WASHINGTON, D.C.—Energy Star award winners Lowe’s Cos. Inc., PepsiCo, Food Lion, LLC, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., Marriott International Inc., and 3M, are among those showcased in a report released today by EPA for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The report, “Profiles in Leadership, 2008 Energy Star Award Winners,” highlights 74 award-winning organizations across many sectors of the U.S. economy, including schools, hospitals, real estate, manufacturing, chemicals and home building. “EPA applauds these organizations for preserving our environment and our energy resources,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Whether you are running a business or...

YORKVILLE, N.Y.—Meyda Tiffany, a leading manufacturer of decorative lighting, has begun installing the largest LED chandelier in the world. After nearly a year of planning, Meyda recently completed production in its manufacturing facilities in Yorkville, N.Y. (outside of Utica, N.Y.). Designed and engineered with state-of-the-art technology and energy efficiency for a local performing arts theater, the Meyda Chandelier illuminates with 328 LEDs made by Philips Luxeon (same LEDs used for New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square) using 1,120 total watts (equivalent of energy used for one-drip coffeemaker), instead of conventional incandescent bulbs requiring 7,435 watts (energy equivalent of...

FORT LAUDERDALE—The EcoGreen Award Certification, an online program spearheaded by Tropical Lights, Inc., has been developed for the hotel and restaurant industries to specifically reduce energy consumption by converting to efficient lighting technologies. The United States could reduce energy consumption by 20 percent, in just a single year, with simple light bulb changes. U.S. buildings consume 65 percent of total electricity generated, with lighting being more than 50 percent of that use. Efficient lighting technologies can reduce usage by almost 70 percent immediately, making it quite clear that lighting is the place to start. The EcoGreen Award Certification evolved from...

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Fat Spaniel Technologies, Inc., a market leader in providing monitoring and reporting services for distributed energy systems, announced a partnership with renewable energy systems manufacturer EnerWorks Inc. to deliver smart solar hot water systems. The joint product offering integrates Fat Spaniel’s monitoring and reporting services with EnerWorks’ award winning Solar Energy Units for commercial and industrial-scale hot water generation. The turnkey solution enables simplified installation, maintenance and billing to maximize return on investment for customers throughout North America. “By combining our trusted energy monitoring and monetization capabilities with EnerWorks’ innovative solar thermal products, we are working together...

ATLANTA—PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) estimates that U.S. hotel revenues will increase an estimated 5.8 percent in 2007, and grow another 5.3 percent in 2008. Both projections exceed the long-term average annual growth rate of 4.5 percent. Further, revenue growth will be heavily weighted toward growth in room rates relative to occupancy. Forecasts for revenue growth in excess of 5 percent should result in huge gains in profits especially when revenue growth largely comes from room rates. However, PKF-HR is concerned about the strong operating expense increases that typically occur at this point in the cycle and the negative impact they...

As any facility manager will tell you, energy costs have become a major budget concern for those in the lodging industry, and as energy prices continue to climb, the future doesn’t appear to offer much relief. And while energy-wise green building principles are quickly catching on for new construction, many managers are unaware of the basic opportunities for saving energy in their existing facilities. How does one go about finding such opportunities? Often, the solutions begin with an audit of your facility’s existing energy and water use. While such audits can come in many levels of detail, even a simple...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading technology solutions provider for broadband networking, end-to-end service support and energy management, announced the availability of the new Telkonet SS1107 Energy Management Controller, representing significant advances in versatility, interoperability with other equipment, and overall performance. The new Telkonet SS1107 controller incorporates key design innovations, including compatibility with a wide range of Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner (PTAC) equipment and third party sensors, for maximum installation flexibility. Compared to the previous SS1106 model, the Telkonet SS1107 controller’s communications have been enhanced, with a dedicated port for high-speed communication and the ability to support future mesh networking technology,...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes LaMar Lighting Co., Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Occu-Smart, the energy-saving lighting system from LaMar Lighting, combines an internal motion sensor with bi-level electronic ballast to provide an innovative solution for seldom-used spaces, such as stairwells, corridors and storerooms where high light levels are only occasionally necessary. The sensor detects even the slightest movement and instantly switches from the adjustable standby light level to full light output. Occu-Smart is offered in 10 attractive wall or ceiling mount luminaire styles and both dwell time and...

RIPON, WISC.—Energy efficiency is only part of the story of UniMac’s new 55-pound drying tumbler. Hotel laundry managers will appreciate that UniMac built the UT055 to fit through a standard 36-inch doorway—unlike most drying tumblers of similar capacities. In addition to fitting through a standard opening, the tumbler is a foot shorter than its 50-pound counterpart. Its design maximizes cylinder capacity, while not wasting any cabinet space. The end result is a leaner (and greener) design that utilizes 20 percent less steel than a 50-pound tumbler. Perhaps the most impressive feature for on-premises laundry managers is the tumbler’s performance. In-house...

ADDISON, ILL.—Hotels, motels and resorts tracking temperature or humidity conditions affecting both patron comfort and energy costs can now have the convenience of both real-time data and the ability to download data for further analysis with the redesigned Dickson Graph-at-a-Glance Flat Panel Temperature and Humidity Data Loggers. The Graph-at-a-Glance data loggers are paperless chart recorders that provide a digital graph enabling hotel industry managers to immediately visualize environmental trends that have potentially affected their facilities. Features of the redesigned Graph-at-a Glance data loggers include: • 36 percent greater data resolution in a Jumbo 4.5” x 3.4” (114.3 mm x 86.36 mm) display...