CINCINNATI—Cintas Corp. announced its ambition to achieve Net Zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The company is also in the midst of a comprehensive, enterprise-wide review of its business model as it relates to environmental, social and governance (ESG) opportunities, improvements, and efficiencies. Cintas has been built on sustainable business practices, and the continuous improvement of its sustainability measures has been key to the company’s operational success over the years. As its business review continues for the next 12 to 18 months, Cintas expects to better define its ESG journey, including identifying strategies to reduce its Scope 1 and 2...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Code Council—the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions—launched its “Code on a Mission” challenge which aims to have over a third of the U.S. population covered by the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) by the end of 2023. To make this a reality, the Code Council is challenging the building industry and communities alike to update their building energy codes to meet or exceed the requirements of the 2021 IECC. Already industry leaders like Architecture 2030, the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT), Energy Efficient Codes Coalition (EECC), Northeast Energy Efficiency...

WILMINGTON, DEL.—With the release of the latest landmark climate report by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), DuPont announced it is even more urgent that architects, policymakers and industry work together to limit the impact of global warming, and reduce embodied carbon. Affirming its commitment to transparency, DuPont Performance Building Solutions has published an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for its newest Styrofoam Brand ST-100 Series extruded polystyrene insulation (XPS). This latest EPD continues the company’s practice of publishing third-party-verified EPDs for Styrofoam Brand products sold in North America, including its reduced and low global warming potential (GWP) products introduced in 2021 to help architects...

Commercial buildings, including hotels in the United States, waste up to $60 billion in energy every year. That is not a good record, especially since by 2050, every building in the world will need to achieve the target goal of net-zero energy use to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Given that most buildings that will exist in the next 30 years have already been built, the only way to get there is more technology and digitization of buildings and the built environment. So says Paul Ghezzi, CEO and Director of Kontrol Technologies, whose company’s aim is to make...

KAWASAKI CITY, JAPAN—In any conversation about green hotels, one of the hotels that deserves a lot of time is the Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu REI Hotel in Kawasaki City, Japan. The 186-room property is run by 100 percent renewable energy. Thirty percent of the energy is derived from hydrogen. Seventy percent of the energy is derived from food waste generated renewable energy. Since transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy the hotel has saved more than $15,000 per year. To generate hydrogen, used plastics (household plastic trash plus hotel amenities) are sent to Showa Denko K.K.’s hydrogen production facility where they...

Monsoon season excites many residents and tourists during the summer, but hotel operators and building owners must recognize that monsoon season can pose serious threats to people and property. This year, unpredictable and intense monsoons have been sweeping the southwestern United States, increasing the amount of dust and debris particles in the air which can decrease the performance and efficiency of air conditioning units. Not only does this reduce the level of comfort in the building, but it also impacts the quality of the indoor air your employees and guests breathe. It’s no surprise your building’s commercial HVAC unit is...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News welcomes STEP HEAT to the Flooring/Radiant Heat section of its Green Product & Service Directory. STEP HEAT offers underfloor radiant heating solutions that bring warmth to hotels, reducing energy costs and improving indoor air quality. STEP Warmfloor® is a 24/48 Volt AC/DC heating system that warms the air by heating the objects within the space from the ground up. It features a self-regulating heating element that decreases its electrical consumption when the ambient temperature increases. STEP Warmfloor is installed by laying out the heating elements to the pre-designed layout and connecting to a low-voltage electrical...

One of the most interesting sustainability-focused megaprojects in the works currently is called GreenCity and is planned for the Richmond, Virginia metro region. The eco-district project will include commercial, entertainment and residential developments. Two hotels are planned for GreenCity, with the first scheduled to be developed in the initial development sequence, and the second to follow as the market dictates. A 17,000-seat arena is planned. Also included will be retail space and a 40-acre, publicly accessible park system. Transit connections are currently under study, but when completed will allow for easy regional access via bus and other systems. Some of...

SUNRISE, FLA.—energyware, a leading national provider of energy efficiency technology, will be featured in the award-winning documentary series Viewpoint with Dennis Quaid. The documentary project is hosted by actor and director Dennis Quaid. Its purpose is developing and distributing social and educational programming. The commercial version of the episode featuring energyware is set to air this month on Fox Business Network. The innovative series highlights the value of ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) by exploring the latest topics impacting the world through educational and inspiring stories. In a national spotlight, energyware aims to educate corporations about the benefits of energy efficiency. “As technology continues...

STEP HEAT Underfloor Radiant Heating Solutions STEP HEAT offers underfloor radiant heating solutions that bring warmth to hotels, reducing energy costs and improving indoor air quality. STEP Warmfloor® is a 24/48 Volt AC/DC heating system that warms the air by heating the objects within the space from the ground up. It features a self-regulating heating element that decreases its electrical consumption when the ambient temperature increases. STEP Warmfloor is installed by laying out the heating elements to the pre-designed layout and connecting to a low-voltage electrical power supply. The elements can be put under most non-conductive floor covering be it hardwood,...