POKHARA, NEPAL—Swiss International Hotel Sarowar, an upscale, 96-room hotel in Pokhara, Nepal, offers stunning views of the Himalayan Ranges and the famous Phewa Lake. What is most impressive about this property is its eco-efficiency—the attention to green design and sustainability from below ground to the rooftop. Swiss International Hotel Sarowar opened at the beginning of this year. The hotel is powered by the sun, heated and cooled using geothermal technology and sells its digested combination of human and food waste as organic manure at the local market. Swiss International Hotel Sarowar sits 2,655 feet above sea level. Its design incorporates...

ROANOKE, VA.—Bay Gardens Resorts, St. Lucia, announced that three of its properties, Bay Gardens Beach Resort, Bay Gardens Inn, and Bay Gardens Hotel have been awarded the prestigious Green Globe Gold Certified designation. Green Globe is a hospitality focused sustainability certification. Gold level certification requires that properties be “certified” five consecutive years with continuous improvement in audit scores. Located on St. Lucia’s Rodney Bay, Bay Gardens Resorts earned Green Globe Gold Certification through such initiatives as installation of LED lighting, removal of single use plastics, and installation of GEM Link Wireless occupancy sensors from Lodging Technology in all guestrooms to...

Modern, high-efficient rooftop HVAC units can mean substantial savings on annual energy costs for green facilities, but facility managers need to take an active role in managing the systems to get the most out of them. One of the pitfalls of operating a rooftop HVAC system is that it is out of sight, out of mind. It is easier to neglect maintenance for a system you see only rarely and must make a trip up to the roof to inspect. But, if you don’t keep your rooftop system maintained properly, it lowers the system’s efficiency and shortens its lifespan. In...

I learned this past week that about 18 to 20 percent of a building’s energy footprint is from windows and that part of their job is to help manage infrared rays, UV rays and visible light. Many of you may have known that already. Did you know that most of the sun’s heat comes in the form of visible light? That is why closing curtains and shades when guestrooms are vacant can certainly help some with heating and AC. Blocking UV light can help reduce the fading of carpeting, furniture and artwork. Walk the floor of HITEC and you...

NATIONAL REPORT—Critical to the energy efficiency of any building is the quality of the window itself—its ability to insulate from infrared heat, potentially harmful UV rays, visible light, and cold air. Joseph Harary, President and CEO, Director, General Counsel, Corporate Secretary for Research Frontiers, says 18 to 20 percent of a building’s energy footprint is from windows. Fortunately for hotel owners, advancements in window design have made them highly effective insulators. Just as window design has improved significantly, so too have technologies that make the inner part of the window and the outside of the window contributors to energy...

ELKHART, IND.—Dometic received the “Best Brand of the Year 2019” and “Best Product 2019” awards for their minibars. These awards are some of the highest awards presented as part of the worldwide innovation prize for brand quality, “Plus X Award.” With expert international and independent jurors from more than 80 industries, 23 competent strategic partners and more than 700 participating international brands, the Plus X Award is the world’s largest innovation award. It honors brands for being industry leaders with the quality and innovation of their products. The jury is made up of specialty editors, designers and industry experts who subject...

BREA, CALIF.—UMA Solar and Techno-Solis were awarded the first OG-400 certifications for their solar swimming pool water heating systems from the Solar Rating & Certification Corp. (ICC-SRCC). They are the first manufacturers to complete the new program. The certification proves compliance with the ICC 902/APSP 902/SRCC 400 Solar Pool and Spa Heating System Standard. Developed in conjunction with the Pool & Hot Tub Alliance (formerly The Association of Pool & Spa Professionals), the ANSI-approved solar pool and spa heating system standard addresses minimum requirements for solar water heating systems designed for and installed in residential and commercial swimming pools and...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—MEIKO, U.S.A., a global leader in the commercial warewashing industry, announced the release of a report by Frontier Energy that found changing to a MEIKO M-iQ flight-type dishwashing machine saved the San Ramon Marriott hotel in San Ramon, Calif., more than $23,000 a year. The report compares two flight-type rackless conveyor dishwashers. The hotel’s pre-existing, past-generation flight conveyor dish machine was tested first, followed by MEIKO’s M-iQ equipped with an exhaust air heat recovery system. Water flow, electricity use, hot/cold-water supply temperature and dish machine sanitizing rinse time were monitored for a one-month period. Frontier Energy then used this data,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Traditional heating solutions in the winter months can break your budget. Plus, they aren’t good for the environment because they typically use some sort of fossil fuel. Using coal, oil, or natural gas to heat your hotel can harm the environment, including contributing to global warming, causing air pollution, and increasing the chance for an oil spill. If you’re looking for an eco-friendly way to heat your hotel once the weather turns chilly, you’re in luck. There are several different ways you can heat your hotel without harming the environment. Some of these methods may even save you money. Heat...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Carrier has added a host of new capabilities to its Carrier Chillers mobile app allowing consulting and facilities engineers to select chillers faster and easier. Using cloud technology, the app automatically updates and in just three steps users can obtain key technical data and product features for Carrier air-cooled and water-cooled chillers. “Capitalizing on recent advancements in technology, we have improved the functionality of the Carrier Chillers mobile app making it simpler for our customers to select the chiller they need with real-time accuracy,” said Chris Opie, Vice President, Product Marketing & Platform Strategy. “The updated technology can also...