COLLIER COUNTY, FLA.—Twelve hotels to date in Collier County, Fla., have received the official Green Lodging certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To further Collier County’s green lodging initiative, the Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn. has formed a Green Committee to grow and enhance the benefits of sustainable lodging practices in the region and assist other hotels that wish to gain certification. In Collier County, Florida DEP has so far recognized the following hotels as certified Green Lodgings: The Ivey House; Hilton Naples; DoubleTree Guest Suites, Naples; Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort; Bellasera Hotel; Inn at...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—The Napa Valley community of Yountville, Calif., with a population of a little more than 3,000 people, is now home to one of the greenest lodging establishments in the United States—the 62-room luxury Bardessono hotel, restaurant and spa. Set to open the first week of February, the development should earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification later in 2009. If it does reach that goal, it will be only the second hotel in the United States to do so. The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., is the other. The owner and developer of the property is...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—Universal Lighting Technologies introduces new Program Start models to the ULTim8 high-efficiency family of ballasts. With Program Start technology, these ballasts fit the growing need for energy-saving ballasts that are compatible with occupancy sensors and other switching applications. ULTim8 Program Start ballasts are specifically designed to increase fluorescent lamp life by properly heating the lamp filaments during the starting process. Designed to meet NEMA and CEE High Efficiency T8 Ballast specifications, these ULTim8 models are compatible with current ASHRAE/IESNA Standard 90.1 and California Title 24 for energy efficiency. New ULTim8 Program Start ballasts are available with universal voltage operation (120...

AURORA, OHIO—TCP, Inc. has combined the benefits of its compact fluorescent lamps with new LED technology to create the SpringLamp three-way CFL/LED light bulb. The three-way CFL/LED hybrid switches between 19 watts, 30 watts and a 1-watt LED night light, comparable to a 50/100/150-watt incandescent bulb, for use in table lamps and floor lamps. Lasting an average of 10,000 hours (more than 10 times longer than an incandescent), the three-way CFL/LED is manufactured using lead-free glass. This gives the bulb better lumen maintenance over its life and a color temperature closest to incandescent light. A new amalgam technology provides cooler...

ROANOKE, VA.—The Rodeway Inn located in Castaic, Calif., just five minutes from Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif., has installed GEM System guestroom energy management in all 120 guestrooms, utilizing their existing Amana, Friedrich and GE PTAC units. GEM System is an innovative, infrared sensor-based guestroom energy management system that reduces guestroom energy costs by 35 percent to 45 percent. GEM System resets the room temperature to an energy conserving level, pre-selected by the hotel, only while the guest is out of the room. GEM System can connect to any brand and model of PTAC and will increase its...

NAPLES, FLA.—In order to further its green lodging endeavors, the Hilton Naples has begun the implementation of a Confederate Jasmine vine garden on the section of the hotel’s roof over the ballroom area. Confederate Jasmine is indigenous to the Naples area and is generally described as a perennial vine with dark green foliage and orange flowers. The hotel has covered the roof of the hotel’s ballroom area in order to eliminate direct exposure to the sun, thereby decreasing the amount of energy necessary to cool the ballroom area. The vine garden will also present an enhanced view from...

GARDEN CITY, N.Y.—To reflect the firm’s extensive efforts to support green energy saving strategies, social progress and community involvement, WAC Lighting has changed its logo and tagline to “Responsible Lighting.” WAC Lighting is a leading manufacturer of track, recessed, under cabinet, decorative and monorail lighting. “We are working hard to make a difference in the world by contributing to social progress with responsible manufacturing practices and energy saving technology,” says Shelley Wang, vice president and general manager. “Our responsibility extends beyond protecting the planet for future generations. We need to help fulfill the needs of society today by providing greater...

MADRID, SPAIN—A new United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) project is leading to at least 20 percent overall energy savings and increasing renewable energy use by 10 percent in hotels. It targets particularly small and medium enterprises, which represent the vast majority of hotel rooms in the accommodation sector and which can benefit from best practice trends and technology advances. The project brings together partners from the hotel, environment and renewable energy communities and is supported by the European Union. More than half of the world’s 5.9 million hotel rooms are located in Europe. Ninety percent of those are...

DAVIE, FLA.—With both the environment and the economy weighing heavily on most hotel owner/operators today, the timing is ideal for the introduction of a new air-conditioning process that not only eliminates wasted energy usage but also results in better indoor air quality. This treatment process is being introduced by ChemTron, an industry leader in providing energy efficiency. One of the best ideas for quick cost savings is cleaning and maintaining air conditioners. Air-conditioning represents 50 to 70 percent of a hotel’s total utility bill. ChemTron has been working for 20 years to perfect a cleaning process that makes money for...

LUDLOW, VERMONT— Okemo Mountain Resort’s Jackson Gore Inn was recently designated as a Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State by the environmental business partnership between the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. This designation is based on the Inn’s voluntary commitment to sound environmental excellence through the placement and achievement of high environmental standards. The Jackson Gore Inn is one of 64 Green Hotels in Vermont to earn the distinguished designation. “This is an evolving commitment and we believe that eco-friendly operation can be accomplished with no negative impacts on the quality of...