NATIONAL REPORT—The amount of moisture in the air, “humidity,” continually varies. Think of a sponge as an analogy. When relative humidity is 50 percent, the sponge is half full of water. When relative humidity is 100 percent, the sponge is holding as much water as it possibly can. When relative humidity is 0 percent, the sponge is completely dry and free of moisture. Climate Buildings in Orlando, Fla. are more susceptible to humidity challenges than for example, Atlanta. What climate qualities make Orlando more susceptible to humidity than Atlanta? Orlando is situated in an area that experiences high humidity for an...

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA.—Carrier announced that it received its fifth major award for the Carrier AquaEdge 19DV water-cooled centrifugal chiller in just over a year. Most recently, Carrier received accolades for the 19DV in Dubai as the 2019 Innovative Manufacturer/Supplier of the Year in the Chillers category at the Climate Control Awards hosted by CPI Industry. The 19DV utilizes an environmentally sustainable refrigerant with the highest possible safety rating and an ultra-low global warming potential of ~1. “Carrier is focused on inventing solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, and the AquaEdge 19DV has received recognition around the globe as...

ATLANTA—Carrier has added new i-Vu Smart Valves to the suite of components available for the i-Vu building automation system, making it even easier to maintain occupant comfort, optimize energy usage and resolve problems faster. The Smart Valves provide operators access to valve performance data from anywhere at any time, as well as quick error detection with integrated fault detection and diagnostics. The new i-Vu Smart Valves were designed in collaboration with Belimo, a leader in the development and production of actuator solutions. They integrate seamlessly with the i-Vu building automation system, which automatically notifies operators if a valve has failed,...

MONTREAL, QUEBEC—Verdant announced it ranked No. 418 on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America now in its 25th year. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2015 to 2018. Verdant grew 218 percent during this period. Alain Belanger, Verdant CEO, credits demand for Verdant energy-management solutions to increasing energy costs, revised building code mandates and the benefits derived from utility program rebates. Increased brand awareness, repeat business from loyal customers, and the easy-to-install plug-and-play nature...

MONTREAL—Hoteliers looking for ways to slash their hotels’ energy bills can visit Verdant next week at HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA. Verdant’s simple, smart and intuitive guestroom thermostats combine smart occupancy sensors with patented cloud software features to set-back temperature while guests are away and reduce energy consumption when rooms are unoccupied. Verdant solutions—including its new ZX energy-management thermostat and its popular, field-proven VX solution—will be on display in Booth 1315 November 10 to 11 at the Javits Center in New York. “Verdant solutions are being installed in about 50 buildings each month with no signs of slowing,” said...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading manufacturer of room air conditioning and other home environment products, earned the industry’s top “Supplier of the Year” award for 2019 from AD HVAC. The award, which was presented during AD HVAC annual member meeting held earlier this month, reflects Friedrich’s strong commitment to support independent distributors by offering a wide range of innovative product solutions, training, customer service and personalized support. As a member-owned organization, AD brings growth-oriented independent distributors and best-in-class supplier partners together with the purpose of outperforming the market and staying ahead of the competition. For nearly six years,...

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...