CORTE MADERA, CALIF.—Marin Suites Hotel, a 101-room all-suite boutique hotel located in the town of Corte Madera, just minutes north of the Golden Gate Bridge, announced the completion of a three year project to install solar panels by Bay Area-based Clean Solar. A fixture in Corte Madera since the 1960s, the ownership of Marin Suites Hotel has made a long-term commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The hotel’s new solar system produces almost 250,000 kilowatt hours annually, which is the equivalent of planting more than 80 acres of trees, taking 45 cars off the road, or off-setting 15 million miles driven...

NORTON SHORES, MICH.—EarthTronics, dedicated to developing innovative energy-saving lighting products that provide a positive economic and environmental impact, introduces its new versatile LED Canopy Color Selectable Series available in three colors and three wattage options to deliver superior illumination. Ideal for entry ways, parking garages, low bay areas and perimeter lighting, the LED Canopy Color Selectable Series lights can easily be switched to provide 3000K, 4000K or 5000K correlated color temperature (CCT) during installation. All offer a high 80+ CRI for improved visual acuity. The color selectable temperatures offer facility and building managers the opportunity to match existing HID lamps,...

NATIONAL REPORT—With an eye on reducing carbon emissions, people moving has certainly evolved in recent years. One good example is the Tesla vehicles used in the Loop below the Las Vegas Convention Center. While a rare example of using electric vehicles to keep carbon impact down, much more common are the advances in energy efficiency in elevators and escalators in hotels and resorts around the world. Because of their presence in most lodging establishments, elevators especially have the potential to have a huge positive impact. Green Lodging News recently spoke with Mark Freeman, SVP Modernization/M&A Integration at Schindler Elevator Corp....

COMMERCE, CALIF.—Nora Lighting’s MAC XL LED Track Heads now feature Comfort Dim, a warm dimming technology that changes CCT from a bright 3000K to a comfortable and inviting 1800K. Comfort Dim is a popular option for dining rooms, restaurants, and other venues that prefer a relaxing atmosphere. MAC XL Track heads resemble line voltage fixtures, but without bulky driver enclosures. Field adjustable beam spreads allow precise illumination. Comfort Dim models deliver 1000 lumens, while MAC XL dedicated color temperature fixtures offer 2700K to 4000K in 1200 lumens. Comfort Dim is suitable for two circuit applications in which other MAC XL track heads...

GALESBURG, ILL.—Intellihot, the clean technology company creating transformative, next-generation solutions to transform the built environment, announced the launch of its latest product, the telliBot_ai, the world’s first intelligent water heater systems analyzer. Current telliBot_ai customers include Benihana Inc., the international restaurant chain. Hot water is critical for hotels, restaurants, and all other commercial and industrial buildings that need immediate hot water around the clock to remain operational. Unexpected water heater malfunctions can become financially and reputationally devastating for businesses. Equipped with advanced intelligence and sensors, the telliBot_ai analyzes operations by monitoring flow rates, temperatures, firing rate, and more. With this...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Resorts issued its Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report, which includes the company’s collective pledges and defined goals to decrease emissions and confront the mounting risk of climate change. The report also outlines how Wynn Resorts’ ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic ran parallel to achieving a gamut of progressive ESG and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) goals, with significant strides made in community outreach and crisis relief efforts, responsible business practices, and protecting human rights. In the report’s forward, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox remarked, “A truly great company, one founded on the belief that excellence is...

It was a big news week this past week with numerous announcements of interest. First, according to Bloomberg, beginning on September 22, Google began labeling hotels as “Eco-Certified” in its global search results, with a leaf-shaped icon next to the hotel’s name. “Clicking on the ‘About’ tab will detail the property’s specific sustainability practices, such as having water use audited by an independent organization or using energy from carbon-free sources,” Bloomberg says. “The new feature relies on 29 certification programs to do the hard work of establishing a hotel’s green credibility; the property must have an array of sustainability measures...

Average carbon footprint of a hotel stay decreased by 3 percent in 2019. Includes data on energy, carbon, and water from 21,000 hotels across 57 countries. Online tool to support calculation of carbon footprint of hotel stays. Data from the latest Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) Index shows that the average carbon footprint of a hotel stay decreased by 3 percent between 2018 and 2019, following a decrease of 10 percent between 2015 and 2018. The report contains data from over 21,000 hotels in 57 countries and 365 cities from the 26 global brands, which participated in the study. The greatest...

HENDERSON, KY.—The Envi Boutique Hotel, located in Henderson, Kentucky, is proof that an old, tired hotel that has seen its share of flags can not only survive but thrive as a shiny, totally renovated green hotel striving to be greener. According to Kiran Patel, owner of the property, the 54-room hotel was first opened in 1967 as a full-service Holiday Inn. It later was converted to a Best Western and finally two other brands before being renovated into the Envi Boutique Hotel in June of this year. “In 1994 we purchased the property and was with Super 8 for 23.5...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Tax Code has long been used to help achieve various societal goals, one of which is the more efficient use of energy by individuals and businesses. It’s also long been used to promote energy production, to help achieve energy independence, and in more recent years to promote renewable and clean energy production. These tax provisions change frequently to try to keep up with the latest technologies and encourage individuals and businesses to make their homes, vehicles, and businesses more energy efficient while also encouraging the energy industry to address various specific aspects of energy production. The current...