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...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and other room air-conditioning products, has launched a Spanish-speaking Technical and Customer service line, making it among the first in the industry to offer a dedicated service specifically for Spanish-speaking customers. The Spanish-speaking line is available by calling Friedrich’s main customer service line, 1-800-541-6645, and selecting option 9. It will operate Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the same hours and days as Friedrich’s other customer service phone line. “The goal is to help ensure all of our installers, contractors and customers get the assistance...

Did you know that you breathe over 11,000 liters of air a day? If you’re reading this, you will probably spend around 2,000 hours per year breathing the air in the office for which you are about to sign that lease.  This year alone, you will bring into your lungs over 900,000 liters of whatever is in the air of that cool new office space. Would you drink 900,000 liters of water if I said, “I actually have no idea what’s in it or how long it has been sitting in this room…but it’s fairly clear and doesn’t really...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added ChemxWorks to its Green Product & Service Directory. The company’s D-CARBONATOR soak tank removes carbon buildup and the worst fats, oil and grease (F.O.G.) from kitchen equipment (aluminum baking pans, hood filters, baking racks, floor mats and more) using heated water in combination with safe, eco-friendly and proprietary detergent CarbonZyme. The D-CARBONATOR operates at a temperature of 185˚F/85˚C. Equipment removed from the unit is fully sanitized and bacteria free. It saves on labor, utilities, water, equipment and chemicals. The D-CARBONATOR is 12 times less costly to operate than a 3-compartment sink and cleans better...

Unfortunately, I have written about carbon monoxide deaths in hotels far too often—most recently last November. The past few weeks I have read about two more incidents at hotels. First, in late June, two men were found dead by a third guest staying in the room at the Best Western Hotel in Asheville, N.C. Police suspect the cause of the deaths to be carbon monoxide poisoning. According to an unsealed warrant, Asheville fire chief Shane Mackey suspects a utility room behind the room was the source of the carbon monoxide. The utility room contained two water heaters and two...