ATLANTA—The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), along with nine other leading organizations, is forming a consortium in response to the U.S. Department of Energy request for consortia to advise the department on high-performance building issues. The High-Performance Commercial Green Building Partnership (HPCGBP) brings together leading organizations from all aspects of the building community to provide guidance and technical leadership on key sustainability issues to the Department of Energy’s Building Technologies Program. “This partnership will ensure that the voices of the building industry are being heard,” says Bill Harrison, ASHRAE president. “At a time when reducing energy...

HONOLULU—Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa has recently been awarded the 2008 Energy Star seal of approval by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy, the fourth time in the past five years. Rated for its energy consumption on a scale from one to 100, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa scored 81 for its performance, the highest rating it has ever achieved. “We are honored to receive the distinguished Energy Star designation once again,” said Chris Tatum, general manager of Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. “We are pleased to share...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The wind industry just closed out another banner year, and the American Wind Energy Assn. (AWEA) is looking ahead to further progress in 2009. Although the industry is buffeted by the financial crisis and economic downturn, it is also buoyed by a strong strategic position and the prospect of strong policy support from Congress and the new president. Here are some wind energy projections for the New Year: “The world’s largest operating wind power project” will be a hotly contested designation this year: At least one new project may soon surpass FPL Energy’s 736-megawatt (MW) Horse Hollow wind...

GOLDEN, COLO.—Novan Solar Inc. of Golden, Colo., has installed one of the nation’s largest solar hot water systems ever built for a hotel at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch in Scottsdale, Ariz. The Novan solar thermal system will provide domestic hot water for guestrooms, the main laundry services room and all the restaurants at the 492-room resort. The 27-acre Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa has complete resort facilities, including a 2.5 acre “water playground,” 27 holes of championship golf, world-class tennis, Spa Avania and the Native American and Environmental Learning Center as a part...

ALSIP, ILL.—Litetronics International introduces Micro-Brite C11 torpedo lamps. They have a smaller size than bent tip C11s, allowing them to fit in smaller decorative fixtures. Their cold cathode technology dims down to 5 percent of its light output without flickering. Unlike incandescent C11 lamps that undergo color shift when dimmed, the Micro-Brite C11 dims with consistent 2850K color. Available in clear and white finishes with a candelabra base, Micro-Brite C11 torpedo lamps can be used both indoors and outdoors. The 5-watt Micro-Brite replaces a 30-watt incandescent lamp and yields up to 85 percent savings in energy costs. Its...

ROANOKE, VA.—The Comfort Inn, Butte Montana, which is managed by Town Pump, Inc., has installed Lodging Technology’s GEM System Energy Management in all 145 guestrooms. GEM System, an infrared sensor-based guestroom energy management system, reduces room energy costs 35 percent to 45 percent by maintaining “management-preferred” temperatures in rooms while guests are out. By taking this responsible step to become more energy efficient, NorthWestern Energy has given the Comfort Inn a very substantial rebate. The Comfort Inn has a mixture of GE and LG through-the-wall PTAC units, ranging in age from two to 20-plus years. Since GEM System is compatible...

CARLISLE, PA.—Carlisle Energy Services, a newly formed division of Carlisle Construction Materials and a leading manufacturer of energy-efficient single-ply roofing systems, announced it has signed a long-term sales contract worth up to $320 million with Solyndra, Inc., a manufacturer of proprietary photovoltaic (PV) systems designed to optimize solar electricity production on commercial rooftops. The multi-year sales contract adds to Solyndra’s previously announced order backlog. The solar panels for these contracts will be manufactured at Solyndra’s facilities in Fremont and Milpitas, Calif. According to John Altmeyer, CEO of Carlisle Construction Materials, “The Solyndra PV system is a natural fit for our...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Grosvenor, the international property development, investment and fund management group, is embarking on a $35 million renovation and re-branding of an old Holiday Inn hotel in Chevy Chase, Md. It closed earlier this year and will reopen as a Courtyard by Marriott in the spring of 2009. Grosvenor is seeking a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for the newly renovated hotel. The renovation will include expanding the hotel from 214 to 226 rooms and creating 1,500 additional square feet of retail space just north of Saks Jandel with...

BOSTON—Ember, a leading provider of low-power wireless mesh networking systems, will end 2008 with a flourish, setting company records for product shipments and revenue. Building on the foundation from the previous year, Ember has shipped a record quantity of its ZigBee/802.15.4 semiconductors in 2008, more than all the previous years combined. This achievement reflects its position as a leading vendor of ZigBee technology. It also validates the market acceptance of ZigBee as the wireless standard of choice for sensor and control networks, particularly for applications impacting energy management such as smart metering, as well as in home control and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Solar Power International announced that its Solar Conference and Expo will be held in Anaheim, Calif., October 27 to 29, 2009 to accommodate the event’s rapid growth. Attendance at what was already the industry’s largest solar conference and expo in North America jumped from 12,500 in 2007 to 23,200 in 2008, according to the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the show organizers. The new location will be able to meet the increased demand for hotel accommodations, exhibition and meeting space, and will allow the event to deliver a positive experience for all...