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Energy Management

Everyone has felt the sting of rising energy costs recently. Savvy hoteliers have implemented plans to address these increases. It could be a simple operational change or a complex capital investment. Green Lodging News covers the latest news and trends pertaining to energy management. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Energy Management

Home Energy Management
Everyone has felt the sting of rising energy costs recently. Savvy hoteliers have implemented plans to address these increases. It could be a simple operational change or a complex capital investment. Green Lodging News covers the latest news and trends pertaining to energy management. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Green Products in Spotlight at HD 2007 Expo and Conference

LAS VEGAS—It was pretty easy to determine what vendors were selling green products at this year’s HD 2007 Expo and Conference. A separate vendor directory was created for them and green, circular markers sat within each participating exhibitor’s booth. A separate Green Room on the show floor also featured environmentally friendly products. Vendors had to pony up additional funds to have a presence there. There is no possible way to mention every company that introduced a green product at this year’s show but here are some noteworthy examples: Simmons Hospitality Group announced its EverNU mattress top to help hotels get the...

Groupe Germain’s New ALT Brand to Include Many Green Features

MONTREAL—Groupe Germain announced a brand new concept for cheap-chic hotels that will be gradually introduced in Canada. A first in that country, ALT Hotels will offer the qualities sought by a growing range of consumers who want affordable accommodation without compromising on design and comfort. The hotels will feature a series of energy-efficient measures: heating and cooling with geothermal systems, recovery of heat from outdoor air and exhaust air leaving the building, recovery of heat from water used in commercial washers, energy-efficient lighting throughout, a main light switch for controlling all lights in the room when guests check out, geothermal...

Building Design Leaders Unite on Energy Reduction Targets

ATLANTA—To reduce the building design industry’s impact on the environment, key leaders in that sector are collaborating to establish carbon-neutral buildings by the year 2030. The American Institute of Architects (AIA), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), Architecture 2030, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA), and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), supported by representatives of the U.S. Department of Energy, finalized an agreement of understanding, establishing a common starting point and a goal of net zero energy buildings. “This agreement allows the building design sector to move forward with...

Konica, GE Form Alliance to Accelerate OLED Lighting Commercialization

TOKYO AND NEW YORK—Konica Minolta Holdings Inc., Konica Minolta Technology Center Inc. (collectively KM) and the General Electric Co. announced that they have signed a strategic alliance agreement to accelerate the development and commercialization of OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) devices for lighting applications. The goal is to bring OLED lighting to market within the next three years. “Having such unprecedented attractive features as flexible, thin, lightweight, and sheet form OLED lighting is considered one of the most promising new business opportunities for us in the future,” says Masatoshi Matsuzaki, President, Konica Minolta Technology Center Inc. “We are...

Litetronics Introduces Plug-in Compact Fluorescent Tube Lamps

ALSIP, ILL.—Litetronics introduces its plug-in compact fluorescent tube (PFT) lamps. The pin-based compact fluorescent lamps use 80 percent less energy than incandescents and last 13 times as long. The two-pin starter lamps work with magnetic ballasts, while the four-pin starter models are for use with electronic ballasts. The two-pin PFT lamps have a 10,000-hour average rated life, and the four-pin lamps boast a 15,000-hour average rated life. Compared to other compact fluorescent lamps, the four-pin PFT lamps offer a 33 percent longer life. All PFT lamps offer a 2700K correlated color temperature and a high CRI of 82....

InterContinental Hotels Plans to Replace More Than 250,000 Incandescents

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced that The Hotel Management Group, the company’s Americas Operations division, will launch a new environmental initiative to replace more than 250,000 incandescent light bulbs with new energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFL) in guestrooms at over 200 company-managed hotels across the Americas. This is the first of several new environmental programs, both global and regional, that the company is scheduled to introduce throughout 2007. According to Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, a CFL’s...

Reduce Water, Energy Costs With Pre-rinse Spray Valves

NATIONAL REPORT—If you are looking to reduce water consumption in your kitchen and still have not implemented pre-rinse spray valves that conform to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), now is the time to do so. Thanks to EPAct 2005, all spray valves sold today must have a flow rate of not more than 1.6 gallons per minute (gpm) at 60 pounds per square inch (psi). According to Phil Germinario, director of marketing, sales and customer service for Niagara Conservation, Cedar Knolls, N.J., there was a time when these valves used 3 to 6 gpm. “If you switch from...

GLN Welcomes Lodging Technology as a Founding Sponsor

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Lodging Technology, Roanoke, Va., as a Founding Sponsor. Lodging Technology is a leading provider of innovative guestroom energy management systems. Lodging Technology, an EnergyStar Partner, is the originator (1980) and recognized leader of infrared sensor-based hotel energy conservation, and provides direct sales, installation, service, and leasing options. Lodging Technology’s products have been installed in thousands of hotel guestrooms over the past 27 years. GEM System Energy Management, and its optional features, will provide substantial savings of 35 to 45 percent, increase profits, and improve staff response,...

Straw Baled Las Manos Bed and Breakfast Thriving Off the Grid

BUENA VISTA, COLO.—You can huff and you can puff but you will never be able to blow down the walls of the Las Manos Bed and Breakfast in Buena Vista, Colo. The walls are made of straw. Well, mostly. They are actually constructed from bales of straw and covered with concrete stucco. They are solid, fire proof, and have an energy efficient insulation value of R-50. The unique exterior wall structure is just one of the fascinating elements of the B&B set within view of Colorado’s majestic 14,000-foot peaks. The 2,600-square-foot home, which includes two large suites ranging from 600...

FuelCell Energy Increases Cell Power Output by 20 Percent

DANBURY, CONN.—FuelCell Energy Inc., a global leader in the development and manufacture of high temperature hydrogen fuel cells for clean electric power generation, announces an advanced fuel cell stack design that boosts the power output of its Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants by 20 percent. The company is incorporating the enhancement across its entire line of power plants. This enhancement reflects the commitment of FuelCell Energy to provide its customers with ultra-clean and reliable distributed power—efficiently and economically. By improving thermal management of electrochemical activity within the fuel cell stack, the company has increased the power output from...