NATIONAL REPORT—Historically, owners of lodging establishments throughout the United States and Canada have ignored the sun as a source of potential energy to heat water. Whether because of concerns about cost or misperceptions about how solar thermal technology works, solar hot water heating systems are rare. That is all beginning to change, however, thanks to improving technologies, tax incentives and rebates, creative financing, better education about solar thermal heating, an increase in the number of developers interested in building to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, and an increase in the number of qualified vendors that sell...

WOBURN, MASS.—Udec Corp. has announced two new additions to its exclusive line of Ecolamp LED lighting products. New additions to the Ecolamps product family include the only dimmable MR16 LED equivalent commercially available today, and T8 LED equivalent tube lights. The 5-watt dimmable MR16 LED equivalent replaces 50-watt halogen bulbs, lasts 50,000 hours, and contains no gases, chemicals or other environmentally unfriendly materials. The lamp generates no heat or UV rays, making it completely safe for spot lighting valuable art works or keeping guests comfortable in hotel conference rooms. The T8 LED equivalent tube lights, at only 22 watts per tube...

BERKELEY, CA—Research conducted at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory suggests that operating buildings more energy efficiently could have benefits for the health of occupants and, surprisingly, also for their comfort. The researchers, Mark Mendell and Anna Mirer of Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division, analyzed data collected from 95 air-conditioned office buildings across the United States. The data had been gathered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in a study called BASE (Building Assessment Survey and Evaluation). The study produced data about indoor environmental conditions and the health of occupants in a representative set of U.S....

TROY, MICHIGAN—ilumisys, Inc., developer and producer of next-generation solid-state lighting technology, announced that its channel partner IHNcorp has installed LED light tubes at Four Seasons Resort Aviara in Carlsbad, Calif. Los Angeles-based IHNcorp and its subsidiary Ecogreen Solutions Inc. replaced fluorescent lights with ilumisys MK1 T-8 LED light tubes in select areas of the hotel. “Four Seasons Resort Aviara is taking steps to reduce its carbon footprint, and the lighting we use is a top priority,” said Ron Parker, Aviara’s director of engineering. “Our clients look to us to be environmentally conscious, and we’re evaluating all of...

PEACHTREE CITY, GA.—Cooper Lighting, a division of Cooper Industries, Ltd., announced that its Halo LED recessed downlight is the first in the industry to meet stringent Energy Star requirements for solid state lighting luminaires. The Halo LED Downlight’s performance earns an Energy Star qualification by meeting the Energy Star Program Requirements for Solid State Lighting Luminaires: Eligibility Criteria—Version 1.0 for Category A—Recessed Downlights. Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping consumers and organizations save money and protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices. Providing excellent color quality...

CARLISLE, PENN.—Carlisle Energy Services, a newly formed division of Carlisle Construction Materials and a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient single-ply roofing systems, and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD), a manufacturer of proprietary, thin-film amorphous silicon-based photovoltaic (PV) laminates, announced that they have reached a multi-year agreement for ECD to supply its UNI-SOLAR laminates to Carlisle Energy Services. “UNI-SOLAR products are a natural fit for both our EPDM and TPO single-ply roof systems and our extensive network of certified installers, as they can be readily adhered to the rooftop without the need for special equipment,” says John Altmeyer, CEO of...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand has introduced a self-calibrating daylighting controller that reduces time-consuming installation and setup. The LS-102 Daylighting Controller provides closed loop, single zone, on/off switching of most types of lighting in response to daylight contributions. The device is the first of its kind to continuously select and display on and off setpoints. Typically, on/off closed loop control devices require multiple calculations of on and off setpoints during setup, adding complexity and cost to installation. The LS-102 continuously and automatically calibrates itself, eliminating the need for repeated manual calibrations to capture changing light levels as room reflectance levels change....

ALICE SPRINGS, AUSTRALIA—The Crowne Plaza Alice Springs hotel set a new benchmark for Australia’s business sector and hotel industry when it switched on the largest building-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system in the Southern Hemisphere and began its $50,000 in-house energy efficiency program. The groundbreaking $3.3 million PV installation will reduce the hotel’s energy consumption by 40 to 80 percent dependant on the time of year, with the energy efficiency program further reducing consumption by 18 percent. Crowne Plaza Alice Springs’ owner, Investnorth Pty Ltd, hopes other Australian businesses will follow their example. “Australia’s movement towards a green economy is not just...

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK—The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort in Death Valley National Park has received an award from “Flex Your Power,” California’s energy efficiency and conservation campaign, for the resort’s successes in “Peak Demand Response.” The Peak Demand Response award recognizes Furnace Creek’s successes in reducing peak power use and protecting California’s power grid during periods of high demand by shifting electrical consumption, shutting down systems, and taking immediate conservation action. Of the 10 award winners taken from applicants across California, Xanterra was the only tourism company recognized. In partnership with Southern California Edison, the Furnace...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a clean technology company that develops and manufactures proprietary energy management and SmartGrid networking technology, announced a major hospitality contract win for its advanced Networked Telkonet SmartEnergy (NTSE) solution, equipping more than 3,500 guestrooms with networked, occupancy-based energy management. The contract forms a central part of Chartres Lodging Group’s program to remodel and upgrade energy technologies in the recently acquired high-end convention center complexes, the Sheraton Dallas and the Sheraton Denver (formerly the Adam’s Mark Dallas and Adam’s Mark Denver). NTSE was selected after a review of three competitive systems, winning for its comprehensive central control capabilities,...