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...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand has developed the LS-301 Dimming Photosensor, carefully combining features for optimal performance and ease of installation and use. At the heart of the device is the groundbreaking sliding setpoint control algorithm pioneered by Watt Stopper/Legrand. The LS-301 also employs a handheld setup remote to facilitate quick and convenient commissioning. The sliding setpoint algorithm allows the controller to compensate for the disparate spatial distribution of daylight and electric light. By having two different setpoints for day and night, the target setpoint changes based on the current light level conditions. Additionally, the spectral response of the LS-301’s photodiode...

SALT LAKE CITY—Echoflex Solutions Inc., a leading manufacturer of EnOcean-enabled controls, is releasing a self-powered wireless key switch. The one-of-a-kind switch is activated by hotel key cards and not only promises to reduce the cost of powering unoccupied hotel rooms, it also promises to simplify the process of conforming to ASHRAE/IESNA standard 90.1. The standard requires that hotel rooms feature an occupancy-based master control. The self-powered switch generates its own power each time a hotel key card is inserted into or removed from its dock. When guests enter a room, they insert the key card into a docking station. After...

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,...