NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—Zen Ecosystems’ Zen Air was recognized as the winner of Best Innovation in Energy Efficiency by the Energy Efficiency Council (EEC). The Zen Air product and initial software applications offer immediate energy savings of up to 30 percent. “These people, projects and programs represent the best in residential, industrial, commercial and government efficiency and demand response in Australia. We at the EEC are always excited to be recognizing world-class energy efficiency projects through the National Energy Efficiency Awards,” said Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council. Zen Air, launched in August of 2019, turns a compatible smartphone into...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier Global Corporation’s BluEdge service platform continues to expand its reach with 1,000 signed service agreements in just six months and expanded geographic reach. The global, best-in-class service program that was originally launched in North America and Asia, is now available to Commercial HVAC customers in the Middle East and Europe. Through a deep understanding of customer needs and investments in cutting edge digital tools, BluEdge can help customers achieve enhanced equipment efficiency and performance—key components of Carrier’s Healthy Buildings Program and Healthy, Safe, Sustainable Cold Chain Program. Carrier Global Corp. is a leading global provider of...

RACINE, WIS.—Modine Manufacturing Co., a leader in technology in the HVAC industry, has announced a new Modine Control System (MCS) option for their line of Indoor Separated Combustion Heating and Make-Up Air units. Equipped with a 32-bit microprocessor for fast processing speed, the MCS Carel pCOOEM+ programmable controller features a number of I/O’s for complex HVAC/R applications. The controller is fully configured at the factory for the customer’s preferred application settings to make job-site startup and commissioning easier. “With this new control system, Modine has addressed the increasing demand for building management system integration,” said Mike Schires, Senior Product Manager for...

In this, my last column of 2020, I would like to thank Green Lodging News readers, advertisers, guest columnists, public relations representatives, and others for their support during this unprecedented year. This year, to be able to say your business survived, is an accomplishment. My heart goes out to all of you who lost your business or jobs in 2020. My wish for everyone in our industry is for a much healthier and safer 2021. No matter what my website article tracking data says, COVID-19 was of course the story of the year in 2020—how our industry was hurt by...

In next week’s column I will be highlighting the 10 most read Green Lodging News articles of 2020. It will be interesting to see how many had to do with COVID-19. While the article I just posted on Hotel Marcel may not make it because of its posting late in the year, it certainly deserves consideration as one of the most important hotel stories of both this year and 2021. Be sure to read the article. Hotel Marcel is the project of architect Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of Becker + Becker, Westport, Conn. Becker purchased the New Haven, Conn. building...

NEW HAVEN, CONN.—When the Hotel Marcel opens next summer in New Haven, Conn., it will be a shining example of sustainability and what every hotel could and should be. The 165-room boutique hotel will be the result of the renovated Armstrong Rubber Company Building, aka Pirelli Building, originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1967. It will be run by 100 percent solar power, meet net-zero energy standards, and will target LEED Platinum certification. There will be many other bells and whistles that will make the building highly efficient. Hotel Marcel is the project of Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Carrier announced that it has expanded its AquaEdge 19DV water-cooled centrifugal chiller capacity range in North America by an additional 150 tons. With the capacity range now starting at 350 tons—previously 500 tons—the 19DV can accommodate customer requirements of smaller applications. The top of the range remains at 800 tons. The AquaEdge 19DV is the ultimate innovation in cooling and heating technology and utilizes an environmentally sustainable refrigerant with the highest possible safety rating and an ultra-low global warming potential of ~1. Carrier is a part of Carrier Global Corp., a leading global provider of healthy, safe, and...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier Global Corp. announced the company’s first set of Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) goals since becoming an independent company in April. Building on the company’s vision to create solutions that matter for people and our planet, Carrier is targeting carbon neutrality across its operations by 2030. The company is also aiming to reduce its customers’ carbon footprint by more than one gigaton, supported by a planned investment of more than $2 billion over the next 10 years toward the development of healthier, safer, and more sustainable building and cold chain solutions. “At Carrier, we are applying...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier Global Corp., a leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building and cold chain solutions, announced that its OptiClean Dual-Mode Air Scrubber & Negative Air Machine has been named as one of TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2020. The OptiClean was developed through rapid innovation in early 2020 to help support infectious isolation rooms in hospitals. TIME featured OptiClean in the Medical Care category of its prestigious annual list that recognizes 100 ground-breaking inventions that are making the world better and smarter. “We are honored the OptiClean is being recognized by TIME for a product...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE, a global society advancing human well-being through sustainable technology for the built environment, announced a move to its new global headquarters, located at 180 Technology Parkway, Peachtree Corners, Ga. The Society began renovations in January 2020 on an existing 66,700 ft2 building, originally built in 1978, on 11 acres of land. Located 10 miles north of its previous headquarters building, ASHRAE joins other innovation and sustainability-focused organizations based in the popular Technology Parkway corridor. A short video on the new global headquarters can be viewed on ASHRAE’s YouTube channel. “ASHRAE’s new global headquarters is a prime example of how we are helping to...