CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Aquawing Ozone Injection Systems (AWOIS) as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. AWOIS’ patented Aqua-Fusion System provides energy and water savings along with an increase in wash quality. Patent pending variable ozone allows the Aqua-Fusion ozone laundry system to customize the amounts of ozone delivered to each washer. More heavily soiled laundry receives more ozone and lighter loads receive reduced amounts for maximum cleaning and saving effects. AWOIS’ Aqua-Fusion System reduces hot water usage, shortens wash cycles, increases linen quality while reducing linen replacement costs, and provides...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—Universal Lighting Technologies announces the latest in high efficiency wireless controllable lighting systems with the release of the DEMANDflex ballast family and DCL (Demand Control Lighting) controls. DEMANDflex ballasts feature an innovative wireless control technology to receive commands without the need for extra control wires. These ballasts have the flexibility to have power levels tuned during installation at the circuit level to optimize and maximize energy savings. Together, DEMANDflex ballasts and DCL controls represent one of the most cost-effective lighting systems available today. DCL controls allow for local control with energy management systems and external control via the...

LAS VEGAS—The Palazzo Las Vegas, a Las Vegas Sands Corp. property, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made its green status official with the presentation of a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certificate at an award ceremony held on Wednesday, April 9. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and David E. Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy, were also on hand to honor this accomplishment. During the ceremony Governor Gibbons issued a proclamation in recognition of The Palazzo’s commitment to energy conservation. The DOE presented The Palazzo with “The Energy...

SAN FRANCISCO—The Hotel Carlton in San Francisco, certified as an official Green Business due to several initiatives over the past year to implement sustainable business operations, is celebrating its newest green achievement—the adoption of solar power to offset the hotel’s energy use. Managed by Joie de Vivre Hospitality, Hotel Carlton is the first hotel in San Francisco to install solar panels and the first of the boutique hotel company’s properties to receive the City’s Green Business certification. In honor of Earth Day and a greener future, Hotel Carlton will host a reception event on April 21 that will feature...

PARK CITY, UTAH—Powdr Corp. announced that it will offset 100 percent of the grid-supplied electricity consumed at its seven ski and snowboard resorts and one tubing park through the purchase of renewable energy credits (RECs) beginning in June 2008. Powdr Corp.’s purchase of nearly 50 million kWh of RECs is the second largest among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) partners in the travel and leisure category. “We are passionate about the snow sports industry and the quality of life it provides to our families, team members and guests,” said Brent Giles, director of environmental affairs for Powdr Corp. “Our...

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—Hilton Hotels revealed that it delivered energy savings of more than 10 percent in 2007 across its portfolio of more than 80 properties in Europe. Water consumption also fell by 5 percent, the equivalent to nearly 75 Olympic sized swimming pools. “In just two years we are seeing some very real and tangible results across Europe,” says Wolfgang M. Neumann, president of Hilton Hotels-Europe. “We made a commitment in January 2006 to think green, take action and responsibility to switch to more environmentally sustainable methods of working. Today’s results speak for themselves.” Hilton has made these impressive reductions through...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. and the state of Amazonas signed an agreement to support the first project of its kind to help protect 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest. This innovative partnership between government and the private sector is one of the first in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Marriott has committed $2 million to fund an environmental management plan administered by the newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. By year end, Marriott guests and group customers will also be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated from their hotel stays by contributing to this rainforest...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking organizations to join the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign. By enabling the power management, or sleep mode, on their computers and monitors, organizations will help reduce our growing demand for electricity, and save money while fighting climate change. If all office computers and monitors in the United States were set to sleep when not being used, the country could save more than 44 billion kWh or $4 billion worth of electricity and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of about 5 million cars each year. “Although the work...

NATIONAL REPORT—Not so long ago, ice machines were not purchased based on energy or water efficiency. That all changed when the economy began to experience some bumps five to 10 years back, which is when most hotel chains began to take a much closer look at their operational costs. In response to concerns about costs, as well as environmental impact, manufacturers of ice machines began producing more efficient equipment. The results have definitely been favorable. In the last five years, according to experts, ice machine energy efficiency has improved by about 15 to 20 percent, and some models are...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two recently released studies, one by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and one by CoStar Group, have validated what the green building community has known all along: third party certified buildings outperform their conventional counterparts across a wide variety of metrics, including energy savings, occupancy rates, sale price and rental rates. In the NBI study, the results indicate that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25 to 30 percent better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. The study also demonstrates that there is a correlation...