NATIONAL REPORT—The hospitality industry is poised for a boom in the use of combined heat and power systems (CHP) due to the low cost of natural gas and the high and ever increasing cost of electricity. Hotels are a natural match for CHP due to their high baseload demand for energy and the ability to efficiently use the heat generated from these systems by offsetting hot water, heating and air-conditioning loads. In addition, CHP technology has become more reliable, remains comparably inexpensive, and creates efficiency. The spark spread is the difference between the cost of burning natural gas for...

MILWAUKEE—Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform featuring Recovery Time technology, announced that the company signed a Master Purchase Agreement approving EcoSmart for installation in corporate-owned Motel 6 and Studio 6 locations across the United States and Canada.“After a series of trial installations and competitive product comparisons, we arrived at the decision to use EcoSmart to significantly reduce HVAC energy consumption without affecting the guest experience,” said Renee Swoger, director of energy & capital administration, Motel 6/Studio 6.The Master Agreement will initiate a multi-year rollout to approximately 600 Motel 6 & Studio 6 locations in North America....

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—When you have 744 guestrooms in multiple buildings, a spa, restaurants, and three 18-hole golf courses—all on 3,000 acres—maintaining a high level of operational efficiency is always a challenge. At The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo., however, the management team has been able to keep up with aging infrastructure thanks to owners who have poured $300 million into the property since 1995. It was in 1995 that renovations began on the historic hotel that was first constructed in 1918.“The main hotel building was built to 1918 energy standards,” says Terry McHale, The Broadmoor’s director of facilities. “It...

PEACHTREE CITY, GA.—To make multi-unit condensing tankless water heater installation easier and more flexible for commercial contractors, Rinnai America Corp. is introducing the Rinnai Tankless Rack System (TRS).The system is available in free-standing or wall-mounted options for indoor or outdoor applications and can be ordered, built and shipped fully assembled, including gas and water manifolds, to any location in the United States and Canada, including the job site.Indoor installations can be configured with either Rinnai's standard polypropylene concentric venting or its new Common Venting System. Individual racks can hold between two and six of the company’s 199,000-Btu condensing units...

MILWAUKEE— Telkonet, Inc., developer of the EcoSmart energy management platform incorporating patented Recovery Time technology, announced that it signed a dealer agreement with Suite Control, a firm specializing in energy, electrical and entertainment technology solutions in Australia and Southeast Asia. Suite Control has completed a significant number of automation and integration projects, receiving numerous awards for their work. Recently, the company has designed and completed installations in hospitality buildings that focus on energy management and resource utilization. “We have a number of clients interested in reducing their cost of operations through energy management,” said George Nikols, director of business development for...

SALT LAKE CITY—Control4, a provider of residential and light commercial automation systems, announced that the newly built, luxury Montage Deer Valley Residences will feature Control4 smart home solutions. In April of 2011, Montage Deer Valley unveiled the Control4 hospitality solution in a total of 154 deluxe guestrooms and 66 suites within the resort. Control4 implementation within the Montage Deer Valley resort includes automation of lighting and temperature, fireplace control, effortless entertainment, remote controlled privacy settings and energy saving features.“I remember talking to a guest and said, ‘I want the TV to turn to Fox News at 6 a.m....

NEW YORK—Greenwood Energy, the North American renewable energy division of the Libra Group, announced it will install a second combined heat and power plant (CHP) for Millennium Hotel and Resorts in New York City. This project, which will be located at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in midtown Manhattan, follows the first CHP installation at Millennium Hilton, announced in March 2012. The transaction further endorses the developing trend among hotel groups to find ways to reduce energy costs while increasing overall energy efficiency at their properties. It also represents another milestone in Greenwood Energy’s pursuit of deploying clean power generation...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Results of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) 2012 Lodging Survey provide strong evidence that the greening of the U.S. lodging industry is continuing. Funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF) and conducted by STR, 52,155 U.S. hotel properties were polled in the survey that is conducted every two years. Similar data has been collected since 1988. There was a healthy response rate of 23 percent to this year’s survey.While most of the questions were repeated from previous years, there were new questions as well. For example, hoteliers were asked for the first time...

CONCORD, CALIF.—It got official as it can get earlier this year on June 5. It was on that day that the Hilton Concord in Concord, Calif., was designated the Sustainability Flagship by Interstate Hotels & Resorts in a proclamation released by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Concord. The 329-key hotel was selected by Interstate to be the green prototype of what could be rolled out across the company’s other five wholly-owned and managed hotels. “Our plan is to implement similar programs and technologies at our other five wholly-owned hotels as part of our annual planned capital...

NEW YORK—Barclay the Bee has landed in the InterContinental New York Barclay’s guestrooms with a question—“to wash, or not to wash”? The hotel’s friendly messaging mascot is highlighting an important aspect of the InterContinental New York Barclay’s sustainable initiatives—water savings—with a new “Don’t Wash” symbol and fun in-room message delivery. A Bee-shaped cut-out sign designed to sit in a holder on nightstands features Barclay the Bee holding a message advising guests of the hotel’s commitment to every-other-day sheet and towel washing. Guests who desire every day service simply remove the bee card from its holder and place it on...