NATIONAL REPORT—By now, everybody is aware of the soaring price of automobile gasoline and natural gas used in homes and hotels. Natural gas prices rise because more gas is drawn from surplus storage than is put in storage by suppliers; this is known more commonly as the supply and demand theory. On the east and west coasts of the United States, the cost of natural gas rose to about $1.70 per therm during peak use periods last winter. The heart of the country saw increases in the range of $1.40 per therm during peak demand periods. This represents...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has introduced a new way for hotels to go green. Guests arriving at the brand’s destinations across North America will soon be welcomed at check-in by agents using front desk computers powered by the wind. A longtime leader in environmental stewardship, Fairmont’s recent purchase of Eco-Logo certified wind power for 249 check-in computers will result in a greenhouse gas reduction of almost 100 tons over the next year. Fairmont’s Green Partnership program places significant emphasis on energy issues and recognizes the importance of sustainable energy technology. After evaluating a number of ways to incorporate...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) recently announced that it has launched its “Canada Goes Green” initiative. At a press conference held at the Marriott Chateau Champlain, Montreal, the HAC, accompanied by lodging and energy representatives from across the country, declared that as one of the largest industries in the world, it is time to make changes to the way in which it consumes energy. Lodging properties make up the fourth most energy intensive type of commercial space. Through the Canada Goes Green initiative, hoteliers will commit to making a significant and positive environmental impact by improving...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. has been named an Energy Star Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for implementing programs that save more than 83 million kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electric energy consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 68,000 tons annually. Marriott is the only lodging company to be recognized and the only company to receive the EPA’s highest honor for two consecutive years. “As an Energy Star partner, Marriott has distinguished itself by demanding superior energy performance in their business and by generating real results,” says Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA’s Climate Protection...

SAN DIEGO—FuelCell Energy Inc., a manufacturer of ultra-clean power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced an additional 500-kilowatt Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plant installation at Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. This increases Starwood’s commitment to base load heat and power from DFC power plants to 2.25 megawatts at four hotels in California, New Jersey and New York. The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina’s original installation of 1 MW of DFC power generation at its East Tower has been increased by 500 kW with a second installation at its West...

ROCHESTER HILLS, MICH.—Energy Eye has introduced a new standalone Wireless Radio Frequency Energy Management Solution. The system’s aim is to help hotels maintain guest satisfaction while reducing room electricity expenses. The Energy Eye System uses a combination of advanced passive infrared (PIR) sensors and wireless technologies to independently control room heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) temperatures while occupants are not in their guestrooms. “As today’s power rates rise, energy management systems (EMS) are a major concern for hotels worldwide,” says Matthew Mrowczynski, executive vice president of sales and marketing for Energy Eye, Rochester Hills, Mich. “The increasing...

NIANTIC, CONN.—Jon Stults has joined INNCOM International Inc. as vice president of sales. He has more than 25 years senior-level sales experience in the hospitality technology sector. His primary concentration will be driving INNCOM sales efforts in the Midwest. Stults’s background in hospitality communications and networking systems include positions with AT&T, RCA, Williams Communications and EMCOR Technologies. Most recently, he was a regional director of sales for Austin, Texas-based Wayport. Stults earned his Bachelors degree in liberal arts from the University of Denver and his MBA specializing in marketing and finance from Northern Illinois University. “We are very fortunate to have...

NIANTIC, CONN.—INNCOM international Inc., a global leader in integrated guestroom control systems, has launched a new Web site at www.inncom.com. The new Web site was developed using input from INNCOM’s customers and hospitality industry experts. It provides a navigation menu that allows site visitors to instantly access the specific information they require. Crisp, clear, attractive photographs enhance the navigation capability of the site; for example, a visitor can click on a photograph of an INNCOM product and receive a detailed description of the product. “The overriding goal of the new Web site is to provide information and...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Green Mountain Energy Co. is providing a cleaner, 100 percent renewable electricity product for two Hyatt hotel properties in Dallas—Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion and Hyatt Regency DFW International Airport. These two signature Hyatt hotels in Dallas are now the nation’s largest hospitality industry purchaser of renewable energy and one of two of Dallas’ commercial purchasers of 100 percent renewable electricity. This seminal partnership underlines clean electricity’s mainstream acceptance as the economical and responsible source of commercial energy. Renewable energy comes from less-polluting sources and is replenished naturally—examples include wind, solar and low-impact hydro facilities. The energy...

Throughout 2005 we all heard the news of oil prices lingering above $50 a barrel and gasoline exceeding $3.00 a gallon. For long-term lodging industry participants, vivid memories of the gas lines and high inflation of the 1970s resurfaced. Understandingly, hotel owners and operators feared that a falloff in travel would cause occupancy to decline, and rising utility costs would kill profits. Looking back at 2005, it appears that the U.S. lodging industry was able to withstand the spike in energy costs. By year-end 2005, PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR) estimates that U.S. hotels enjoyed significant increases in demand that led...