GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet Inc., a leader in providing in-building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, announced that the company has completed the acquisition of Smart Systems International (SSI), a leading technology manufacturer of in-room energy management systems for the hospitality industry. The company acquired substantially all the assets of SSI for $7 million comprised of cash and company common stock. SSI’s patented energy management technology eliminates wasted energy from heating and cooling unoccupied rooms, constantly adjusting the temperature based on current room conditions. It evaluates how far the temperature can drift for maximum energy savings, while ensuring the room...

BENTON HARBOR, MICH.—Whirlpool Corp. announced that it will receive the 2007 Energy Star Partner of the Year Award for Sustained Excellence from the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This award is given to a select group of organizations that have exhibited outstanding environmental leadership year after year, while sustaining product and marketing excellence. This unique honor represents the company’s eighth Energy Star Award win. Whirlpool Corp. will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 21, 2007. Whirlpool Corp., an Energy Star partner since 1998, will be honored for its...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Pure Solutions NA, Cheektowaga, N.Y., as a Founding Sponsor. Pure Solutions is the creator of the PURE Allergy Friendly Room. PURE Allergy Friendly Rooms provide guests with an environment where all surfaces are treated to minimize contaminants and irritants—mold spores, yeast, bacteria, pollen, dust, dust mites and chlorine—as well as their odors. Pure Solutions’ patent pending process includes air handling unit cleaning, carpet cleaning, filter replacement, surface cleaning with a Pure Clean Solution, ozone shock treatment, the application of a surface barrier on all room surfaces, an...

DANVERS, MASS.— Osram Sylvania proves a small bulb can make a big difference with the introduction of the new elogic mini. The lead-free bulb offers a 50 percent longer life, an almost 30 percent smaller bulb, and consumes 5 percent less energy with only a little less light than standard incandescent bulbs. “If half the incandescent light bulbs sold in the U.S. today were elogic bulbs, we’d keep 830 tons of lead out of the environment,” says Jon DiGesu, director of brand strategy, Osram Sylvania. “And if half the incandescent light bulbs sold in the U.S. today used...

Commercial buildings across the United States have a common problem: They seldom perform at design level. Optimum level provides the most comfortable and safe indoor environment for the occupants while balancing operation and maintenance costs for the owners. Retro-commissioning (Rcx) is a systematic process that helps solve this problem by allowing a building’s HVAC system and integrated building controls to operate at peak performance. Retro-commissioning building systems can provide significant benefits such as improving occupant comfort, reducing energy cost, improving indoor air quality, enhancing building operations and extending equipment life. The National Environmental Balancing Bureau defines Rcx as “the systematic process...

LA TANTE, ST. DAVID’S, GRENADA—Paradise Bay Resort, base here, is laying the foundation for an 80-kilowatt, 100-foot-high windmill. According to James Post, a representative of the resort, the wind generator is the first utility-size windmill in the Eastern Caribbean and will be able to supply the resort with almost 100 percent of its electricity needs. The foundation for the windmill will hold 6,000 feet of steel rods and 40 tons of concrete. The propellers for the windmill will span 60 feet from tip to tip. In March, the installation will be completed under supervision of Netherlands-based Wind Energy Solutions BV....

NATIONAL REPORT—Fortunately for the lodging industry, the options for energy-efficient interior lighting have grown substantially over the last several years. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) have become more affordable and compact, offer better light quality, and include reduced levels of mercury and lead—a real advantage for the environment. Linear fluorescents also have improved and an increasing number of LED lighting products have become available. Green Lodging News recently spoke with a number of lighting companies to uncover the newest energy-efficient hotel interior lighting products. Below is a summary from each company (listed in alphabetical order): Aero-Tech Light Bulb Co.—Ray Schlosser, president...

MILWAUKEE—In response to increasing global demand for renewable energy, Johnson Controls Inc. is expanding its business direction in the areas of designing, installing and servicing geothermal, solar, biomass, wind and other renewable sources as energy supply options for customers. “We expect demand from businesses and organizations for onsite renewable energy to escalate as fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas increase in price and concern grows about their economic and environmental impact,” says Bruno Biasiotta, vice president, solutions, Johnson Controls. “The real opportunity for customers involves combining renewable technologies with innovative energy efficiency strategies.” Don Albinger,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced the winners in the first phase of the company’s Energy and Water Resource Management Contest, open to more than 350 hotels outside of the United States. Marriott challenged these hotels to reduce the percentage of total consumption of energy (kilowatt hours per occupied room) and water usage during a six-month period in 2006 in comparison to the same timeframe in 2005. Creativity, innovation and associate teamwork were vital to the success of the three hotels named as winners of the challenge: the London Marriott County Hall, Renaissance Chemnitz Hotel, and Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort...

DANBURY, CONN.—FuelCell Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean electric power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced that the federal government’s recent extension of the Income Tax Credit (ITC) for fuel cells will continue to provide additional incentives for its ultra-clean power plant products through the end of 2008. Enacted as part of the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005, the ITC established a range of incentives for “green” electricity produced by non-traditional means. The company’s low-emission fuel cell power plants qualify because they run on renewable fuels (such as gas produced by breweries and other...