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Heating & Cooling

With up to 50 percent to 70 percent of a hotel’s energy bill attributed to heating and cooling (especially in limited-service hotels), there is no question that wise selection of equipment is important. Increasingly, hotel owners are turning to clean energy technology for heating and cooling. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Heating & Cooling

Home Heating & Cooling
With up to 50 percent to 70 percent of a hotel’s energy bill attributed to heating and cooling (especially in limited-service hotels), there is no question that wise selection of equipment is important. Increasingly, hotel owners are turning to clean energy technology for heating and cooling. Got news or a story idea to share? Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Holiday Inn and Suites in Madison, Wisc. Turns to Entergize to Trim Energy Costs

MADISON, WISC.—By implementing a guestroom energy management system called Entergize from DBS Lodging Technologies, the Holiday Inn and Suites in Madison, Wisc. is saving more than $17,000 a year in energy costs. Entergize is installed in 157 guestrooms at the hotel. In addition to managing heating and cooling, the controls also work with the master entry switch to activate lighting. Holiday Inn and Suites partnered with Focus on Energy’s Business Programs to implement the new energy efficient technology. Wisconsin’s energy efficiency and renewable energy initiative offered incentives that helped offset project costs. The project came about when Wisco...

Rheem Adds Features to Tankless Water Heater Line

MONTGOMERY, ALA.—Rheem Water Heating has introduced its 2nd generation tankless water heater product line. It includes 7.4 GPM direct vent models, new and improved burner technology, exclusive Guardian OFW (overheat film wrap), and exclusive high-altitude options. Rheem 2nd generation tankless water heaters are capable of handling all the hot water needs of a business. About the size of a conventional medicine cabinet, these high-efficiency units deliver a continuous supply of hot water on demand, eliminating the need for a large storage tank and the high cost of heating and reheating the water in it. Available in both...

Time to go Tankless? On Demand Water Heaters Keep Energy Costs in Check

NATIONAL REPORT—If you wanted just one hot cup of coffee, would you keep the kettle burning 24 hours a day? Does not make much sense, does it? In a way, however, that is what most hotel and restaurant operators are doing every day of the year with their hot water supply—keeping it hot even when guests and customers do not need it. “When providing 200 rooms with hot water, you can only imagine how much energy is wasted,” says Francis Serrano, marketing coordinator for Noritz America Corp., a maker of tankless water heaters in Lake Forest, Calif. ...

Scotsman Ice Systems Releases Self-Monitoring Ice Machine System

VERNON HILLS, ILL.—Scotsman Ice Systems has released Prodigy, an ice machine self-monitoring system that provides up-to-the-minute reporting on the machine’s performance, as well as maintenance needs. This latest advance in ice making visually indicates when it’s making ice, as well as when it’s due for critical maintenance procedures. The external diagnostic light panel makes it easy for anyone in the kitchen to read and understand—from senior managers to dishwashers. Scotsman says Prodigy is one of the most energy-efficient machines on the market today. Prodigy’s energy standards make it one of the first cubers to exceed both the 2008...

Amana Brand DigiSmart Wireless Control System Offers Centralized Energy Management Capability

HOUSTON—Goodman Company, L.P., a subsidiary of Goodman Global, Inc. (NYSE: GGL), maker of Amana brand heating and air conditioning products and packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), announced the introduction of its new wirelessly networked DigiSmart Control System, an operations management tool designed to be used with the company’s Amana brand PTACs. The company says it is the first wireless PTAC management product of its kind. “Our new DigiSmart Control System will allow our customers to not only control the environmental conditions in individual rooms—it will also help them to manage their energy costs,” says Dave Craven, Goodman’s director...

What to Consider When in the Market for Energy-Efficient PTACs

NATIONAL REPORT—There was a time when energy efficiency was not a high priority when shopping for new PTACs. Today, with energy prices where they are, that has all changed. An educated buyer now considers not only unit size and heating and cooling capability, but also a model’s energy efficiency rating (EER). “EER is a calculation that measures how much cooling you get for a watt of electricity,” says Jane Deming, manager, marketing services for Friedrich Air Conditioning, San Antonio, Texas. “The higher the EER, the better. The benefits to the hotel owner are in controlling energy consumption costs.” Mel Harris, PTAC...

AERCO Offers Modulex Line of Condensing Boilers

NORTHVALE, N.J.—AERCO, a design leader in high-efficiency boilers and hot water heaters, introduces the AERCO Modulex line of condensing boilers. Available in six different sizes, the light commercial boilers offer superior turndown to maximize seasonal efficiency. They also bring a high level of operating reliability to installations that require from 300,000 to 1 million BTUs/hr. capacities. The AERCO Modulex line continues the company’s tradition of developing fully modulating, condensing, high-efficiency solutions. With modulating capabilities from 6:1 to 23:1 (depending on the unit), the line offers performance advantages such as whisper-quiet operation of <50 dBa, as well as low...

California’s Tallman Hotel Digs Deep to Unearth Energy Savings

UPPER LAKE, CALIF.—Standing outside the entrance of the 17-room Tallman Hotel and the adjacent Blue Wing Saloon & Café in Upper Lake, Calif., one would never guess that a state-of-the-art geothermal system heats and cools the historic property—or that a solar energy system supplements it with added power. The hotel maintains its 1890s look and the innovative technology is hidden underground and on the roof of the restaurant. Originally built in the late 19th century and then rebuilt again in 1895 after it had been destroyed by fire, the hotel sat empty and unused from 1962 to 2003. In the...

Extend PTAC Life, Improve Efficiency Through Preventive Maintenance

NATIONAL REPORT—To maintain the energy efficiency of PTACs and to extend their life, it is important to implement a preventive maintenance program. “The internal filter should be cleaned once a month and once a year the entire unit should be removed from the wall so that the coils can be cleaned,” says Mel Harris, PTAC business development manager for LG Electronics Inc., Englewood, N.J. “The compressor will have to work harder if the PTAC is dirty. A dirty unit will also use more energy.” Be sure to purchase a PTAC that can be easily cleaned. The filter should be easily...

The ABCs of Guestroom Humidity and the Heating, Cooling Connection

NATIONAL REPORT—Humidity refers to the amount of water vapor (moisture) suspended in air. It is measured as Percent Relative Humidity (%RH) or the percentage of water vapor that can possibly be contained in air, at its present temperature. Air at 0%RH is completely dry and free of moisture; air at 100%RH contains all the moisture it can possibly hold at its present temperature and will be exhibited as condensation, fog or rain. The amount or volume of water vapor that can be contained in air varies with air temperature. Air at 50°F and 60%RH contains less moisture in suspension than...