BOSTON—Schneider Electric, the leader in digital transformation of energy management and automation, announced that it has been recognized by Microsoft as the company’s 2021 Sustainability Changemaker Partner of the Year Award winner. The award recognizes the impact Schneider has had helping its customers set and achieve decarbonization goals using its flagship EcoStruxure software solutions, which are underpinned by Microsoft technologies. For the period from 2018 to 2020, Schneider Electric helped its customers save 134 million tons of CO2 emissions, now reaching 276 million tons saved by the end of the first quarter of 2021. The Group was named the world’s most sustainable corporation...

NATIONAL REPORT—Forced hot air heating has been the traditional way of heating spaces but the pandemic along with an increasing concern for efficiency is leading more hotel owners to choose radiant heating systems for space heating—the Atlantis Casino and Spa in Reno, Nev., and the Rush Creek Lodge in Yosemite, Calif., being two examples. Both were spa installations. “Our radiant heating solutions are perfect for hotels and spas in new construction or remodeling,” says President of STEP Warmfloor, Monica Irgens. “With forced air, you are just blowing air around which aggravates allergies. We are actually warming the air with gentle heat...

HAILEY, IDAHO—Hailey’s award-winning Wood River Inn & Suites has added another sustainable amenity for travelers: electric vehicle charging stations from SemaConnect. SemaConnect is a leading provider and pioneer of electric vehicle charging infrastructure solutions. The two new SemaConnect Series 6, Level 2 (L2) charging stations build upon the hotel’s existing sustainability programs and provide a necessary amenity for EV drivers traveling through central Idaho. The Wood River Inn & Suites has been ranked as the No. 1 hotel in Hailey and is recognized as a Traveler’s Choice hotel for receiving ratings within the top 10 percent of all TripAdvisor ratings...

NEWTON, MASS.—Aircuity, the leader in creating healthy and sustainable buildings, introduced a new “Airside” Energy Dashboard that lets building owners quickly identify which areas across the entire portfolio are consuming the most ventilation energy. By providing data that goes all the way down to the room level, the new dashboard helps building owners identify the root cause of an issue to ensure maximum energy savings, as well as meet and sustain efficiency and sustainability goals. Aircuity developed the new Airside Energy Dashboard at a time when the property owners and developers in the areas of commercial real estate, life sciences,...

It was more than three years ago that MGM Resorts International and Chicago-based Invenergy, North America’s largest independent renewable energy company, partnered on a new solar photovoltaic array that would generate 100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The MGM-Invenergy Solar Project was to be located 25 miles north of Las Vegas and MGM Resorts would purchase all the energy generated by the project to help power its 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip. This past week, MGM Resorts launched its 100-megawatt solar array, the hospitality industry’s largest directly sourced renewable electricity project worldwide. The array’s clean energy now produces...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International, a global leader in the battle against climate change, launched its 100-megawatt solar array, the hospitality industry’s largest directly sourced renewable electricity project worldwide. The array’s clean energy now produces up to 90 percent of MGM Resorts’ Las Vegas daytime power needs, spanning 65 million square feet of buildings across 13 properties and more than 36,000 rooms on the Las Vegas Strip, including Bellagio, ARIA, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand and The Mirage, among others. “With MGM Resorts’ significant scale and resources, we’re positioned to make a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change, and we...

TANZANIA—Facilitating “wildness” and the practice of “rewilding” emerges as a preferred method for making altered landscapes wild again. An essential action is the restoration of natural processes, which can lead to increased self-sustainability of an ecosystem. The 20 acres Thanda Island shows that even a tiny private island can significantly impact the conservation of sea life and communities of the Indian Ocean. Located 16 nautical miles off the coast of mainland Tanzania and surrounded by the underwater wonders of the Shungimbili Island Marine Reserve, Thanda Island has always had a strong focus on conservation. Indeed, Christin and Dan Olofsson, the philanthropic Swedish...

MINNEAPOLIS—Pentair plc, a leading provider of water treatment and sustainable solutions, announces its Social Responsibility Strategic Targets. The new targets were launched with the release of Pentair’s 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report, which highlights the company’s initiatives to be a leading socially responsible company as it delivers smart, sustainable solutions that empower customers and employees to make the most of life’s essential resources. “As a leading provider of water treatment and sustainable solutions, we are proud of our efforts to further Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) stewardship that are highlighted in our 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report,” said John L. Stauch, Pentair President and CEO....

BALTIMORE, MD.—Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) announces enhancements to the Nexus Modular Hybrid Cooler, the world’s first intelligent, plug-and-play, modular hybrid fluid cooler for HVAC and light industrial applications. The Nexus Modular Hybrid Cooler, which already led the industry for lowest installation costs, lowest operating costs, lowest maintenance costs, and maximum uptime now provides best water quality resulting from enhanced water management. An optional water disinfecting system as well as a product redesign now meet even the most stringent local building codes regarding fire safety and noise reduction. The BAC Nexus Modular Hybrid Cooler was designed to minimize maintenance cost by reducing spray water volume...

Finding the right HVAC system to cool commercial spaces does not have to mean making a choice between high-quality performance and efficiency, but it does take homework. In order to make the most informed decisions, facilities managers and building owners need to be mindful of not only the purchase and installation price but its protected service life and operational costs. Once the numbers are crunched, it is often found that the most energy efficient equipment offsets a larger up-front price and more than makes up for it in long-term operational savings. Look at the Full Picture Something to keep in mind when...