can potentially contribute to. The seven LEED credits identified under the Existing Building certification category that are applicable to use of the Green Earth towel include: • Water Efficiency Credit 1: Water...

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...