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...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 3,200 top performing buildings have earned the Energy Star for powerful cuts to their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. These award-winning buildings represent almost 575 million square feet, save an estimated $600 million annually in lower energy bills, and prevent almost 11 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to emissions from almost 900,000 vehicles. “Through Energy Star, President Bush and EPA are brightening our nation’s future, and I applaud these buildings for being America’s energy all-stars,” says EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an office building,...

DALLAS—Lodging Hospitality Magazine and Pineapple Hospitality have finalized the agenda for their first Green Hospitality Conference. The event will be held on March 14 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. The conference will precede Lodging Hospitality’s annual Hospitality Operations & Technology event. The day-long event will begin with an introduction and welcome from Gary Dietz, publisher of Lodging Hospitality, and Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. From 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ed Watkins, editor of Lodging Hospitality, will moderate a “Green Hospitality—Past, Present, Future” session that will include the following participants: Wen Chang,...

MINNEAPOLIS—Honeywell has launched Energy Manager, an advanced energy management and information system that integrates with building systems, and allows users to view and control energy use in a facility. With the tool, organizations can analyze data—including weather reports, market conditions and systems demand—to create a comprehensive picture of energy usage patterns so they can lower total consumption and utility bills. “In times of energy market uncertainty, ‘best guesses’ don’t cut it for effective energy management,” says Mike Taylor, vice president of Americas marketing for Honeywell Building Solutions. “Companies need to know not just how much energy their facilities...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced that more than 85 hotels will earn the Energy Star label—signifying 35 percent less energy use than average buildings—from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this year. With more than 200 Energy Star-labeled hotels currently, Marriott continues to lead the hospitality industry in energy management and has set a goal to certify at least eight hotels per month with the Energy Star award. Recently, 12 hotels in Boston were recognized at the Boston Marriott Quincy. The 12 Boston hotels earning the Energy Star label include: Boston Marriott Quincy; SpringHill Suites Peabody; SpringHill Suites...

EL DORADO HILLS, CALIF.—CulinAire Systems, based here, has teamed up with the Melink Corp. of Cincinnati, Ohio, to bring the Intelli Hood demand ventilation system to the West Coast. Most commercial kitchen hoods operate at 100 percent capacity all day long, even during idle, non-cooking periods, costing the food service industry more than $2 billion annually in wasted energy. Using a microprocessor and sensors, the Intelli Hood solves this problem by reducing fan speeds during idle cooking times, saving both fan energy and conditioned air, saving thousands of dollars per hood in annual energy cost. These proven...